Last year I bought cases of cases of the most delicious Roma tomatoes, all summer. I was so happy to make my own sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary basil sun-dried tomatoes, oven roasted tomato sauce and finally my own tomato paste. These recipes are perfect for storing and using throughout the winter and I am so excited to share this incredibly easy tomato paste with you. So you can enjoy yours through the winter too.
Prepare an ice bath; fill a large bowl ice and adding water to start ice cubes melting. Place in sink.
Bring an 8 quart stock pot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add about 8 tomatoes to water at a time and boil for 30-60 seconds. Carefully remove with a slotted spoon or sieve and place in ice bath. Repeat until all tomatoes have been blanched. Peel skin from tomatoes, cut out core and bruised spots. Cut in half and set aside.
With clean hands squeeze tomatoes over a bowl and remove seeds and excess water. Place into a strainer over the sink, as tomatoes will continue to drain.
Add tomatoes to blender. Blend until pureed. Pour into crock pot. Add peppers, bay leaves, salt, and garlic.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or until thick. Stir every hour. You can also cook this on high, but it will need to be stirred every 15-20 minutes.
Once tomatoes are thick, you can remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to freezer safe containers or to canning jars.
Notes
This tomato paste can also be canned (check your manufacturers instructions for details).