All about tomato paste

[Fat Guy]

I'm not telling, I'm asking.

What is tomato paste anyway?

It seems like an incredibly useful substance, but I've never been all that creative about its applications. I've used it to make stocks or sauces richer and more colorful, and I've used it to thicken tomato sauce.

There must be a million other uses.

Tell all.

[Dana]

I always thought it was incredibly reduced tomato sauce, and that how I've used it.

It's really convienient to buy those little tubes, but the little cans are so inexpensive that I really don't feel bad if I toss a some. I've frozen little 'blobs', then put the blobs in a ziploc, so I could use them at a later date. Then months and months later when cleaning out the freezer, I tossed them.

The best hint ever came from a demo Paul Prudhoumme did (and I attended)several years ago. He said to 'fry' it a little bit in some oil before adding whatever other ingredients. That process carmelizes the sugars and therefore reduces the acidity and gives greater roundness of flavor.

[Smithy]

The last time I tried cooking beans with ham hocks, I drizzled concentrated tomato paste (from a tube) over the finished dish. It added a nice moisture and acidity to the dish. The touch of color was pretty, too.

[Domestic Goddess]

Tomato paste is a staple for many Filipino kitchens. Our cuisine is influenced a lot by Spanish culture, considering we were under their rule for more than 300 years. Tomato paste is used in a lot of tomato-based dishes like menudo, mechado, afritada, paella, etc. We usually get our tomato paste in little cans, hence no waste at all. I still haven't encountered tomato paste in little tubes.

[Marlene]

Tomato paste is part of the standard ingredients I use when braising a pot roast.

[Henry dV]

The best hint ever came from a demo Paul Prudhoumme did (and I attended)several years ago. He said to 'fry' it a little bit in some oil before adding whatever other ingredients. That process carmelizes the sugars and therefore reduces the acidity and gives greater roundness of flavor.

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Nice one.....thats a great idea, many thanks for sharing it !

[Dave the Cook]

The best hint ever came from a demo Paul Prudhoumme did (and I attended)several years ago. He said to 'fry' it a little bit in some oil before adding whatever other ingredients. That process carmelizes the sugars and therefore reduces the acidity and gives greater roundness of flavor.

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Nice one.....thats a great idea, many thanks for sharing it !

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I've been doing this for years and passing it along as a "secret" technique, all the time wondering where I first picked it up. Thanks from me too, Dana.

Often, I'll go at it from the other direction, though: add it to a mirepoix at the last minute and let it brown a bit before deglazing. I also use it to "paint" beef parts before I roast them for stock.

I've noticed that many canned tomato purees are simply "tomato paste and water," for whatever that's worth.

Does anyone know how tomato paste is made? Is it cooked down, or is it a product of a vacuum evaporation process like concentrated orange juice?

[Carrot Top]

Does anyone know how tomato paste is made? Is it cooked down, or is it a product of a vacuum evaporation process like concentrated orange juice?

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I vaguely remember reading of tomato paste as originally being "developed" as part of the usual processes of the kitchen of a farm - cooking tomatoes with water down to a concentrate (just like one would do with boullion/stock), then home canning (or perhaps even drying?) the product was one way to extend the useful life of the crop.

I've seen recipes in old Italian cookbooks where the paste was used as the major ingredient for a sauce, and specifically remember one from an old Gourmet magazine from the 1970's where polenta was topped with a meat sauce that was mostly ground beef, dried mushrooms, dried herbs and tomato paste. And it was delicious.

Some brands of canned tomato paste do taste more acidic than others. It would be interesting perhaps to do a taste test comparison.

[Carrot Top]

Here's something found in a quick search:

History of tomato paste

A Little Bite of History

Tomato paste started as a homemade concoction in Italian kitchens, spreading across other Mediterranean countries. Though recipes for homemade tomato paste can be found, it is now almost exclusively produced and purchased commercially.

The site linked has recipes and other info, too. Maybe all you ever wanted to know about tomato paste.

But then again, maybe not.

