A handy jar of Tomato Puree is super helpful when making any tomato based dish. Here, I show you how to blanch the tomatoes and then puree them.
Make this super friendly homemade tomato puree and refrigerate or freeze it.
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On Tomatoes
It is very easy to make homemade tomato puree. All you need are some fresh tomatoes. In fact you can use any type of tomatoes but make sure they are ripe.
Depending on the type of tomatoes, the consistency of the puree will be thin or thick. I use ripe, red and pulpy tomatoes which yield a thick puree.
Tomato Puree Shelf Life
This tomato puree is made without any preservatives. So the shelf life is about 12 to 15 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
So if you have bulk of tomatoes and don’t know what to do, then puree them and freeze in ice-trays. Add the frozen tomato puree cubes in any dish where tomatoes are an essential ingredient – pasta, sauces and much more.
I rarely make tomato puree as in India we have a year round supply of tomatoes. There have been very few occasions when I have made tomato puree.
However the situation that we are currently in – is actually making me do things which I have never done earlier – example, freezing vegetables, herbs and even fruits and many more.
How to make Tomato Puree
Prepping Tomatoes
1. Firstly rinse the tomatoes very well. I have used 1 kg of tomatoes. You can even make the puree with 250 grams or 500 grams of tomatoes. Using a paring knife or a small knife make a ½ inch criss-cross cut on the base of the tomatoes (not on the stalk side).
2. Now take a large pan and heat water in it. The water should be enough for the tomatoes to be immersed. I used 2 litre water for 1 kg of tomatoes. Make sure the tomatoes have space to move and are not over crowded in the pan.
3. Add salt. I have added 2 teaspoons of salt. You can easily halve or double the salt depending on the amount of tomatoes you are using.
4. Let the water come to a rolling boil on a high flame.
Blanching & Pureeing Tomatoes
5. Gently place the tomatoes in the hot water. Cook the tomatoes in the hot boiling water for 2 minutes.
6. Then switch off the flame and let the tomatoes be immersed in the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the pan. I do not shock the tomatoes in cold water, but if you want you can do that. Boil the tomatoes for 2 minutes in hot boiling water and then place them in cold water for 2 minutes.
7. Using a colander or strainer strain the tomatoes. Let them become warm or cool completely at room temperature.
8. Once the tomatoes are at room temperature, on a clean chopping board with clean hands, peel the skins and discard them.
9. Slice the eye part on the stalk part of the tomato and discard.
10. Using a clean chopping board and clean knife and with clean hands, chop the tomatoes roughly. If you have a powerful blender you can just throw in whole tomatoes in it. No need to chop them.
11. Add the chopped tomatoes in a blender jar or grinder jar.
12. Purée till smooth.
13. Place a bowl or pan beneath a juice strainer. Add the tomato pulp in the strainer.
14. While straining, stir with a spoon and press the pulp while stirring so that all the purée and pulp is strained leaving only the seeds in the strainer.
15. You will see a lovely red tomato puree collected in the bowl.
Storing Tomato Puree
16. Pour homemade tomato puree in a sterilized glass jar. To sterilize the jar, you can boil the jar and lid in hot boiling water for 5 minutes or rinse the jar and lid with hot water.
17. You can even pour in ice cubes trays. If you want you could cover the tray loosely with a parchment paper or foil before freezing. Once they are frozen, remove them and keep in an air-tight box or a sealed zip-lock bag in the freezer. Just pop in the cubes in any dish.
18. Add this homemade tomato puree in any dish where tomatoes are mandatory or where you want to bring some tangy flavor in the food. For canned tomato puree – pour the tomato puree in a sterilized canning jars. Seal the jars and boil them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let them cool. Later refrigerate.
Recipes with Tomato Puree
Brighten up your recipes by adding Tomato puree in them. I am sharing some recipes from the blog where tomato is one of the main ingredients. You can easily replace chopped tomatoes with tomato puree.
Handy Tip: Replace 1 medium sized tomato with ½ cup tomato puree.
Pasta
Pizza Sauce
Indian Recipes
Soups
Many of my recipes have detailed step by step photos and useful tips to help you make it easily and perfectly.
Tomato Puree (Homemade & Without Preservatives)
Thick and pulpy Tomato Puree made from scratch. The recipe also shows how to blanch tomatoes.
Servings (change the number to scale):1 medium-sized jar
(1 CUP = 250 ML)
- 1 kg tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 litres water
Prepping Tomatoes
Rinse the tomatoes very well. Give a ½ inch criss cross slit on the base of the tomatoes (not on the stalk side)
Bring water and salt to a rolling boil on high flame.
Blanching Tomatoes
Add the tomatoes.
Continue to cook on the same high flame for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes switch off the flame and let the tomatoes be immersed in the water for 10 to 15 minutes. When resting the tomatoes in the hot water, cover the pan with a lid.
Later using a colander strain the tomatoes.
Let them cool at room temperature.
Remove the peels and discard them. Slice the eye part on the stalk and discard.
Chop the tomatoes roughly.
Pureeing Tomatoes
Add the chopped tomatoes in a blender or grinder and puree them till smooth. Do not add any water while blending.
Strain the tomato puree through a juice strainer.
Stir and press the pulp with a spoon so that all the purée and pulp is strained leaving only the seeds.
Storing Tomato Puree
Pour in a sterilized glass jar and refrigerate.
You can even pour in ice cubes trays. Cover the tray loosely with a parchment paper or foil.
Freeze and use later. Just pop in the cubes in any dish that need tomato puree or tomatoes.
This homemade tomato puree stays good for 12 to 15 days in the refrigerator and 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
- Type of tomatoes: You can use any variety of tomatoes to make the puree. The consistency of the homemade puree will be thin or thick depending on the type of tomatoes added. But make sure that the tomatoes are ripe.
- Tangy & Sour Tomatoes: If the tomatoes are too tangy, then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar while blending.
- Freezing: For a long term storage, freeze the puree in ice cubes tray. When they are frozen, remove them and place in a steel container or box or ziplock bags. Seal the container or box tightly.
- Cleanliness: Do make sure that the chopping board, knife, juice strainer, bowl and your hands are clean.
- Sterilizing Jar: To sterilize the jar, you can boil the jar and lid in hot boiling water for 5 minutes or rinse the jar and lid with hot water.
- Canning: Add the tomato puree in a sterilized canning jars. Seal the jars and boil them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let them cool. Later refrigerate.
- Substituting Tomatoes with Tomato Puree: Replace 1 medium sized tomato with ½ cup tomato puree.
Nutrition Facts
Tomato Puree (Homemade & Without Preservatives)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 4701mg204%
Potassium 2370mg68%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 12g50%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 8330IU167%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 6mg30%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 137mg166%
Vitamin E 5mg33%
Vitamin K 79µg75%
Calcium 100mg10%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 150µg38%
Iron 3mg17%
Magnesium 110mg28%
Phosphorus 240mg24%
Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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