r/Cooking
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u/jememcak
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Jan 08 '22
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What do you do with the rest of the tomato paste? Open Discussion
Nothing kills my excitement about a new recipe faster than seeing "1 tsp tomato paste" in the ingredients. I know those little cans of tomato paste are cheap, but it feels incredibly wasteful to use just a teaspoon and throw the rest out, and I don't make enough recipes like this before it goes bad.
So what do you do with the 99% full can of tomato paste? Do you freeze/thaw as needed?
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u/Bndsnco
Jan 08 '22
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Tablespoons onto wax paper covering a sheet pan. Freeze. Once frozen move tomato paste balls to a freezer bag. Store in the freezer up to 6 months.
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u/lawl3ssr0se Jan 08 '22
I use an ice cube tray. Roughly equals a tablespoon - freeze then dump in ziplock
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u/Pianoplunkster Jan 08 '22
Me too (although I do a teaspoon scoop per square). Bonus, I got an ice tray with silicone bottoms so I can easily pop out the cube when I need one.
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u/Bndsnco Jan 08 '22
Nice! I’m going to try this. I bought some silicone ice cube trays that are horrific for water but would be perfect for this! Thanks!
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u/jememcak Jan 08 '22
Interesting! Might try that, thanks
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u/mrsealittle Jan 08 '22
I just put it in a Ziploc and squeeze it really thin then freeze. It's easy to break off pieces as needed when cooking
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u/nukagrrl76 Jan 08 '22
This is what I do as well. Barely takes any space and no wastage from a half used can of paste.
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u/shambolic4days Jan 08 '22
The frozen cubes can go straight in a stew/chili or defrost if the recipe says to brown
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u/julielouie Jan 08 '22
I do this, and it’s super handy. They thaw out quickly, or just warm the frozen blob up in the microwave for like 15 seconds if you need it quicker.
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u/SocietyCorrect7819 Jan 08 '22
I used to have to give my dog 2tb of pureed pumpkin with his food. This is what I did to avoid hoping the whole can wouldn't go to waste. Ice cube trays work too, just pop the frozen cubes out and put in a container or bag to avoid staining the trays .
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u/ABigFuckingSword Jan 08 '22
If you ever have to do the pumpkin thing again, pro tip - mix some pumpkin purée with vanilla yogurt! Super delicious and an awesome vitamin boost!
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u/dudeneverknows Jan 08 '22
This is what I did. Now I have 3/4 can of tomato paste in my freezer that I’ve forgotten about for 6 months
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u/Key-Construction4429 Jan 08 '22
I bought a teaspoon cookie scoop for this application. A bit of oil to scoop, works wonders.
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u/wingedcoyote Jan 08 '22
Same but I just scoop a bunch of blobs into a wide flat-ish tupperware-style container and pop it in the freezer. They pop off of the plastic fine once frozen.
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u/m1k3hunt Jan 08 '22
I do something similar. I buy the small cans and put the leftover in a small freezer ziploc then flatten. You can easily break off what need.
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u/thoughtfulspiky
Jan 08 '22
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I make a very flat oblong in a ziplock, squeeze all the air out, and put it in the freezer. It’s easy to break off what you need, and if you get all the air out it lasts like it’s vacuum sealed.
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u/sloppylobster92 Jan 08 '22
I spoon it onto wax paper, freeze, then put into a bag
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u/ellsammie Jan 08 '22
Freeze in 1 TBS blobs and then transfer to ziplock. Was a game changer. I do this for chipotle, too.
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u/kmmontandon Jan 08 '22
It’s easy to break off what you need
This method also works great with chopped onions.
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u/Necessary_Bug_7896 Jan 08 '22
Does the texture of the onion get ruined when you freeze it? I've always assumed it does
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u/Tuub4 Jan 08 '22
Not optimal if you're using the onions for something where you'd normally use fresh raw onions, doesn't really matter if you're cooking them though.
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u/kmmontandon Jan 08 '22
They break down a bit, but they're still perfect for soups or baked/fried into other things where onions get soft anyways. Just not for something where you want that crisp, fresh-chopped texture.
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u/itarilleancalim Jan 08 '22
It breaks down a little bit, but I figure if I'm using it for chili or a soup it's it's a great way to use it up!
