Does Tomato Paste Go Bad?

Suppose you are at the end of your fresh tomato supply and have canned, juiced, and enjoyed tomatoes. Now you can’t look at another way to utilize them. Wait; you can make tomato paste. Tomato paste can be prepared at home easily by cooking tomatoes for some time until they are softened.

After removing skin and seeds, you have to heat the pulp to get rid of extra liquid until you get the perfect tomato paste texture like the market ones. Tomato paste is widely used in almost every recipe; preparation of gravy, sauce, dipping’s requires tomato paste. Like any food, it can go bad if not kept properly. Mold formation and bacterial growth can turn tomato paste bad.

How to store tomato paste?

Proper storing techniques can make your food last way longer. Tomato paste is generally available in the market by different brand names, although you can prepare it at home.

Homemade tomato paste has a drawback. Homemade ones have little shelf life compared to the market ones as they lack preservatives. Following are the way that can aid you in storing tomato paste properly.

Place in a cool, dry place

Tomato paste available in the market usually comes in cans and glass bottles. They have preservatives that increase their shelf life. In case you have bought a stack of tomato paste cans, and now you’re thinking of an easy, safe way to store them. Well, you don’t have to apply any hard and fast rules in storing them.

You can simply place all tomato paste bottles in the pantry or kitchen cabinet in a cool and dry place. Ensure you don’t keep them near the stove or microwave as heat and high temperature might result in tomato paste spoilage.

Pressure Canning homemade tomato paste.

In case you are thinking of preparing tomato paste at home but afraid that homemade tomato paste goes bad quickly. So here’s a solution to this you can do canning. But first, prepare tomato paste by boiling tomatoes until they crack.

Take the peel and seeds off.  Grind the tomatoes and heat the pulp until you get the perfect consistency like those in the market. Transfer the tomato paste to an airtight jar. Wipe the rims of the jar, then place the lid.

Place the jars on a mesh plate of pressure canner add a small amount of water at the bottom. Put the lid on. Set canner at pressure specific for tomato paste canning. Place the piston on top and process tomato paste for 5-10 minutes. Once you are done with processing, remove the lid take out the jars, let them cool and place them in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate it

In case you have opened the jar, to use tomato paste, you have to place the rest in the refrigerator. You can’t keep opened tomato paste jars in the pantry. Otherwise, it might get deteriorate.

Can you freeze tomato paste?

Tomato paste can be frozen if you want to extend its shelf life. However, its quality may degrade, but it’s still better to freeze it rather than waiting for it to spoil. You can freeze tomato paste for six months easily. It’s quite easy to freeze tomato paste.

After opening the can, place parchment paper on a baking tray. Use an ice-cream scoop or tablespoon to take a sufficient amount of tomato paste from the can and put it on parchment paper. Take all the tomato paste out in the form of scoops. Place the tray in the freezer for 24 hours. Ensure that they are frozen well after 24 hours. After that, take out the tray, and place the little ball-shaped tomato paste in freezer bags.

Label the bag with the due date and put it in the freezer. It’s a very convenient way to store tomato paste for a longer period. You don’t have to defrost it first, as you can directly add the tomato cubes to the saucepan without thawing them.

How long tomato paste last?

Store-bought tomato paste bottles last longer than homemade ones. Market tomato paste has additives; moreover, its packaging also plays a pivotal role in stretching life. Canned unopened tomato paste remains good in the pantry for five to six months.

If you have opened them can make sure to store them properly. It’s better to transfer tomato paste from a can to an airtight jar. Place the airtight jar in the refrigerator. It’s better to use opened tomato paste within one week.

Proper storing of tomato paste helps in extending its shelf life. Avoid using a dirty spoon to scoop tomato paste out of the jar. It can lead to mold formation. Freezing is another method by which you can use tomato paste for a longer period, about six to eight months.

Now let’s address homemade tomato paste. Tomato paste prepared at home can’t stay good in the pantry. You need to put them in the refrigerator or freezer after preparing them.

How to tell tomato paste is bad?

You can easily tell about tomato paste lying in your pantry or fridge, whether it’s good to go or not, by looking and examine the following factors.

• Observe the texture of tomato paste. If it’s watery, it better to throw it. Fresh ones have a thick consistency.
• Notice the color fresh tomato paste has a bright red color.
• Smell and taste the paste if it doesn’t smell and taste like the way they should discard it.
• If there is any mold growth, toss it.

Sources

• Does it go bad
• Still tasty
• Eat delights