I created the video below to demonstrate how to make and freeze tomato puree in plastic or glass. You could say that I’m a bit of an expert on this topic. My husband Jamie grows a huge crop of Roma tomatoes each summer; he’s been doing this for over 35 years and is quite good at it. I’m tasked with preserving the harvest, which I do willingly because in the end I have enough tomato puree to last the entire year. We use this puree for making pasta sauce, pizza sauce, tomato soup, stews, green beans marinara, chili, tomato paste, and more.
My goal is to put up at least 52 quarts of puree each summer – which means Jamie has to grow close to 100 Roma tomato plants. The varieties that we enjoy the most are called “Hog Heart,” “Amish Paste,” and “Grandma Mary’s.” Each half bushel basket generously filled with tomatoes will yield 7 to 8 quarts of tomato puree.
Method Overview
- Wash tomatoes and remove stems
- Core; cut away any blemishes
- Cut into quarters or sixths
- Blend using a high speed blender until hot and steamy
- Pour into a heavy bottomed pot and simmer until reduced by almost half; stir occasionally
- Freeze in plastic bags or glass jars
Always start with “fresh and delicious” when preserving vegetables, fruits, and berries
FAQs
Tomato puree contains one ingredient – tomatoes. Tomato sauce (AKA pasta sauce) is prepared with tomatoes plus herbs, spices, oil, garlic, and the like.
Tomato paste is a thicker version of puree.
Paste, plum, and Roma tomato varieties are the most desirable for these uses.
The official answer is six months; however, I routinely keep it for nine months or more. After six months the flavor and nutrients are reportedly diminished.
Yes, but you will have to remove the tomato skins if you plan on canning your puree. I wrote another post, How to Peel Tomatoes|How to Deseed Tomatoes, which you may find helpful.
Pros and Cons of Canning vs Freezing Puree
Canning
- It takes more time and steps to can puree
- Requires the use of a boiling water bath canning pot and accessories
- Creates a shelf stable product to be kept in a cool, dark location
- Puree is stored in glass jars
- Vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid must be added to puree to ensure a safe product
Freezing
- It’s faster and easier to freeze puree
- Requires the use of a freezer (and electricity)
- Puree can be stored in BPA-free plastic or glass mason jars
- There is less chance for puree to become contaminated when freezing vs canning
Thank you Julia for teaching me how to freeze liquids in flat stackable packages so many years ago!
If you’re fortunate enough to have ripe heirloom tomatoes, try making my Stuffed Tomatoes with Quinoa recipe. Looking for a way to preserve an abundance of grape or cherry tomatoes? Check out my post Dehydrating Grape and Cherry Tomatoes.
6 Comments
Jean Dews
September 15, 2020 at 8:50 amGreat demonstration, thanks. Freezing was much easier and was a great way for me to take care of the tomatoes that ripened later (after I had already finished canning).
Judy DeLorenzo
September 15, 2020 at 11:12 amHi Jean,
I’m glad my demonstration helped! It sounds like you grew a lot of tomatoes 🙂
Gabrielle
September 13, 2022 at 9:50 pmMy tomatoes came out of the blender an almost whipped consistency and very light pink? What did I do wrong or is this method better with certain kinds of tomatoes?
Judy DeLorenzo
September 13, 2022 at 9:55 pmHi Gabby,
That’s how it looks right out of the blender 🙂 After you cook it down it’ll become a richer red color. The puree looks whipped because it contains air bubbles right now from being blended. They will break and bubble away as it cooks down.
Let us know how it goes!
Judy
Karishma Bhayani
March 13, 2025 at 11:04 pmHi! How long, approximately, do you simmer the tomatoes for? And do we simmer on low heat the entire process?
Judy DeLorenzo
March 13, 2025 at 11:26 pmHi Karishma,
It will take about 2 hours to reduce by half. Watery tomatoes may take longer. Adjust the heat so it’s high enough to keep the tomatoes simmering, but not so high that they scorch. It helps to use a heavy bottomed pot, such as a maslin pan.