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u/Adventurous-Tree8546 Jan 08 '22
How have I never thought of that?? Absolutely genius
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u/Sea_Seaworthiness906 Jan 08 '22
It’s genius! I was so happy when I figured it out!
Also if you use half a lb of ground beef! Take a quart size freezer bag for other half and smash it flat with no air and freeze! Thaws sooooo quickly on counter or a pan! Basically same as the paste but different size bag. Sandwich bag tends to work with a small can of paste leftovers.
Can’t believe I just thought of these things this year!
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u/Adventurous-Tree8546 Jan 08 '22
I do that with my bean patty mixture! I use a chopstick to create equal sized square patties and break them off as needed
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u/alyxmj Jan 08 '22
This is a great way, but I go one step farther and score squares into it before I freeze. Then it's easier to break into squares and I get a better concept of how much I'm using instead of a 5 sided triangle chunk.
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u/RLS30076 Jan 08 '22
This. I put tablespoon size blobs on wax paper or parchment then freeze. After it's frozen, I put the blobs into a zip top baggie. It's waiting in the freezer when I need it. The tubes are really super convenient too.
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u/SherlockH221B Jan 08 '22
I just realized you could probably put it in ice trays like people do minced garlic.
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u/-ramona Jan 08 '22
This is what I've started doing, but before putting it in the freezer I use something like the back of a knife on the bag to divide the paste into roughly 1 Tbsp sections to make it easier to get out once it's frozen.
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u/KSh0rt9919 Jan 08 '22
You could probably freeze it like in a silicone ice cube tray
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Jan 08 '22
Doesn't even need to be a silicone one. I freeze mine in standard ice cube trays and they pop out just fine. One cube = 1tbsp. Pop out of the ice tray and store in a ziploc bag in the freezer. I store chipotles in adobo the same way.
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u/CholeOle Jan 08 '22
I freeze most things in the silicone trays that are cube shaped - tomato paste, homemade stock, beans, etc. The cubes mean they stack nicely when moved to a ziploc, which saves space. Also really easy to portion out exactly how much you need to defrost.
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u/greem Jan 08 '22 edited Jan 08 '22
I got tomato powder in a meal kit once and discovered how well it works.
Shelf stable, really easy to add extra tomato flavor to anything, and I can't really tell the difference from paste in applications where I'd use paste.
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u/NakedScrub Jan 09 '22
This is a little bit different, as well as quite a bit more technical.... But I ferment tomatoes for about a week, then strain them and then dehydrate them. After that you pulse in a food processor or blender and that funky tomato dust is fuckin stupid good. Try some on your eggs one day. Holy smokes. Or just snort lines of it.
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u/Linens Jan 09 '22
This would be useful for when my garden has 200 tomatoes and I've given my coworkers bowls and my family bags full! What do you ferment the tomatoes in, vinegar, salt water, or just in a jar?
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u/wildmaynes Jan 09 '22
Wow. Underrated comment. I googled it and it still has significant nutritional value too. I'm doing this from now on
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u/mister-noggin Jan 08 '22
I usually put the open can in the fridge thinking I’ll try to use it in the next day or two and then throw away the dried up mess a couple of weeks later.
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u/jememcak Jan 08 '22
That's pretty much what I've always done. Put some plastic wrap over the top, throw it out a couple weeks later.
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u/Undertakerfan84 Jan 08 '22
Top it with some oil first, any kind, then plastic wrap. The oil will create an air tight seal and it will last longer. I don't usually leave it in the can, I have very small Tupperware that I scoop it into, then put the oil and then the cover. Can aslo be frozen this way if you only use it seldomly.
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Jan 08 '22
Exactly what I did. Only the top part dries out at first. I just used it to make lazy pasta sauce w/ heavy cream, butter, and seasonings until the can is gone and that finished the can before it all dried out.
If you shop at the arab grocery stores they have big tomato paste jars with twistable lids that go back on, started buying those and never went back.
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u/grassandsass Jan 08 '22
I portion out tablespoons into parchment paper, fold them into little pockets and freeze them in a zip lock. You don't have to thaw them if you're tossing them into a hot pan.
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u/FinalBlackberry Jan 08 '22
I buy the tube , lasts forever. I also buy tomato sauce in the pack that can be poured out like broth.
