You know you have made it when you friends refer to you as the Un-Waster. I can’t bear to compost old food. Well add tomato paste to the list of rescue food behind celery leaves, tomato skins, apple cores, etc. How many of you only need one tablespoon of tomato paste per recipe? Me. Waving hand. Then, how many never use that rest of the paste until it goes moldy? Me. Again. Waving hand. Complete waste of perfectly good tomato paste.
You Use a Can Paste?
Anna, you use a can tomato paste? You don’t make your own paste? Thought you grow millions of tomato plants.
Wow. Thanks for watching all my gardening videos where I gush about my garden. And no I don’t grow millions of tomato plants. Sometimes 15. But to make paste you use a lot of tomatoes. I can mine whole since I use whole tomatoes more than tomato paste. (See my canning tomato video here.)
Plus, I had these cans forever. Hubs thought he would buy a ton on sale. (Hence the completely cluttered pantry I fix every year.) Yeah, so we can have an endless supply for our entire lives.
So, glad we were able to clear this up. Let’s move on to save the tomato paste discussion.
How to Save Tomato Paste Waste and Plastic Free.
All the tutorials I saw used plastic to save excess tomato paste. Some used plastic ice cube tray while other used wax paper. (Here is my issue with plastic.) Despite my issues, I wouldn’t use ice cube trays since they would stain.
Going the waste free route eliminated the use of wax paper. So, what should a green girl do? Use her cookie sheets! Watch the video below so you can see my beautiful tomato mounds. Martha would be proud.
Instructions:
1. Scoop out 1 level tablespoon of tomato paste. (If you don’t care if it is level or not, skip this direction.)
2. Put in on the tray in a little mound. I did use my fingers to get all of the tomato paste off.
3. Do this until the can is empty. Use a knife to get the rest out. Some people take of the bottom and work the can both ways. I was afraid the paste would push out as I was scooping.
4. Pop the tray into the freezer.
5. 24 hours later take the mounds and stick them in a glass jar for later use. It is very easy to pop off the mounds of the tray.
Done with no more waste. Whew. Saved another food. I can take off my cape now.
Join the Conversation:
- How do you save your tomato paste?
- Do you just chuck it when it gets moldy?
- Any other food you like to save?
Why not just make more sauce with the paste or another meal?
You can take the paste and mix it in with oregano, parsley, and pasta. Add some shrimp and tomatoes and onions and mushrooms and now your talking about a meal.
Jacko, recipes tend to only ask for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. It allows others to save their tomato paste from when the recipe only calls for a little amount. That being said, your recipe sounds yummy! Anna
I buy tomato paste in glass jars, once opened I keep it in the freezer. It doesn’t freeze solid so can still be spooned out next time it’s needed. I’ve never had a jar crack & break in the freezer, so that’s not a concern. I do the same with yeast to keep it fresh.
Great idea, Margaret. What brand do you get that comes in a glass jar? Anna
I’m in Australia, we can get several brands in glass..Coles & Leggo’s are 2 that come to mind. If you can’t find any already in glass you can always transfer into empty ones. Plastic containers would be ok too, but with the ‘squeeze tube’ ones you’d probably find it too hard to get out. I used to do it with the foil top containers, but it’s chesper to buy in larger amounts.
Margaret, I am anxious to try your idea. We don’t have glass brands here. I wish. Anna
Just transfer from plastic to glass, no need to buy in glass.
Great ideas, Margaret. Thanks so much for commenting! Anna