Tomato paste is a thick concentrated puree (paste) of tomatoes. I also noticed that “Tomato Puree” in the UK is refers to tomato paste. The important point to note is that whether it’s called puree or paste it should be a concentrated tomato product (most of the water is evaporated/removed).
How is it made?
Tomatoes are pureed, strained and concentrated by cooking down the puree and evaporating most of the liquid to leave a thick concentrated paste (puree). The main thing to remember is that tomato paste has most of the water removed from it.
Tomato paste is mostly sold in small cans of 50ml (6fl oz) or in tubes (like toothpaste). However you can also find large cans of tomato paste packed for restaurants or people cooking food in large quantities.
What is tomato paste used for?
Tomato paste is usually coloured deep red using natural dyes like anatto. It’s used to enrich flavour and deepen the colour of a dish. It should be used sparingly. Use 1-3 tablespoons in a recipe depending on what you’re cooking.
Tomato paste forms the basis for other tomato based products. It’s the main ingredient in most canned Tomato sauces (Great Value, Hunt’s), RAGÚ pasta sauces, Salsa sauces (Selection) just to mention a few.
How to use Tomato Paste
Mix the paste with 2 parts water, stir to combine and then add to your dish.
How to store left over paste
If you have any leftover paste in a can you can portion it out in small containers and freeze it for later use. Please remember to label the containers. I prefer the ones packed like toothpaste because they are very easy to use and store in the fridge.
Brand of Tomato Pastes
1. ALPINO
Nutrition facts per 30ml (2 tablespoons) is as follows:
- Calories: 40
- Fats: 0 milligram
- Cholesterol: 0 milligram
- Sodium: 70 milligram;
- Carbohydrate 8 gram (Fibre 1g, Sugars 5g);
- Protein: 2 gram:
- Vitamin A 6% RDA
- Vitamin C 15% RDA
- Iron 4%. RDA
- Ingredients: Tomato and Salt
myfavouritepastime.com Last Updated: November 17, 2018
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