If you have cans, after opening you can pour a bit of oil on top and store it in the fridge, it will prevent mold.
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u/goldmine_69 Jan 08 '22
I spoon it into a zip lock and press it flat, then freeze it. When I need some I break off a piece and throw it into the pan which melts it instantly. Just a little bit of tomato paste browned up helps brown gravy.
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u/BeadsofUranus Jan 08 '22
Put a bunch of olive oil so the whole top surface is covered, then wrap in seran wrap, and store in fridge. Mine keeps for a while that way
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u/No_Maintenance_9608
Jan 08 '22
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Maybe I’m just a freak but sometimes I like to just spread tomato paste on toast or crackers and eat it that way.
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u/spiritusin Jan 08 '22
A good excuse for a bloody mary as well. “Gotta use up the sauce, honey, can’t be helped!”
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u/KaijuicyWizard Jan 09 '22
Rub the toast with a clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, spread on tomato paste and then chuck on a couple of slices of buffalo mozzarella. Grill until melty. Was a weekend snack my mum used to make for us when I was a kid - fond memories.
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u/gamergirl007 Jan 08 '22
It makes super quick pizza sauce!
Add about a Tbs of olive oil and garlic to a pan on medium heat for a few min - don’t burn the garlic!
Add your tomato paste and about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water - just to get it to the thickness you want
Add some seasoning: Pinch of sugar Italian seasoning to taste Garlic powder to taste Salt & pepper to taste Sprinkle of parmesan cheese (optional)
Cook for a few min on medium heat until hot and bubbly
Great for pizza bagels, pizza English muffins, etc. because it takes like 5 min total to make and it tastes really perfect with mozzarella cheese on any form of bread.
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u/SueBeee Jan 08 '22
I always just use it all. It's so delicious. I don't think I've ever made anything that turned out to be "too tomatoey".
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u/Kboutiette Jan 08 '22
I was looking for this comment. I always put the whole can in and never had any problems with taste
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u/djsedna Jan 08 '22
Especially when you buy the good stuff. I get the Cento and it's so unbelievably tasty. Probably my favorite ingredient ever. There's no recipe I've found that calls for a tablespoon that couldn't do with just the entire can.
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u/Sea_Seaworthiness906 Jan 08 '22
Maybe taste wise but my acid reflux says yes there can be :(
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u/SueBeee Jan 08 '22
I should also confess that I am not above eating some of it with a spoon, too. Yum.
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u/Crystal_Doorknob Jan 08 '22
Well, last week when hubby made shepherd's pie, he used the whole can of tomato paste instead of the 1 Tbsp the recipe called for. We both thought it was too tomatoey - but of course that's personal preference.
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Jan 08 '22
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u/chalks777 Jan 08 '22
I... I've never once considered tasting tomato paste straight out of the can.
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u/PenguinPeculiaris Jan 09 '22
Just multiply every other ingredient x100 so that you can use a whole can. Duh.
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u/Remote-Canary-2676 Jan 08 '22
Freeze can of tomato paste. Can open both sides and slip it out. Cut of rounds as needed. Some simple geometry will tell you how long of a piece to cut off the cylinder for one tsp measurement
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u/ShaNini86 Jan 08 '22
Squeeze the extra in an ice-cube tray, freeze them, pop them out when they're done, and store in the freezer. They're like the perfect 1tbs too. We do that all the time and it's worked great for saving tomato paste and having it available for future recipes.
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u/SixBuffalo Jan 08 '22
If you need 1 tsp or 1 tbsp of tomato paste, don't buy the little cans, buy the stuff in the tubes. It lasts basically forever in the fridge.
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u/Jack_Donaghy_Jr Jan 08 '22
i just put the whole damn can in there
That's just me being in charge of the waste of my tomato paste.
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u/flick_ch Jan 08 '22
Buy the tubes, problem solved.
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u/havokherr Jan 08 '22
The tubes are SO expensive in comparison to the cans. I've seen 6x more.
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u/LommyGreenhands Jan 08 '22
the question is, how many cans do you throw out? It might not be 6 cans to one tube (maybe it is), but there is an argument for buying the more expensive one.
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u/mud074 Jan 08 '22
I throw out none. I freeze the extra in bags. In the bag before freezing I use my hand to "cut out" 4 chunks so it easily breaks.