[Fat Guy]

The Contadina website has quite a few recipes that use tomato paste. They don't seem particularly imaginative, though.

http://www.contadina.com/Recipes.asp?cat=Tomato%20Paste

I've never paid much attention to the available varieties, but from the websites Hunt's seems to have a no-salt-added version, which would seem useful if the tomato paste is to end up as part of a reduced sauce:

http://www.hunts.com/gateway?waf.action=Hu...3&mnav=products

[Fat Guy]

I've never done a side-by-side test -- indeed I've never really tasted tomato paste straight, except while licking my fingers -- so I don't know if the tubes taste better. But I've never found them to be economical. One 4.5-ounce tube of Amore paste costs as much as something like six 6-ounce cans of whatever tomato paste is on sale two-for-a-dollar (about $3, either way). So even if every time you open up a can you only use a quarter of it and throw the rest in the trash (an unlikely scenario), you still come out ahead. I've now reached the limits of my mathematical skills, but even if you take Amore's "double concentrated" claim at face value and assume that means an ounce of Amore has twice as much tomato power as an ounce of Contadina, it still doesn't seem worth it. Heck, I was just out this morning and even the organic tomato paste cans only cost 89 cents, and there was a deal on little trays of 12 cans of regular tomato paste that worked out to a hair under 42 cents a can. Meanwhile I think the Amore tubes were $3.29.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I use tomato paste for my rice

I saute a minced up onion a minced up bell pepper in olive oil.. then then toss the raw long grain rice into the pot saute for a second or two add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste ..saute that into it until the rice is completely coated in the paste ...add the water (2 parts water to 1 part rice) ...let it boil uncovered strirring well every few minutes untll rice is poking up through the water and almost all the water is absorbed ...then I add a small jar of (drained) stuffed green olives ..salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin to taste ...turn the burner to simmer and cover for 15 min ...turn the burner off and let it sit a few more min before fluffing...

perfect Central American rice

Edited March 4, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Carrot Top]

I've never done a side-by-side test -- indeed I've never really tasted tomato paste straight, except while licking my fingers -- so I don't know if the tubes taste better. But I've never found them to be economical. One 4.5-ounce tube of Amore paste costs as much as something like six 6-ounce cans of whatever tomato paste is on sale two-for-a-dollar (about $3, either way). So even if every time you open up a can you only use a quarter of it and throw the rest in the trash (an unlikely scenario), you still come out ahead. I've now reached the limits of my mathematical skills, but even if you take Amore's "double concentrated" claim at face value and assume that means an ounce of Amore has twice as much tomato power as an ounce of Contadina, it still doesn't seem worth it. Heck, I was just out this morning and even the organic tomato paste cans only cost 89 cents, and there was a deal on little trays of 12 cans of regular tomato paste that worked out to a hair under 42 cents a can. Meanwhile I think the Amore tubes were $3.29.

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Cook's Illustrated did a taste test, and it is online, but I dropped my subscription to the mag so can not access it for a link.

The prices of the tubes are ridiculous. That used to be explained by the fact that they were imported but I don't know if even that is true anymore. Supposedly also you can *save* money by buying them because you can just squeeze out the amount you want instead of opening a whole can, but that is easily solved by just popping small amounts into baggies from the cans and freezing till needed.

I just looked in my cupboard and I have two different cans of tomato paste. Not because of any reason except that when I go to the grocery store with the kids I tend to grab and run as fast as I can to avoid the cart being filled by piles of things they think they need that I do not want to pay for. But anyway.

One is Hunts. Ingredients: Tomato paste, salt, spices, natural flavors, citric acid. It is dense and solid in the can and I just stuck a bit in my mouth. Really good flavor. Tomato-y, to be exact.

The other is Kroger brand. "Italian Style" it says, tomato paste. Ingredients:Tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, spices, romano cheese, soybean oil, hydrolyzed corn gluten, wheat gluten, soy protein, garlic, torula yeast (!), and natural flavor. Contains: Milk, wheat, soy. It is soft looking, not as dense. A taste of this reminds me of canned spaghetti or of "pizza sauce". Sweet and light, bringing images of cafeterias to mind.

I like the first one. My children probably would like the second.

Have to go freeze bits of tomato paste now.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Carrot Top (log)

[Khadija]

I buy those tubes of double-concentrate tomato paste. An interesting use I've found for the paste is making ketchup very, very quickly. I never buy ketchup, and when I make burgers, etc., I usually make tomato confit. However, once in a while, if I need ketchup in a hurry, I mix a squirt of tomato paste with a bit of vinegar (I usually use balsamic, for sweetness and richness), garlic, and salt.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Khadija (log)

[Fat Guy]

I have in my cabinet Hunt's, Contadina, Luigi Vitelli, and Muir Glen Organic.

