Homemade tomato paste

Step 1

Rinse the tomatoes well, remove the stems, and cut into chunks.

Step 2

Fill a blender with the tomato chunks and blend until the tomatoes have all reduced into a sauce.

Step 3

Place a stainless-steel strainer over a large pot on the stove (or over a slow cooker crockpot), and pour the tomato sauce into the strainer. Using a stainless-steel spoon or a spatula, press the tomato sauce through the strainer into the pot below. For this step, we are straining out the skin and seeds of the tomatoes.

Step 4

The best way to get all of the tomato goodness out is to scrape the seeds and skins against the strainer.

Step 5

Repeat with the remaining tomatoes if necessary.

Step 6

Heat the sauce over low heat. Add in the oil while stirring and heat until it starts to simmer. stir every once in a while, checking on the consistency. As the water evaporates, the sauce will continue to thicken. As it starts to get thicker, you will want to turn the heat down lower and check on it more often because it gets more likely to burn as it gets thicker and has less water. *If using a crockpot on low, you can leave the tomato paste unattended for longer periods of time, but as it starts to thicken, you will also need to check on it more often to prevent it from burning. (Make sure to leave the lid off the slow cooker or the water won't evaporate away.)

Step 7

Once you've achieved the desired consistency, the tomato paste is ready to be used in recipes, or ready to be stored. It can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.