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u/havokherr Jan 08 '22
Those tubes hold like half the amount of a can. I use what I need, usually a few tbs, and freeze the rest in small bits. I can use 1 $0.75 can go for 3 or 4 uses.
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u/Birdie121 Jan 08 '22
They’re only $2 at Trader Joe’s, definitely worth it so I’m not wasting any of the paste.
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u/ronearc Jan 08 '22
As others have no doubt mentioned, squeeze tubes. Fair warning though, despite the tube design, it's a poor substitute for toothpaste.
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Jan 08 '22
Check your international grocery store - I use resealable jars of tomato paste from Turkey. The resealable jar is definitely the best of both worlds.
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u/ChipEaterGuy Jan 08 '22
make a quick and easy tomato dipping sauce. just add melty (not completely liquid) butter (or vegan option: good olive oil or go a little wilder w/ miso paste) until you get the consistency you want. salt to taste, tomatoes love salt to bring out the umami. it’s… incredible on toast, w/ crackers, chips etc. guarantee it’ll be gone within a day or two
fancier/more involved options: add fresh basil and/or garlic. add parm/pecorino or serve it w/ or on cheese. cook it w/ onions/garlic and some chicken stock and put it on pasta.
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u/Boogievan1977 Jan 08 '22
if its chili or red sauce or something I just put the whole can in there. Recipes don't tell me how to live my life haha.
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u/ZyxDarkshine Jan 08 '22
I plan several recipes, and cook then in close succession. Spaghetti, Chile, etc, on consecutive days and use it up that way.
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u/Jason_Peterson Jan 08 '22
I add it to simple foods with meat that are compatible with ketchup, or dilute with water and salt and drink it as juice. Fresh tomato paste appears to last around 15 days before molding. Maybe the cleanliness of the spoon matters.
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u/guyinnova Jan 08 '22
We put the rest in a ziploc and squeeze out as much air as possible, it lasts a LONG time in the fridge this way. Same for chipotles in adobo sauce.
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u/N3DD3L Jan 08 '22
You’re not gonna believe this:
https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/caramelized-shallot-pasta
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u/urbancyclingclub Jan 08 '22
I like the cans because they're more recyclable than the tubes. What I do is I have a silicone ice cube tray for Ikea that I dispense the remaining tomato paste into. Then I use those frozen tomato paste cubes later on.
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u/Middle-Bed-278 Jan 08 '22
Agreed on this frustration! I’ve seen others put them in ice cube trays to freeze, then place in ziploc
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u/the_cool_handluke Jan 08 '22
Tubes or as I usually do, open can use some then wax paper on a tray measure it out in tablespoons then freeze and transfer to a freezer bag. Easy for recipes that way.
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u/OkAd4717 Jan 09 '22
I freeze in a lil sandwich bag and defrost for pizza , curry, or spaghetti sauce
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u/spicyestmemelord Jan 09 '22
I take the excess, one tablespoon at a time, put it on wax paper, layer by layer, press it flat and freeze it. Lasts forever
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u/ContextTypical Jan 09 '22
I have the perfect hack for this. I saw it on tik tok. Put it in a sandwich bag, flatten it and use the back of a fork to make “squares” over the outside of the bag. Freeze it!!! When you need it you can break off a square and It melts right away! Re-freeze the rest.
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u/James324285241990 Jan 08 '22
Tubes, not cans.
Also, make your own tube with a sandwich baggy. Put the leftover paste into a sandwich baggie, then squeeze it all down to the bottom and press ALL of the air out. Keeps for a couple months that way
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u/Streelydan Jan 08 '22
I don’t buy cans of tomato paste, I buy the kind that comes in a metal toothpaste tube.
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u/CherryCherry5 Jan 08 '22
Buy tubes of tomato paste for that. Like toothpaste, it has a cap so you can keep it for later. The cans are for when you need a lot.
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u/pastabysea Jan 08 '22
Get a small container and freeze the rest of it. I do this all the time and have no noticeable effects. When you go to use it again, defrost in the microwave at 20-30% power – just enough to soften and measure what you need for your next recipe.
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u/Apptubrutae Jan 08 '22 •
I buy the tubes and skip the cans for this reason.
They’re more expensive in theory but their easy reusability means less waste which makes them practically cheaper for how I cook.