That trick of freezing leftover tomato paste really works, wish I knew sooner

I kept throwing away half cans of tomato paste because I'd make one recipe and then forget about it for two weeks. Last month I tried scooping it out in tablespoon portions onto wax paper and freezing the little blobs. Now I just pop one into a ziplock bag and grab it when I need it for chili or pasta sauce. Saves me like $1.50 every time I buy tomato paste because I actually use it all. My roommate thought I was crazy doing it but now she does it too. Have you guys found other ways to make those cheap ingredients last longer without wasting?

2 comments

2 Comments

hernandez.ben18d ago

Cracked myself up doing the squeeze method last week. Forgot I was holding the bag too tight and shot a frozen blob across the kitchen floor. Still worth it though.

sean_murray18d ago

Tbh the wax paper thing is fine but you guys are making it way harder than it needs to be. Just take a ziplock bag and squeeze the paste into a snake shape then flatten it. Once its frozen you can snap off whatever amount you need. No scooping, no wax paper, no fuss. Also if you want another cheap hack that actually saves money, start saving your vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer. When the bag gets full you boil them with some salt and you got free stock. Way better than spending $3 on a box of broth.