The Hunt's is as Carrot Top says.

The Luigi Vitelli is "Whole Ripe Tomatoes, salt."

The Contadina is "Tomatoes" and also says "100% Tomatoes" on the can.

The Muir Glen is "Organic Tomato Paste And Naturally Derived Citric Acid."

Interesting.

[BeJam]

Does anyone know how tomato paste is made? Is it cooked down, or is it a product of a vacuum evaporation process like concentrated orange juice?

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A couple of years ago, a midst a bumper crop, I decided to make my own tomato paste. I skinned and seeded, than just cooked down, and down, and down, and down. It took about four hours and a pot full of tomatos cooked to about a cup of tomato paste. I also added a little olive oil at the end to give it a better consistiency. Given how many tomatos are needed to make paste, the price is almost reasonable.

It turned out great, but too time and tomato consuming.

[torakris]

The Japanese aren't big users of tomato paste so for years I have been buying tubes of Amore double concentrate on trips to the US. Two months ago I discovered a wonderful tomato paste put out by the big tomato product company here, Kagome. The paste comes in 1 tablespoon (well 18g) packs, 6 or so packs to a box at about 120 yen (US$1). Cheaper than the tube, more expensive than the can but there is no waste and it is incredibly easy to use. The packs look like this:

[Bonnie Ruth]

Fine Cooking rated tomato pastes not long ago. Their favorite was bionaturae, which does come in a can, followed by Amore in a tube. Bionaturae was considerably less expensive, and when I tried it, I agreed it had much more of a tomato flavor than any I had used before, including even Contadina. It is made from tuscan tomatoes, whatever that means.

[deltadoc]

[quoteDoes anyone know how tomato paste is made? Is it cooked down, or is it a product of a vacuum evaporation process like concentrated orange juice?

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[K8memphis]

I use tomato paste for my rice

I saute a minced up onion a minced up bell pepper in olive oil.. then then toss the raw long grain rice into the pot saute for a second or two add  a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste ..saute that into it until the rice is completely coated in the paste ...add the water (2 parts water to 1 part rice) ...let it boil uncovered strirring well every few minutes untll rice is poking up through the water and almost all the water is absorbed ...then I add a small jar of (drained) stuffed green olives ..salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin to taste ...turn the burner to simmer and cover for 15 min ...turn the burner off and let it sit a few more min before fluffing...

perfect Central American rice

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Oh cool! I'm making this for lunch for my husband. He loves this stuff.

[slkinsey]

Does anyone know how tomato paste is made? Is it cooked down, or is it a product of a vacuum evaporation process like concentrated orange juice?

Tomato paste is something that's been around for quite a while as a homemade product, albeit in somewhat different form than the industrial product with which we are familiar today. These days tomato paste is made by evaporating tomato pulp puree under vacuum, usually under a four- or five-stage evaporation process. As far as I know there is no meaningful "cooking" of the tomato product other than what is required for sterilization, and this likely means a quick ramp up to sterilization temperature, minimum time at temperature, and a quick ramp back down to room temperature. The essential "uncooked-ness" of industrial tomato paste is readily apparent in its flavor.

I've never done a side-by-side test -- indeed I've never really tasted tomato paste straight, except while licking my fingers -- so I don't know if the tubes taste better. But I've never found them to be economical. One 4.5-ounce tube of Amore paste costs as much as something like six 6-ounce cans of whatever tomato paste is on sale two-for-a-dollar (about $3, either way). So even if every time you open up a can you only use a quarter of it and throw the rest in the trash (an unlikely scenario), you still come out ahead. I've now reached the limits of my mathematical skills, but even if you take Amore's "double concentrated" claim at face value and assume that means an ounce of Amore has twice as much tomato power as an ounce of Contadina, it still doesn't seem worth it. Heck, I was just out this morning and even the organic tomato paste cans only cost 89 cents, and there was a deal on little trays of 12 cans of regular tomato paste that worked out to a hair under 42 cents a can. Meanwhile I think the Amore tubes were $3.29.

