Tomato Powder
You’ve heard the old saying about an old dog and new tricks?
I firmly believe we learn something new every day, whether we realize it or not. And I just learned something that I am so excited about!
I recently had some time on my hands to catch up on reading. And I came across something I’d never heard of before. I love it when life hands you these little nuggets before you even know you need them! I spent last week canning tomatoes. Don’t they look gorgeous? I hated the prospect of peeling all those tomatoes but I really needed tomato paste. It’s messy and tedious. And it seemed like a huge waste. Here is the reason I’m so excited!
I learned something new about those peeled tomato skins. It was such an eye-opener that I knew I had to share it right away!
It’s called tomato powder!
Have you ever heard of tomato powder? Ever seen it on a store shelf? It blew my mind when I read about it. I must have been living under a rock all this time. I didn’t even know it was a thing and apparently has been for some time!
Do you have an abundance of canned tomatoes on your pantry shelf? Are you stocked up on paste, sauce and soup? If so, tomato powder will be your new best friend.
When I first heard about tomato powder, my only thought was using up those tomato skins. I’d like to think my ancestors would be proud that I’m not letting anything go to waste.
Even better, I found that it can be made with either whole tomatoes or just the skins.
Boo-yah!
The process is so simple!
Lay thinly sliced tomatoes or peeled skins on a dehydrator sheet. Dry them in a dehydrator until brittle. Time and temp will vary by machine. Check the manual for your particular machine.
When the tomato skins/slices are totally dry, grind them up in a blender or food processor. Use a coffee or spice grinder for a finer powder. Store tomato powder in a jar with a tight lid. Talk about less waste and super easy!
So, you may be asking “what can you do with tomato powder?”
The question should be “what CAN’T you do with tomato powder?”
You can make just about any tomato product you can think of just by adding water! I’m talking tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup, tomato juice, pizza sauce, marinara sauce…get the picture? How awesome is that?
Add an extra flavor kick to soups, stews, chili and taco meat. Mix it into your homemade BBQ sauce. Use it in a dry rub. Try it with cream cheese and your favorite cracker.
So. Many. Options!
Tomato powder won’t take up nearly as much shelf space in the pantry. And it can last indefinitely when refrigerated.
I don’t know about you, but there have been many occasions when I only needed a few tablespoons of paste for a recipe. The rest of the can went unused. With tomato powder, you only need to fix the amount required for your recipe.
The ancestors would be so proud…no more waste!
I hope you can understand my excitement! I am now eagerly waiting on my dehydrator to do it’s thing. I’m so excited to experiment with the tomato powder beyond the uses I’ve already mentioned. It has certainly made me view tomato peels in a whole new light!
Don’t get me wrong, I still hate the mess of peeling tomatoes. But now it’s more bearable knowing the skins won’t go to waste.
I hope you’ll stay tuned. I will be posting an update on the final results as soon as they become available. Maybe you’ll be inspired to try tomato powder for yourself.
Update:
Tomato skins have been dried and powdered. It only took a few hours in my Excalibur dehydrator to get them to the brittle stage. I used a spice grinder to make the powder. Doesn’t it look lovely? And the smell is awesome! It wasn’t long before I had an opportunity to put the tomato powder to the test. I was using a recipe that called for only 3 tablespoons of paste. Mixing up a small batch of paste is really a matter of personal preference and what looks good to you.
I poured 3 tablespoons of water into a bowl and stirred in tomato powder until it was as thick as I wanted. So good and so easy!
Check out the cheese ball! I added a tablespoon of tomato powder, some freshly chopped basil and mixed it all together. An hour in the fridge had the flavors blending nicely together. Let me just say that it tastes as good as it looks!
Knowing this was nothing but tomato skins, I was a little concerned that the flavor wouldn’t be there. But that was not the case. Actually, I felt it had more flavor than most store-bought products. So I can only imagine that a tomato powder from whole tomatoes would be even better!
I’m giving tomato powder a big thumbs up!
Wasted tomato paste is now a thing of the past. I’m also keeping my eyes open for more opportunities to use tomato powder. I hope you’ll give it a try as well. If you do, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it. And if you don’t garden or don’t have the space for growing your own tomatoes, you can buy tomato powder to stock your pantry.
As I mentioned earlier…it really is the little things!
Finally, let me leave you with this thought: Whether we do it purposefully or accidentally, learning is continuous. Strive to keep an open mind. You never know what gem you will uncover!
lisa
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I have never heard of Tomato Powder before! I am definitely intriqued! I make my own marinaras and pasta sauces, and hate that sometimes I only need a tablespoon of tomato paste from a full can! You are either making larger batches than you intended or you struggle to preserve the open can of paste until the next recipe. I can’t wait to hear how yours turns out!
I was so happy to read your comment! I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled with wasted tomato paste. It’s nice to know I wasn’t alone.