A simple stovetop method using tomatoes you already have

Making your own paste is more affordable than tinned versions when tomatoes are in season, and it avoids added preservatives. This post is part of our The Complete Guide to Buying, Storing & Cooking Tomatoes in Nigeria, where we cover tomato paste as a backup ingredient in more general terms.

What You Need

• Ripe tomatoes — plum or Roma-style work best since they’re less watery to begin with.
• A blender, a heavy-bottomed pot, and a wooden spoon for stirring.
• A little vegetable oil (optional, helps preservation and richness) and salt.

The Method

• Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes, then blend until smooth — no added water needed, since the tomatoes already carry enough liquid.
• Pour the blend into a heavy-bottomed pot and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to stop it catching at the bottom.
• Continue simmering, uncovered, until the mixture reduces significantly and thickens into a deep red, spoon-coating paste — this typically takes 45 minutes to over an hour depending on quantity and how watery the tomatoes were.
• Stir in a small amount of oil near the end if you want a glossier finish and slightly longer shelf life, then salt to taste.
• Cool completely before transferring to a clean, dry, airtight jar.

Storage

Refrigerated in a sealed jar, homemade paste typically keeps for one to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze it in small portions — an ice cube tray works well — so you can pop out exactly what a recipe needs without thawing the whole batch.

Why Make It Yourself

Beyond cost savings during a tomato glut, homemade paste lets you control exactly what goes in — no added preservatives, sugar, or salt beyond what you choose. It’s also a practical way to use up a surplus basket before it turns, rather than letting good tomatoes go to waste.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Cooking on too high a heat, which scorches the bottom before the mixture has properly reduced — medium-low and patient stirring gets a better result.
• Skipping the deseeding step for a very smooth paste — leaving seeds in is fine for stew but can make a noticeably grittier paste if that matters for your use.
• Storing while still warm, which creates condensation inside the jar and shortens shelf life — always cool completely first.
• Using a very watery, low-quality batch of tomatoes and expecting a quick reduction — the wateriest tomatoes simply take longer to cook down, so budget extra time rather than rushing the heat.

Scaling Up for a Bulk Batch

If you’re processing a full basket rather than a small batch, work in stages rather than one giant pot — reduce the blend down partway in batches, then combine and finish together. This avoids the bottom scorching before the top has had a chance to reduce evenly, which is a common problem when a pot is overcrowded relative to its heat source.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Paste tastes too acidic or sharp: a small pinch of sugar balances this out without needing to add more salt.
• Paste is too thin even after long simmering: your tomatoes may have had unusually high water content — continue simmering uncovered, since patience is the only real fix.
• Paste caught and burnt at the bottom of the pot: use a heavier-bottomed pot next time, stir more frequently in the final stages, and lower the heat once the mixture has thickened significantly.

Flavour Variations

Once you’re comfortable with the base method, small additions can tailor the paste to how you’ll use it. A few cloves of garlic or a thumb of ginger blended in with the tomatoes adds depth for stews. A pinch of dried thyme or basil works well if the paste is destined for a more continental-style sauce rather than traditional Nigerian dishes.

Scaling Up the Batch

If you’re processing a full bulk basket at once, work in smaller batches during the simmering stage rather than one enormous pot — a shallower layer of tomato reduces more evenly and is easier to stir without scorching. Multiple smaller batches, each cooked properly, produce a better result than one oversized batch rushed through half-cooked.

Extending Shelf Life Beyond the Fridge

For paste meant to last months rather than weeks without a freezer, sterilised glass jars with a proper hot-water-bath canning process can work, though this requires more careful technique to do safely — the paste needs to reach a high enough temperature for long enough to eliminate bacteria, and jars need a proper seal to prevent recontamination. For most home cooks without canning experience, freezing in small portions remains the safer and simpler option for long-term storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the whole process take?

Expect roughly one to two hours total for a medium batch, most of it unattended simmering time with occasional stirring, rather than active hands-on cooking.

Can I make this without a blender?

Yes — finely chopping and mashing the tomatoes by hand works, though it takes longer to break down and the final texture will be slightly chunkier than a blended version.

Is homemade paste as shelf-stable as the tinned version?

No — tinned paste undergoes commercial sterilisation that gives it a much longer unopened shelf life. Homemade paste should be treated as a short-to-medium-term product: refrigerate for one to two weeks or freeze in portions for longer storage.

Worth the Effort?

For a household that regularly buys tomatoes in bulk during the dry season glut, making a batch or two of homemade paste alongside the usual blend-and-freeze routine is a low-cost way to use up any tomatoes that are a little too ripe for fresh cooking but still perfectly good for a long, slow simmer.

Get the right tomatoes for the jobFirmer, plum-style tomatoes reduce down best. Browse fresh tomato baskets on Sundry Agro for a batch that’s ready to cook down.

Related Reading

See the full picture of buying, storing, and cooking tomatoes in Nigeria in the pillar guide:

→ The Complete Guide to Buying, Storing & Cooking Tomatoes in Nigeria.

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