Tomato paste

Concentrated puree made from ripe tomatoes with seeds and skin removed, typically containing salt and sometimes spices. It has a rich sweet-and-sour flavor and thick consistency, allowing you to quickly add deep tomato aroma to dishes without excess moisture. Used as a base for sauces, soups, stews, and marinades. It pairs well with garlic, basil, and olive oil. When choosing, pay attention to the tomato content in the ingredients — the higher the percentage, the more intense the flavor.

Micronutrients

per 100 g

Minerals

Vitamins

CVitamin C
18.4mg18% DV

About

Tomato paste is a concentrated tomato puree that has become an indispensable helper in the kitchen. When you open a jar or tube, you get all the meatiness of ripe tomatoes in a compact form, but without excess moisture. It's not just an ingredient, but the foundation for many sauces and dishes that are prepared quickly and turn out rich in flavor.

Aroma and taste

Good tomato paste has a deep, sweet-sour taste with a subtle bitterness. The aroma is bright, tomato-like, sometimes with barely perceptible notes of caramel that appear during the cooking-down process. Quality paste should not be excessively sour — this is a sign of poor raw material quality or violation of production technology.

Role in Dishes

Tomato paste works in two directions: as a base for sauces and as a flavor enhancer for tomato taste in finished dishes. It is added to borscht to give it a beautiful color and depth, to stews and braised vegetables for richness, to soups and broths for flavor concentration. Even a small amount is capable of transforming plain ground meat into an aromatic filling for dumplings or pie.

Combinations and Proportions

Tomato paste pairs well with garlic, onion, and spices — pepper, basil, oregano. When making sauce, you typically use 1–2 tablespoons of paste per 400–500 ml of liquid (broth, water, or cream). The golden rule: first, fry the paste in oil in a pan for a couple of minutes so it reveals its flavor and loses its raw taste. It's a simple step, but it makes all the difference.

For tomato sauce for pasta: 2–3 tablespoons of paste, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper
For borscht and shchi: 1–1.5 tablespoons of paste per pot, added at the end of cooking
For meat stew: 1–2 tablespoons of paste together with onion and garlic at the beginning of frying
For soups: 0.5–1 tablespoon of paste to add color and a light tomato background

Selection and Storage

When choosing, pay attention to the composition — it should contain only tomatoes, salt, and sometimes sugar. No thickeners or preservatives. The paste in the jar should have a uniform consistency, without separation. If you see liquid on top — this is normal, but the paste inside should be dense and bright red.

After opening the jar, store it in the refrigerator by transferring the contents to a glass or plastic container with a lid. Paste in a tube can be stored at room temperature in a dark place — it is more stable due to the packaging. The shelf life of open paste in the refrigerator is 3–4 weeks. If a strange smell or mold appears — discard the paste without hesitation.

Tomato paste is not just a time-saver, it's a guarantee that your dish will have the true taste of tomatoes, even when fresh tomatoes are not on hand.