Can you freeze tomato paste? Instead of throwing out the little bit of tomato paste left in the can, use this tutorial on freezing tomato paste! I’ll share my top secrets for long-term storage so you can have endless amounts of tomato paste at your fingertips with no more waste!
Tomato paste is the pantry staple we all know and love, packed with flavor and used in a variety of cooking recipes to add flavor and depth, from Homemade Spaghetti O’s to Marinara Sauce.
However, many dishes only call for one or two tablespoons of tomato paste, meaning you most likely have to throw away an entire can of tomato paste after it sits in the fridge for a week! And if you know me, I try to avoid food waste as much as possible.
So, in this post, I’m going to share with you how to easily freeze leftover paste. It’s the easiest way to preserve it, so you can have fresh tomato paste next time your recipe calls for it!
What You Need to Freeze Tomato Paste
There aren’t any ingredients besides canned tomato paste, but there are a few specific supplies:
- Tomato paste – you can use canned tomato paste or the kind that comes in a tube!
- A one tablespoon measuring spoon OR a one tablespoon cookie scoop (we have this one and LOVE it)
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper (or wax paper)
- Plastic storage bag or silicone storage bag
How to Freeze Tomato Paste
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (You could use plastic wrap as well, but I find it difficult to work with. You’ll see why below.)
Step 2: Using either a measuring spoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop slightly rounded tablespoon portions of tomato paste onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining paste, leaving 2-3″ of space on the paper between each scoop.
Why one tablespoon? Because most recipes call for tomato paste in tablespoon increments. Measuring it this way makes it easy to pull out what you need, double or even half as necessary.
Why a slightly rounded heap? It’s inevitable that some of the tomato paste dollops will remain in either the measuring spoon or the cookie scoop. Aiming for slightly heaping means still having a full tablespoon when it’s all said and done.
Step 3: Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight if it’s easier, until frozen solid.
Step 4: Pull the baking sheet from the freezer and cut the parchment paper into squares so that each scoop of tomato paste is in the center.
Step 5: Wrap the paper around the dollops of tomato paste like a piece of salted taffy.
Step 6: Place all the balls into a freezer bag or air-tight container, removing excess air. Label and store leftover tomato paste in the freezer.
Note: When you need to use tomato paste, pull out what you need and add frozen portions – no thawing needed!
FAQs
How long can you freeze tomato paste?
Frozen tomato paste can be stored for up to a year while maintaining good quality. Just make sure to label the container or bag with the expiration date for reference.
Can I freeze tomato paste in larger portions?
While smaller portions are recommended for convenience, you can certainly freeze tomato paste in larger portions if it suits your needs. Just keep in mind that it may take longer to thaw, and you’ll need to use the entire portion once it’s thawed.
Can you freeze tomato paste in ice cube trays?
Yes, however, I find tablespoon size scoops to be easier. This allows me to wrap each portion in parchment paper to keep it fresh. Tomato sauce and tomato puree are easier to freeze in an ice cube tray since it is liquid.
How do I prevent my tomato paste from getting freezer burnt?
Unless you have magical anti-freezer burn powers, your tomato paste can get freezer burn on it if you’re not careful. The best way to prevent it is by putting your leftover tomato paste in a freezer bag removing as much air as possible. An airtight container will work as well, but use a small container so there is less air space. Also, make sure to wrap each ball in parchment paper to ensure freshness!
Freezing Leftover Tomato Paste
Freezing leftover tomato paste is the perfect solution to avoid wasting those leftover dollops of tomato goodness. Now you can say goodbye to those tiny little cans of tomato paste gathering dust in the refrigerator. Plus, you can save a trip to the grocery store! If you try this quick method, let me know in the comments!
More Tomato Recipes
- Beginner’s Guide to Canning Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
- How to Make Tomato Powder
- Red Pepper Tomato Soup
I recently got some herb-freezing trays from pampered chef, sounds like they’d be perfect for tomato paste too!
I have been doing this for a while now, I was forever finding mouldy cans of tomato paste in the back of the fridge and it made me sad to throw it out. I use a silicon mold to freeze ours (the one I use is 1/2 of a cake pop mold), they pop out easily and I then store them in a container in the fridge. My husband thought I was weird for doing this, I’m so glad there are other “weirdos” out there like me!
I own different sizes of scoops. I find that if I making cookies and the recipe calls for a tablespoon I can downsize to the next smaller scoop, carefully time the first batch (since they are smaller) and end up with many more cookies and no one realizes they are getting a smaller portion that what the recipe calls for. My last batch of cookies was supposed to make 3 dozen and I got 6 dozen. Took them to church on Sunday morning and no one was the wiser. Scoops also work well for things like meatballs. Not that I want a protein to be smaller but it does assure that 2 meatballs = the recommended 4 oz. of protein per serving.
Yes! I L.O.V.E. my scoop and would love to add to the collection. I use my scoop on meatballs too, as well as energy bites and a few other things. One of my favorite tools!
Approximately how long do you think it will last in the freezer?
3 months on the door, 6 months in the back, 12 months in a deep freeze is the general rule of thumb (assuming it’s double wrapped)
I do this with pesto in ice cube trays, why did it never occur to me to do it with tomato paste as well?! THANK YOU!!!
Or…you could just use the rest of the can to make pizza sauce. Add in some garlic, basil (I like adding twice as much basil as the other herbs), oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Maybe a splash of olive oil. Cream is also nice if you want a thinner consistency. Stir it up and you’ve got fabulous, almost instant pizza sauce.
You could Kaylee! We usually have pizza sauce already on hand, otherwise we’d do something like this.
I do the same with ginger. I buy a big basket – think paper lunch bag full – peel and grate it and then scoop it out by tablespoons to freeze. Makes stir fries and Asian recipes so much faster (and less messy!).
J
Ooh – great idea!!
I don’t use a whole lot of ginger, but I freeze the whole root and grate what I need from it frozen. Works well for me!
Yes!!! The skin and all!!
I didn’t even know it came in a tube!
Brilliant! I’m doing this with the next can of tomato paste I open. Would it work with waxed paper in case we run out of parchment? How about aluminum foil?
Wax paper should work Josephine, but I’m not sure about aluminum foil. I’d go with plastic wrap before that one in case it sticks while frozen.
Thanks! I may try all three as an experiment. 🙂
You can buy a product called Go Between, which is a plastic film (not clear like Glad wrap) it is a light grey in color. It comes in a box and you just pull out what you want and use the serrated edge on the box to cut it. Hope this helps. Regards – Chris for Tasmania Australia