If you’ve ever wondered what makes a great sauce or why some tomatoes are better for canning, you’re asking the right question. Understanding what are paste tomatoes is the key. Paste tomatoes are a specific category prized for their dense, meaty flesh and low seed content. This simple difference makes them the top choice for cooks who want rich, thick results without hours of simmering.
Unlike the juicy tomatoes you slice for salads, paste types have less water. They cook down faster and create a more concentrated flavor. This article will explain everything you need to know about these kitchen workhorses.
We’ll cover how to identify them, the best varieties to grow or buy, and exactly how to use them. You’ll learn why they are essential for any serious home cook or gardener.
What Are Paste Tomatoes
Let’s define them clearly. Paste tomatoes, often called plum, Roma, or sauce tomatoes, are cultivars bred for processing. Their primary traits are a high solids content and fewer seed cavities. This means more flesh and less water per fruit.
When you cut one open, you’ll see the difference immediately. The walls are thick, and the gel and seed pockets are small. This dense structure is what gives them their superior cooking performance. They yield a thicker sauce, paste, or canned product with less reduction time.
They are not a single variety but a whole class of tomatoes. The name “paste” comes from their traditional use in making tomato paste—a concentrated product that requires evaporating much of the fruit’s moisture.
Key Characteristics Of Paste Tomatoes
You can identify paste tomatoes by several consistent features. Look for these signs at the market or in your garden.
- Shape: They are typically oblong or cylindrical, resembling a plum. This shape gives them a higher flesh-to-skin ratio.
- Flesh: The interior is notably meaty with thick walls. The locules (seed compartments) are small and few in number.
- Seed Content: They contain significantly fewer seeds than slicing or beefsteak tomatoes. This means less fuss when prepping.
- Flavor Profile: The flavor is often more concentrated and less acidic than many slicing types. The taste is robust and deep.
- Growth Habit: Many paste tomato plants are determinate, meaning they produce a large, all-at-once crop perfect for a big canning day. However, indeterminate varieties also exist.
Paste Tomatoes Vs. Slicing Tomatoes
It’s helpful to compare them directly to the tomatoes you’re probably more familiar with. The core difference lies in their composition and best use.
Slicing tomatoes, like Beefsteak or Brandywine, are bred for fresh eating. They have a high water content, thin walls, and multiple seed cavities. They are juicy and perfect for sandwiches and salads. However, if you try to make sauce with them, you’ll spend a long time cooking off all that excess water, which can dilute the flavor.
Paste tomatoes are the specialists. Their low moisture content is a feature, not a bug. They break down quickly and produce a thick, rich product with intense tomato taste. Using the right tool for the job saves you time and energy and gives you a superior final product.
Why Moisture Content Matters
The science is simple. Water evaporates during cooking, but flavor compounds remain. A tomato with 95% water will shrink dramatically and require long cooking to thicken. A paste tomato with, say, 85% water starts out thicker and reduces to your desired consistency much faster, preserving a brighter, fresher tomato flavor in the finished sauce.
Popular Varieties of Paste Tomatoes
There are dozens of excellent paste tomato varieties, each with its own subtle strengths. Here are some of the most popular and reliable choices for home gardeners and cooks.
Roma (The Supermarket Standard)
Roma is likely the most widely available paste tomato. It’s a dependable, disease-resistant hybrid that sets the standard. The fruits are medium-sized, bright red, and very productive. Romas are a fantastic all-purpose choice for beginners and a consistent performer for sauces and canning.
San Marzano (The Gold Standard)
Hailing from Italy, San Marzano is often considered the pinnacle of paste tomatoes. Authentic San Marzano tomatoes from Italy have a protected designation. They are longer, more pointed, and have a thinner, more easily removed skin. Their flavor is exceptionally sweet and complex with low acidity. For a truly exceptional sauce, San Marzano is the variety to seek out or grow.
Amish Paste
This heirloom variety is a favorite among gardeners. The fruits are large and can be somewhat variable in shape, from heart-shaped to oblong. They offer a superb, rich old-fashioned tomato flavor. Amish Paste plants are typically vigorous and produce a heavy yeild over a long season, especially if they are of the indeterminate type.
Opalka
Another revered heirloom, Opalka produces long, tapered fruits that can reach up to five inches. They are known for their incredible meatiness and very few seeds. The flavor is outstanding, making them ideal for sauces, pastes, and sun-drying. They are a bit more irregular in shape than hybrid Romas, but many gardeners find the flavor trade-off well worth it.
Other Noteworthy Varieties
- Big Mama: A hybrid that lives up to its name with large, blocky fruits perfect for stuffing and roasting as well as sauce.
- Juliet: A small, oblong cherry-type paste tomato. It’s prolific, crack-resistant, and great for snacking, roasting whole, or adding to sauces.
- Viva Italia: A robust hybrid known for high yields and excellent disease resistance, making it a good choice for challenging growing conditions.
