How to Make and Freeze Tomato Paste

How to make tomato paste at home. This easy freezer method uses an overnight cook and is perfect for future pizza sauce, soups, and more. Make your own and skip the store bought.

How to Make Tomato Paste at home

Here’s what I did:

• I peeled my frozen tomatoes by running them under warm water which allows me to pull the skins right off. (see this video for detailed steps on thawing and peeling tomatoes)
• Tossed the whole peeled frozen tomatoes straight into my Instant Pot.
• Set it on low and decided to let it cook overnight. (Yep, overnight. I started it in the evening and figured I’d deal with it in the morning.). I did give it a stir a few times before I went to bed which mixed up the tomato juice and flesh.
• I used a screen over the top instead of the regular sealed lid to allow steam to escape and thicken things up. You could also just leave the lid slightly tilted.

I was a little concerned that the tomatoes might scorch. But there were a lot of juices so I decided to give it a chance. By morning, I had something much thicker than sauce—a wonderful thick tomato paste. It was rich, concentrated, and packed with flavor. Not what I expected, but hey I’ll take it!

Other Cooking Options:

I used the slow cook setting on my instant pot. You can also use a regular crock pot. Another possibility is to roast low and slow in an oven or a roasting pan. Final and least favorite for me is simply use a large pot on your stove top to simmer your tomatoes.

The goal is a low slow cook so the moisture evaporates out and leaves a thick paste.

What about the seeds?

Because I started from whole frozen tomatoes, my paste includes the seeds. If you want to make this without the seeds, thaw the tomatoes first. Then run them through a food mill before you add it to the slow cooker. Your paste will be smoother without seeds. Seeds don’t bother me a bit.

Tip; If you thaw your tomatoes before you put them in the slow cooker, drain off the liquid. This will leave just tomato pulp and your cook down time will be much less.

What type of tomatoes makes the best homemade paste?

Any regular tomato variety works. The less juicy types will cook and reduce faster and may save hours of cook time. Roma tomato, San Marzano and Plum tomatoes are some varieties that are meatier.

Freezer Storage Only – Here’s Why

Just a note: This is not a canning recipe. You can can homemade tomato paste, but it’s a bit more involved. Because tomato paste so thick, you need to a few more steps to be sure it is processed safely. The density of paste can make safe heat penetration a challenge. (If I ever get an article on canning tomato paste posted I’ll link it here!)

Freezing, on the other hand, is simple and flexible. No need to worry about acidity levels or canning guidelines.

How I Froze It:

• Let it cool completely.
• Spoon it into sandwich-size zip-top bags. (I used 1 cup measurements)
• Flatten the bags (they stack better this way), then double-bagged into a larger freezer bag for extra protection.

Other freezing options:

• Ice cube trays: Once frozen, pop the frozen cubes into a freezer bag. Great for small portions.
• Dollops on parchment paper. These will freeze solid and can be stored in freezer bags just like the ice cube tray version. (use a Tablespoon and you’ll know just how much each measures)
• Silicone muffin pans or small freezer containers for larger portions.
• Vacuum seal bags if you really want to prevent freezer burn long-term.

Add Seasonings Now… or Later

You can season the paste as you go—think ingredients like salt, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, or even red pepper flakes. Or leave it plain and season it to match whatever you’re cooking later. Either way works!

How to make homemade tomato paste. This whole thing started as tomato sauce and turned into pizza-night gold. I’ll definitely be doing it again on purpose next time.

Is tomato paste just cooked down tomatoes?
Yes, tomato paste is made by slowly cooking tomatoes until thick and concentrated, often with skins and seeds removed for a smoother texture.

How do you make tomato paste from canned tomatoes?
Drain canned tomatoes, then simmer them uncovered until thick like paste—this can take a couple of hours.

Can I turn tomato sauce into paste?
Sure! Simmer tomato sauce on low heat, uncovered, stirring often, until it reduces down to a thick, paste-like consistency. A crockpot does this wonderfully.

How much tomato sauce equals 1 pint of tomato paste?
It takes about 2 to 3 pints of tomato sauce to cook down into 1 pint of tomato paste, depending on how thick the sauce is to start with.