I put it in a baggie, flatten the baggie and freeze it. I can break off pieces to use later in other recipes.

Eileen

Or use ice cube trays to freeze in one tablespoon measures, and then put the cubes into a baggie.

Before I found it in a tube like toothpaste(thanks to this forum) I would freeze it tablespoon size portions. Drop them on a cookie sheet, freeze and then into a baggie for future use. Love the stuff in a tube.

David

David - I read about the tubes here, too, but every time I see them in the store they're so expensive that it would be cheaper to buy a can, scoop out what I need and throw out the rest, even if all I need is a tablespoon or two.

I do like Eileen, put the leftovers in a baggie and flatten it. Then I go to the freezer, remove and throw out the last frozen baggie that I completely forgot about, and replace it with the fresh baggie.

(Aside from convenience foods, ice cream and chicken carcasses, the primary function of my freezer is a waiting room for the garbage can. No matter how hard I try not to waste food!)

I put it in a baggie, but I roll it down into a tube at bottom of baggie, like you would a compound butter. I find the thicker roll lasts longer without getting freezer burnt, and is still easy to break a hunk off or cut one off. I keep that and the smaller things on the door of the freezer so they don't get lost. If I do get more than one of them, I'll put extra into a soup, spaghetti sauce, stew, etc. I don't buy the tubes either because of the cost.

Plastic baggie....flatten it out and break of a hunk.

Measure Tbl. portions, freeze on tray then put in baggie and I can grab how many Tbl. I need next time.

Tube!

I buy the tube.

I buy tomato powder and make tomato paste (as well as tomato sauce) by adding water, and make it in the amounts and thickness I need. I also use tomato powder to make tomato juice, pizza sauce, enchilada sauce, taco sauce, spaghetti sauce, and even ketchup and bbq sauce - in a pinch - with tomato powder, water, and a few other pantry items (such as seasonings, vinegar, sweetener, etc.). Tomato powder has a lot of cooking and baking uses and eliminated quite a number of cans, jars and bottles. I found it so useful I now buy tomato powder in #10 cans (the size of a large coffee can, or a gallon size can) and divide it into small canning jars and vacuum-seal it shut with my FoodSaver in user-friendly amounts. I'd suggest buying a small portion from The Spice House to see how useful it is in the kitchen.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: The Spice House - tomato powder

FOAS, I was going to say I lose mine in the freezer, but you kind of beat me to the punch. I did my due diligence and froze some left over paste, put it in the freezer, then went to get it out and couldn't find it to save my life. So, I opened another can.

I forked over the big bucks to buy a tube once, used some, then put it back in the pantry. The next time I got it out, I noticed it was supposed to be refrigerated after opening. In the trash it went. I just rarely use tomato paste any more as I'm such an idiot with it. Maybe I should go with the powder as Grainlady suggests. But another reason I rarely use it is I don't like the taste of it.

Sally

Like Grainlady, I have switched to tomato powder and have not looked back! I also buy other dried vegetable from the same source and use them in soups and sauces.

The tomato powder tastes as good or better than tomato paste. I think I buy it from Harmony House.

Lars

I use a small scoop, freeze on plate (on waxed paper), then into container in freezer. Or... any ya might wanna consider this if you use a lot of tomato paste a little at a time... scoop a larger can out onto waxed or parchment paper. Form into log and freeze. Then cut into rounds.

Hope I am not hijacking this post but I have a question. Once you buy the tube and open it how long will it keep in the refrigerator? Same question for the tube of garlic.

I'm in the tomato powder camp with grainlady and Lars. Way easier! Prior to that, I froze in 1T. lumps and stored in the freezer.

I buy my powder from Emergency Essentials and they recently introduced a smaller (#2.5) can as well as the large one grainlady mentioned. I just got an order and the smaller can is $7.85. I'm not sure how many "cans" of paste it would make, but it would be a LOT!

Deanna

I think those things in a tube... tomato past, garlic, anchovy paste... have a shelf-life of... pretty much forever!?! Bought a tube of cilantro a LONG time ago... in some sorta gel medium... it's still nice and green and definitely has kept it's flavor.

Thanks klseiverd. I have an open garlic one, still smells like garlic and no off odor so I guess it is okay. I have limited freezer space so I am going to try the tube tomato paste.

Then I go to the freezer, remove and throw out the last frozen baggie that I completely forgot about, and replace it with the fresh baggie.

Thankfully, I'm not alone. I do that all the time and it's not only tomato paste.
Agree completely about the tube stuff too!

Thank you FOAS.

I buy it in the tube now, but I think I'll look into the tomato powder. I only buy the cans when we make salsa, and only as much as we'll need, otherwise it sits in the pantry forever.

When a recipe calls for just a dab of tomato paste, what I do, rather than open a can, is grab the ketchup. If the recipe calls for 1 T. of paste, I use a good sized squirt--about 2 T. of ketchup--instead.