What a Deal on Roma Tomatoes

This past week I caught Roma tomatoes on sale for 57 cents a pound. I bought 5 pounds so that I could make salsa and try my hand at homemade tomato paste. Note to self: wear rubber gloves next time. I forgot that if I handle a lot of tomatoes the acid will make my hands raw. It didn’t take long before I remember but by then it was too late. One or two tomatoes are ok but after the first pound I knew I was in trouble.

I remembered my mom peeling tomatoes by putting them in boiling water so I search the internet found how to do this and I was surprised I remembered correctly. You first score the skin with a knife. I used a regular table knife. You just want to pierce the skin you do not want to cut in to the meat of the tomato. Then you put them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Once the skin starts to wrinkle lift them out with a slotted spoon and put them in ice water. The skin then just slides right off.

 Score just the skin. Remember you just want to pierce the skin.

 Next place them in boiling water.

 When the skin starts to wrinkle left them out and place them in ice water. Ok so I used my freezer stick to chill the water. Our ice maker is not hooked up right now because the pipe has a to be replaced and some one whom shall remain nameless did not refill the ice trays when he emptied them. Instead they were set to the side where I did not see them. But these worked really well. I actually think the water was colder with these than regular ice.

 The shock going from boiling water to the ice water causes the skins slide right off. And you have beautifully peeled tomatoes.

Next I deseeded them and cut them in to chunks. I used my mini food chopper and pureed them. Note to self: Next time pull out the big food process (slaps forehead). Once they were pureed I put them in a pan and cooked them. 

 

 And cooked them and

  cooked them some more.

Ok so I was using low heat and it took nearly 4 hours to cook them down in to a paste. I probably could have used a higher heat but since this was my first time and I have a gas stove I just stuck with the low heat.  I did read where others put the puree on a cookie sheet or in a pizza pan and baked it in their oven on low heat. I may try that next time.

 

While the paste was cooking down I made salsa. These were huge Roma tomatoes. They were nearly as big as a baseball. I usually use 5 tomatoes for salsa and get a quart; however, this time 5 gave me about 3 pints. Don’t worry it won’t got to waste. Hubby ate about a pint yesterday. He is addicted to chips and salsa. 

I did come to the conclusion that making you homemade tomato paste is really not cost efficient unless you grow your own tomatoes. Out of 4 pounds of tomatoes I probably got a little over a cup of paste.

I can catch organic tomato paste on sale for less than it cost to make my own tomato paste. While I am thrilled to know I can successfully make my own paste I don’t think I will stop buying it. I will just tuck this knowledge away and be content to know that I can do it.