The "double concentrated" thing is a translation of the Italian way of classifying reduced tomato products. Going in order with dry weight ("residuo secco") in parentheses, there is semi-concentrato di pomodoro (12%); concentrato di pomdodo (18%); doppio concentrato di pomodoro (28%); triplo concentrato di pomdoro (36%); and sestuplo concentrato di pomodoro (55%). Semi-concentrato and concentrato would be considered tomato puree in the US. The United States Standards for Grades of Canned Tomato Paste §52.5041(a) says: "Tomato Paste is the clean sound, wholesome product as defined in the Standard of Identity for Tomato Paste (21 CFR 155.191) issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and contains not less than 24.0 percent of natural tomato soluble solids." As far as I know, the tomato paste available for consumer purchase in American supermarkets is generally in the area of this minimum concentration requirement, which would make it right around the same thing as doppio concentrato (aka "double concentrated"). As you can see from the Italian classifications, however, there are tomato pastes that are much more concentrated than usual American supermarket tomato paste. I have some artisinal tomato paste from Sicily that is so concentrated it will not freeze solid.

I like to have both canned and tubed tomato paste on hand -- but I'm not really using them for the same things. I'm not likely to use a half-tube of Amore or Mutti (which I've seen sold in lots of six for as little as ten bucks) all in one go. Sometimes I really only want to use a teaspoon of tomato paste, and for this the tube comes in handy. I'm willing to pay the price increase for the convenience and reduction in waste. If I want to use as much as a third of a can, I'm likely to break out the can opener. I've experimented with freezing the rest of the can, but have found this to be an unsatisfactory solution because it's a huge pain in the butt when all you want is just another tablespoon of tomato paste. If I could get ahold of sextuple concentrated tomato paste in cans, which would most likely not freeze solid, I'd stick with that and just scoop spoonfulls out of a container in the freezer whenever I wanted some.

In my experience, quality of tomato paste can be very noticable and can make a huge difference, but it's not something one is likely to experience in every context and every recipe. If you're painting it on beef bones prior to roasting for a brown stock, or if you're using it in an Italian-American red sauce with tons of garlic and dried oregano, you're unlikely to taste a difference. If, on the other hand, you're making a sauce with nothing more than tomato paste, quality pork sausage and a little fresh parsley, the added depth of flavor the good stuff brings to the game can be noticable in my opinion.

Edited March 5, 2007 by slkinsey (log)

[Carrot Top]

I've experimented with freezing the rest of the can, but have found this to be an unsatisfactory solution because it's a huge pain in the butt when all you want is just another tablespoon of tomato paste. 

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Sometimes when I'm lazy (which is often) I freeze whatever is left of the can scooped out into and wrapped up really tight in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn then put that in another, thicker plastic bag wrapped tight. Yes, lazy but slightly neurotic.

Then when I want a spoonful (which is usually all I use anyway) I take it out and pull out a big sharp knife and chop off what I want from the frozen thingie.

I must tell you that this affords much more emotional satisfaction that merely spooning a spoonful out. Chop chop. Such strength, such prowess, big sharp knife, and there you have a nice little chunk of tomato paste to make the world okay with. Ahhhh. Happiness.

[Pontormo]

I've experimented with freezing the rest of the can, but have found this to be an unsatisfactory solution because it's a huge pain in the butt when all you want is just another tablespoon of tomato paste. 

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Sometimes when I'm lazy (which is often) I freeze whatever is left of the can scooped out into and wrapped up really tight in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn then put that in another, thicker plastic bag wrapped tight.

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...or if you're not neurotic about freezer burn, take a wide, squat plastic container and dot the perimeter with T-size scoops of the tomato paste before putting a lid on it and popping it into the freezer. Neurotics can always go back into the freezer once all has frozen and either do the plastic wrap thing on each blob of paste or cover all of them with a single piece of wrap before resealing the container.

[slkinsey]

You know what? The extra couple of bucks for a tube of tomato paste is more than worth it to me if I can avoid measuring out tablespoon-sized scoops of tomato paste, freezing them and then bagging them.

... not that I have that kind of space in my freezer anyway.

[Fat Guy]

I confess it never occurred to me to use both cans and tubes.