Sauce and paste maters ?

lexxluthor · February 12, 2016

I noticed that a lot of times they are intertwined in the same category while others are separated. Do most people who make sauce also make pastes with the same kind of tomato? I plan on growing ten sauce tomatoes but have never made paste. I was wondering how to make a paste and if anyone uses it other than a sauce base.

Thanks for the input.

pmcgrady · February 12, 2016

Making tomato paste takes forever to cook down to right thickness, last batch I made took about 10 hours and reduced a huge pot of tomatoes to about 4 small jars of paste, it was good but not sure if it was worth all the trouble. I use same tomatoes to make sauce/marinara/paste. If I was charging by the hour to make paste it would have cost $50/jar lol!

Worth1 · February 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

Making tomato paste takes forever to cook down to right thickness, last batch I made took about 10 hours and reduced a huge pot of tomatoes to about 4 small jars of paste, it was good but not sure if it was worth all the trouble.

You hit the nail on the head that is why the dried up waterless things are called past tomatoes.
On top of that where they come from they spread the sauce out on boards and dry it in the sun.
The stuff you see in the cans is the industrialized version of this method.

Worth

lexxluthor · February 12, 2016

Thanks for the input and I don't think I have the patience to make paste but more than willing to try 10 different maters for sauces.

Father'sDaughter · February 12, 2016

I use "dried up waterless things" to make tomato purée. The thicker the product when you start out, the less it has to be cooked down before you can it.

OzoneNY · February 12, 2016

10 hours to make paste? I would give up too.

What you make paste from is important. For a gravy (sauce) or paste I use San Marzano or Roma style tomatos. Genovese tomatos make a good sauce but dont make a good paste. Anyay, I will tell you how my uncle Nino makes paste.
Using a SM style paste tomato, start by milling the tomatos to make a puree. Put the puree in the freezer (I use ziplock bags) and after they are good and frozen solid, thaw it. I thaw it in a fine mesh strainer thats lined with 3 or 4 layer of cheese cloth and sitting on top of a bowl. After some time, you will see the separated water drain out leaving behind tomato pulp that looks like red ricotta cheese in the strainer/cloth. Remove the tomato "pulp' from the cheese cloth and cook on the stove over low heat for 30-45 minutes. THAT will give you a paste that is rich and does not taste overcooked. Put it in ice cube trays and then pop them out into a zip lock bag for long term storage or mason jars if you do canning.

Initial freezing somehow change the puree in such a way that much of the water can be drained out just by this simple method with the help of gravity. I have tried this with several tomato type and San Marzano, Roma type paste tomatos are the only one that work for me. Probably any paste tomato really.
I dont know what tomato my uncle grows but I recall it is basically a Roma looking tomato that he's been cultivating for decades. Im going back this fall for a visit and hopefully bring back some seeds. Maybe some villans can ID his tomato.

Captain Neon · February 12, 2016

I have grown a Roma for my wife to make sauce for years. We will be trying Super Sauce this year. I want to try San Marzano, but my wife makes the decision on the paste variety. She tells me that I can displace one of my Brandywines in the garden if I want to grow a San Marzano.

Gardeneer · February 12, 2016

If I need tomato paste, I'll just buy a can of Heinz for a buck or so.
For sauce (spaghetti consistency) I make a dozen or so jars every year from whatever variety that I have during the peak season. Peel the skin, squeeze the seed gel/juice out and make sauce.

Gardeneer

zeuspaul · February 12, 2016

I use any tomato that I have in surplus. First puree with your choice of tomato machines to remove skins and seeds. Then place in a large stainless steel pan (I use a chaffing dish water pan) and bake over night in an oven at the lowest setting (185F).

gssgarden · February 12, 2016

10 hrs??!!?? Good grief! Sauce Takes me 3-4 hrs!

Greg

ChiliPeppa · February 12, 2016

The oven method sounds like a winner. Has anyone tried a slow cooker?

PhilaGardener · February 12, 2016

I reduce mine in a crock pot with the lid off.

kath · February 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I reduce mine in a crock pot with the lid off.

