How to Make Homemade Tomato Puree (Step-by-step Recipe)

This homemade tomato puree recipe is a lifesaver. It is an easy to do, store and does not need too much time or effort.

This is perfect to make in the tomato season when you get fresh ripe tomatoes cheaply.

Or at any time when you have some time at hand and tomatoes in your pantry. Always helps to have some in the fridge or freezer.

It really cuts down my meal prep for pastas and curries.

How to Make Tomato Puree at Home?

Tomato puree can be made in a number of ways:

1. Fresh tomato puree: For many curries and other recipes, I just take raw tomatoes, quarter them and blend them.

I have a runny fresh tomato puree that I can use in my dishes. This tomato puree cannot be stored for long.

2. Homemade Tomato Puree for storage: This method is slightly longer. The puree you get can be stored for 5 days in the fridge or for months in the freezer.

It is tastier than the store-bought stuff.

Here’s how to make homemade tomato puree:

Ingredients:

500 gm. tomatoes or 1.1 lb

1 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

Recipe:

Wash and dry the tomatoes.

Now put a cross with a knife on the opposite side (or down side) of the tomato.

Boil water in a large pan. Once it comes to a boil, put the scored tomatoes in the water and cook them for about 4-5 minutes.

Now take out the tomatoes and strain them in a colander. You can also put them in iced water to cool them faster.

Peel off the tomato skins that come out easily now.

Quarter the tomatoes and take out the seeds and some of the juices.

Blend the tomatoes to a thick paste. No need to add extra water.

Heat a pan and cook the tomato puree for about 5-6 minutes on a low flame after adding salt and sugar to it.

Your tomato puree deepens in colour and thickens.

Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit before pouring it in a sterilized jar or bottle. Refrigerate once cooled.

Pro Tips:

1. Always use ripe, red tomatoes.
2. For a shelf life of upto a year, you will have to store in a sterilized glass bottle with a seal.
3. You can also freeze your puree in ice cube trays and that way your tomato puree lasts about 2 months. After the cubes are frozen, take them out of the ice tray and store in a Ziploc or freezer proof container and keep in the freezer.
4. Your puree is delicious and you need just about 2 tbsp. of it in your regular curries. This tomato puree is perfect as a base for your pasta sauce, your tomato-based curries and even in your regular curry.

Isn’t it so easy to make?

Your tomato puree is ready to be used in multiple ways.

Make a large batch to last you weekdays and cut down on your cooking time.

Since tomatoes do not stay for very long, this is a nice way of having a longer shelf life for your tomatoes.

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