Why does nobody talk about freezing leftover tomato paste?

I used to buy those little cans of tomato paste for recipes and then throw half of it away because I couldn't use it up. Last month I was making chili and needed just a tablespoon. I opened a new can, used what I needed, and stared at the rest feeling annoyed. Then my neighbor saw me tossing it and asked why I didn't just freeze it in ice cube trays. I felt pretty dumb. Now I scoop the extra paste into a silicone tray, freeze it, and pop out cubes that are about a tablespoon each. It works perfect for soups and sauces. Has anyone else been wasting tomato paste this whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_william20d ago

Wait, have you tried freezing it on a sheet of wax paper first instead of directly in the tray? I started doing that after seeing it on a cooking blog, and it makes the cubes way easier to pop out without sticking. Also (and this is my real pro tip) you can drop a frozen cube right into a simmering pot without thawing, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners when you don't want extra dishes. I've even started doing it with other pastes like anchovy or chipotle in adobo, works great for those too.

milar4619d ago

Totally feel you on that, it's such a game changer for not wasting any of it. I started doing the wax paper thing too and honestly it saves so much hassle.