Choosing Tomato Paste

*Pure tomato paste is made by removing the skins and seeds from ripe tomatoes*. They are then left to dry in the sun and then pureed into a thick paste. The process of sun-drying gives this tomato paste a richer, deeper and more concentrated tomato flavor. It has an earthy, smoky, and sweet jam-like flavor. This quality tomato paste is somewhat rare and expensive and is usually sold in tubes.

*Many commercial tomato pastes* are also made by removing the skins and seeds from tomatoes. However, instead of being left to dry in the sun, they are cooked down to form a thick paste. These types of tomato paste can still be quite good, but they do vary in quality and flavor from brand to brand.

*Quality commercial tomato pastes* should list only tomatoes in the ingredients. Some will use better quality tomatoes than other, so the best way to know is to taste a variety of brands. Many think tomato paste is a cheaper, thicker version of tomato sauce, or that it is simply used as a thickening agent. However, quality tomato paste is primarily used to add rich flavor to a dish.