Homemade Tomatoe Powder for Homemade Tomatoe Paste

👍 You’re exactly right — when you run tomatoes through a food mill while prepping for canning, you end up with a lot of skins and pulp. Instead of tossing them, you can turn that into homemade tomato paste using a dehydrator. Here’s a simple recipe/method:

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Homemade Tomato Paste (Dehydrator Method)

Ingredients:

• Tomato skins and pulp leftover from milling (from ~10–12 lbs tomatoes, you’ll usually get about 2–3 cups of pulp/skins)
• 1–2 Tbsp olive oil (optional, for richer flavor)
• ½ tsp salt (optional, helps preserve and deepen flavor)
• Pinch of citric acid or lemon juice (optional, helps brighten flavor and extend shelf life)

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Instructions:

1. Prep the pulp

   • Spread the leftover tomato skins/pulp on a baking sheet.
   • If it looks very wet, you can simmer it in a saucepan for 20–30 minutes first to reduce excess liquid.

2. Blend smooth

   • Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor until smooth.
   • Mix in salt, olive oil, and citric acid/lemon juice if using.

3. Dehydrate

   • Spread the puree in a thin, even layer (about ⅛ inch thick) on parchment paper or a silicone dehydrator tray liner.
   • Set dehydrator to 125°F–135°F (52–57°C).
   • Dry for 6–12 hours, depending on thickness and water content, until it’s very thick and leathery but not brittle.

4. Finish the paste

   • Scrape the dried tomato leather into a blender/processor and pulse until it forms a smooth paste.
   • If it’s too stiff, stir in a splash of olive oil or hot water to loosen.

5. Storage

   • Refrigerate in a small jar, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to 2 weeks.
   • For long-term storage, freeze in ice cube trays and then transfer cubes to a freezer bag (lasts up to a year).
   • Or dehydrate further into a powder (grind dried tomato leather completely dry) and store in airtight jars — just mix with water when you need paste.

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👉 Tip: If you’re canning a big batch, save the skins/pulp in freezer bags until you have enough to run a full dehydrator load.

Would you like me to also give you the oven method (in case you don’t want to run the dehydrator all day)?

Perfect! 🙌 Here’s the oven method for making tomato paste from your leftover skins and pulp (works the same way as the dehydrator, just a little quicker).

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Homemade Tomato Paste (Oven Method)

Ingredients

• Tomato skins & pulp (leftover from milling)
• 1–2 Tbsp olive oil (optional, for richness)
• ½ tsp salt (optional)
• Pinch of citric acid or lemon juice (optional, brightens flavor)

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Instructions

1. Reduce excess liquid

   • If the pulp is watery, simmer it in a saucepan over medium heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.

2. Blend smooth

   • Puree in a blender/food processor until smooth. Stir in olive oil, salt, and lemon juice/citric acid if using.

3. Oven-dry

   • Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C) or the lowest setting.
   • Spread the puree thinly (about ⅛ inch) on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
   • Place in oven and bake with the oven door cracked slightly (a wooden spoon in the door helps release moisture).
   • Dry for 3–5 hours, stirring every hour and spreading it back out, until it’s thick, glossy, and paste-like.

4. Cool & store

   • Once cooled, scrape into small jars.
   • Cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil if refrigerating (lasts about 2 weeks).
   • For long storage: freeze in small portions (ice cube trays are perfect) for up to a year.

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👉 Bonus: If you spread it super thin, you can let it dry completely and then grind it into tomato powder. Add water back when you want instant tomato paste.