It might be time for me to invest in a larger one. I tried using one of those electric turkey 'ovens' but the hot spots gave the sauce a burnt taste.

kath · February 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I reduce mine in a crock pot with the lid off.

It might be time for me to invest in a larger one. I tried using one of those electric turkey 'ovens' but the hot spots gave the sauce a burnt taste before it even reduced to paste.

Tracydr · February 13, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I reduce mine in a crock pot with the lid off.

Me,too.

February 12, 2016	#1
lexxluthor Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: New York Posts: 156	Sauce and paste maters ? I noticed that a lot of times they are intertwined in the same category while others are separated. Do most people who make sauce also make pastes with the same kind of tomato? I plan on growing ten sauce tomatoes but have never made paste. I was wondering how to make a paste and if anyone uses it other than a sauce base. Thanks for the input.

February 12, 2016	#2
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	Making tomato paste takes forever to cook down to right thickness, last batch I made took about 10 hours and reduced a huge pot of tomatoes to about 4 small jars of paste, it was good but not sure if it was worth all the trouble. I use same tomatoes to make sauce/marinara/paste. If I was charging by the hour to make paste it would have cost $50/jar lol! Last edited by pmcgrady; February 12, 2016 at 10:01 AM.

February 12, 2016	#5
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	I use "dried up waterless things" to make tomato purée. The thicker the product when you start out, the less it has to be cooked down before you can it.

February 12, 2016	#6
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	10 hours to make paste? I would give up too. What you make paste from is important. For a gravy (sauce) or paste I use San Marzano or Roma style tomatos. Genovese tomatos make a good sauce but dont make a good paste. Anyay, I will tell you how my uncle Nino makes paste. Using a SM style paste tomato, start by milling the tomatos to make a puree. Put the puree in the freezer (I use ziplock bags) and after they are good and frozen solid, thaw it. I thaw it in a fine mesh strainer thats lined with 3 or 4 layer of cheese cloth and sitting on top of a bowl. After some time, you will see the separated water drain out leaving behind tomato pulp that looks like red ricotta cheese in the strainer/cloth. Remove the tomato "pulp' from the cheese cloth and cook on the stove over low heat for 30-45 minutes. THAT will give you a paste that is rich and does not taste overcooked. Put it in ice cube trays and then pop them out into a zip lock bag for long term storage or mason jars if you do canning. Initial freezing somehow change the puree in such a way that much of the water can be drained out just by this simple method with the help of gravity. I have tried this with several tomato type and San Marzano, Roma type paste tomatos are the only one that work for me. Probably any paste tomato really. I dont know what tomato my uncle grows but I recall it is basically a Roma looking tomato that he's been cultivating for decades. Im going back this fall for a visit and hopefully bring back some seeds. Maybe some villans can ID his tomato.

February 12, 2016	#7
Captain Neon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Florence KY Posts: 234	I have grown a Roma for my wife to make sauce for years. We will be trying Super Sauce this year. I want to try San Marzano, but my wife makes the decision on the paste variety. She tells me that I can displace one of my Brandywines in the garden if I want to grow a San Marzano.

February 12, 2016	#8
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	If I need tomato paste, I'll just buy a can of Heinz for a buck or so. For sauce (spaghetti consistency) I make a dozen or so jars every year from whatever variety that I have during the peak season. Peel the skin, squeeze the seed gel/juice out and make sauce. Gardeneer

February 12, 2016	#9
zeuspaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: North County, San Diego Posts: 419	I use any tomato that I have in surplus. First puree with your choice of tomato machines to remove skins and seeds. Then place in a large stainless steel pan (I use a chaffing dish water pan) and bake over night in an oven at the lowest setting (185F).

February 12, 2016	#10
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,821	10 hrs??!!?? Good grief! Sauce Takes me 3-4 hrs! Greg

February 12, 2016	#11
ChiliPeppa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Mojave Desert - California Posts: 368	The oven method sounds like a winner. Has anyone tried a slow cooker?

February 12, 2016	#12
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	I reduce mine in a crock pot with the lid off.