Why Grow Your Own Paste Tomatoes
While you can find Roma tomatoes in most grocery stores, growing your own opens up a world of flavor and variety. The taste of a homegrown, fully vine-ripened paste tomato is incomparable to most store-bought options, which are often picked green for shipping.
You also gain access to heirloom varieties like San Marzano and Amish Paste that are rarely sold fresh in markets. Growing your own ensures you have a large, quantity of pristine fruit ready for your big canning or sauce-making projects.
Choosing The Right Variety For Your Garden
Consider these factors when selecting seeds or seedlings:
- Climate: Check the days to maturity. If you have a short season, choose faster-maturing varieties.
- Space: Determinate (bush) varieties are more compact and good for containers. Indeterminate (vining) varieties need staking and more space but produce fruit all season.
- Disease Resistance: Look for codes like “VFN” on plant tags, which indicate resistance to common diseases like verticillium and fusarium wilt and nematodes.
- Intended Use: Are you making paste, sauce, or drying? Some varieties are better suited for specific tasks.
How to Use Paste Tomatoes in Cooking
Their low moisture content makes paste tomatoes incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Here are the primary ways to use them.
Making Tomato Sauce
This is their classic use. Because they thicken so readily, you can make a robust sauce with minimal cooking. A simple method is to core and halve the tomatoes, roast them with garlic and herbs until soft and caramelized, then blend. The roasting deepens the flavor without requiring a long simmer on the stove.
Creating Homemade Tomato Paste
With a surplus of paste tomatoes, you can make your own concentrated paste. Simmer seeded and chopped tomatoes for several hours until very thick, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Spread the reduction on a baking sheet and dry in a low oven until it reaches a paste consistency. Store in oil in the refrigerator or freeze in ice cube trays.
Canning And Preserving
Their dense flesh and low acidity (though still safely acidic for canning) make paste tomatoes ideal for home canning. You can them whole, as crushed tomatoes, or as prepared sauce. Always use tested, up-to-date canning recipes from reliable sources like the National Center for Home Food Preservation to ensure safety.
Sun-Drying Or Oven-Drying
Their meaty texture holds up well to drying. Cut them in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and dry them in a dehydrator or a very low oven until leathery. Store dried tomatoes in oil or in sealed bags. They add intense flavor to pastas, salads, and breads.
Fresh Uses
Don’t overlook using them fresh! While less juicy, their concentrated flavor is excellent in salads, on bruschetta, or chopped into salsas and relishes. They hold their shape better than slicers when cooked, making them great for adding to stews, shakshuka, or casseroles where you want distinct tomato pieces.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Simple Paste Tomato Sauce
Here is a straightforward, no-fuss method to highlight the natural quality of your paste tomatoes.
- Prep the Tomatoes: Wash and core about 5 pounds of paste tomatoes. You can leave the skins on for extra fiber and nutrients, as they will break down, or score an “X” on the bottom and blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds to easily peel them.
- Cook the Aromatics: In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 4-5 minced garlic cloves, cooking until soft and fragrant.
- Add Tomatoes: Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Include any juices. Add a teaspoon of salt and a few sprigs of fresh basil or oregano if desired.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally. The sauce will thicken significantly as the tomatoes break down.
- Finish: Remove herb sprigs. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce to your preferred smoothness, or leave it chunky. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, a pinch of sugar if needed, or black pepper.
Common Questions About Paste Tomatoes (FAQ)
Can I Use Regular Tomatoes Instead Of Paste Tomatoes?
Yes, you can, but be prepared for a longer cooking time. Slicing tomatoes have more water, so your sauce or paste will need extended simmering to reduce and thicken. This can sometimes lead to a duller, more cooked flavor. For efficiency and the best texture, paste tomatoes are the superior choice.
Are Roma And Paste Tomatoes The Same Thing?
Roma is a specific variety of paste tomato. It is the most common commercial type, so the terms are often used interchangeably. However, “paste tomato” is the broader category that includes Romas, San Marzanos, Amish Paste, and many others. Not all paste tomatoes are Romas, but all Romas are paste tomatoes.
How Do I Store Fresh Paste Tomatoes?
Never refrigerate ripe, uncut tomatoes, as cold temperatures damage their flavor and texture. Store them at room temperature, stem-side down, out of direct sunlight. Use them within a few days. For long-term storage, you must process them by canning, freezing, or drying.
Do Paste Tomatoes Have Less Nutritional Value?
No, they are just as nutritious as other tomatoes. The difference is in the proportion of water to solids. In fact, because the nutrients are more concentrated in the flesh, a cup of cooked paste tomato product may have higher levels of certain vitamins and the antioxidant lycopene than a cup of fresh slicing tomato due to the reduced water volume.
What Is The Best Way To Freeze Paste Tomatoes?
Freezing is simple. Core and wash the tomatoes. You can freeze them whole on a tray before bagging, or chop them first. Another easy method is to roast or simmer them into a basic sauce, let it cool, and freeze the sauce in measured containers. This saves you time later on. Remember that freezing changes texture, making them best for cooked applications after thawing.