Why Tomato Paste Belongs in Every Kitchen (and Why Tubes Beat Cans)

Tomato paste may look humble, but it's one of the most powerful flavor-building ingredients you can keep in your kitchen. A spoonful can deepen a soup, enrich a sauce, or transform a weeknight skillet dinner from flat to full-bodied in seconds. Because it's so concentrated, even a smidge delivers richness, subtle sweetness, and savory depth—without adding extra liquid or needing extra work. 

We're here to share why tomato paste deserves a place in your kitchen. We also want to address the important fact that not all tomato paste is created equal, and neither are the packages it comes in. Cans have long been the default, but is it true that tubes are better suited to the way most of us cook today: using a tablespoon here, a teaspoon there?

What Tomato Paste Actually Is

Tomato paste is made by cooking tomatoes slowly for hours, removing seeds and skins, and reducing the pulp until thick and intensely concentrated. This long cooking process drives off excess water and concentrates natural sugars and umami-rich glutamates, giving tomato paste its signature savory depth and gentle sweetness. That concentration is what makes tomato paste such a foundational ingredient. It adds structure and complexity to soups, stews, sauces, and marinades—without making it taste overly "tomatoey."

Italian vs American Tomato Paste

High-quality tomato paste should be made from ripe tomatoes with minimal ingredients—ideally just tomatoes and salt. Italian brands are prized not just for tomato variety, but for techniques that minimize time between harvest and processing and emphasize balanced flavor.

How a tomato paste is made affects how it tastes and behaves in the kitchen. Many American tomato pastes are made using the "hot-break" method, in which tomatoes are heated quickly to around 200 degrees. This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product. 

Many Italian producers, by contrast, rely on the "cold break" method, heating tomatoes more gently to about 150 degrees. The lower temperature preserves fresh tomato flavor and natural color, yielding a paste that is brighter red, looser in texture, and cleaner-tasting. This difference is why Italian tomato pastes often taste fresher, even when highly concentrated.

Ingredients also differ. Italian tomato pastes typically include added salt, which acts as a natural preservative while enhancing flavor. Many American pastes rely on citric acid to extend shelf life. While both are safe and effective for preserving, citric acid can contribute a sharper, more acidic note, while salt tends to round out tomato flavor. 

Decoding Double- and Triple-Concentrates

You'll often see tomato paste labeled as double- or triple-concentrated, a designation that refers to its dry-residue content. Double-concentrated pastes must have 28 percent dry matter, while triple-concentrated pastes must contain at least 36 percent. In practical terms, triple-concentrated paste is thicker, darker, and more intense, so you can use less while getting more flavor. 

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Boost Flavor in a Flash

Tomato paste adds instant richness without thinning the dish. One of the most effective ways to use it is by "blooming" it in hot oil—cooking it briefly until it darkens slightly and begins to stick to the pan. You'll know it's ready when it smells sweet and savory rather than raw and metallic. This quick step unlocks caramelized depth that forms the backbone of countless sauces and stews.

Thickening Without Effort

Tomato paste also improves texture. It thickens sauces naturally and helps emulsify dressings and marinades, giving them body and cohesion without added flour or starch.

From Mexico to India

While essential in Italian cooking, tomato paste shines in Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, and American comfort foods. It enriches lentils, deepens tikka masala, adds savoriness to Turkish lamb pide, sweetens sloppy joes, and gives enchilada sauce a rounder, more developed flavor.

Beyond cooked dishes, tomato paste can be whisked into vinaigrettes for color and balance, blended into compound butters, or brushed in glazes for roasted meats and vegetables. 

Big Flavor, Small Price

Tomato paste has a long shelf life, costs relatively little, and delivers layered flavor that would otherwise require time and multiple ingredients. It's one of the most economical ways to cook with depth.

Is It Better to Buy Tomato Paste in a Can or a Tube?

It's the great tomato paste debate. Cans of paste are ubiquitous, but are they the best option, or should we opt for tubes?

Convenience and Storage

Tubes win for convenience. They allow you to use exactly what you need—no more, no less. They're resealable, tidy, and designed for incremental use, so no transferring leftovers to containers or freezing half-used portions. For everyday cooking, a tube makes tomato paste this effective flavor tool in your arsenal even more accessible. Keep one in your refrigerator, and you'll always be a squeeze away from deeper, most satisfying meals.

Unopened tubes and cans are both shelf-stable, but once opened, the difference is significant. An opened can typically lasts five to seven days in the refrigerator before oxidation affects flavor. A tube, properly sealed and refrigerated, lasts several weeks. Store tubes in the refrigerator cap-side up, wipe the opening clean after each use, and discard if you notice mold, off odors, or grayish discoloration.

Maximize Freshness

Tubes limit oxygen exposure, which helps preserve flavor and color. They're ideal for frequent, small uses—adding a tablespoon to a sauté or a teaspoon to a dressing—without sacrificing freshness.

Measure With Ease

With a tube, you can squeeze out a precise amount every time. This prevents the all-too-common scenario of forgetting a half-used can in the back of the fridge until it's no longer usable.

When a Can Still Makes Sense

Cans still have a place, particularly for large-batch cooking. If you're making a big pot of chili, a long-simmered tomato sauce, or a braise that calls for half a can or more, the cost savings is worthwhile.

If you do open a can and don't use it all, freeze leftover tomato paste in tablespoon-sized portions in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for easy future use.