Spotlight: Tomato Powder

Tomato powder is a perfect secret ingredient. A spoonful of scarlet powder adds an instant punch of umami to all your favorite sauces, soups, stews, and even baked goods. The intense tomato flavor is sweet, tart, and savory. Plus, you can kick that awkward 6oz can of tomato paste to the curb—or at least ditch the half-used can occupying the corner of your fridge.

What is Tomato Powder?

Tomato powder is made from select ripe tomatoes. Homemade versions are made by dehydrating tomato wedges and pulverizing them in a food processor. The Spice House’s tomato powder is made by freeze drying premium tomato pulp into a perfect, pourable powder. The final product concentrates the tomatoes to roughly a 20:1 ratio, leaving you with some serious flavor potential.

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How to Use Tomato Powder

Tomato powder’s most popular use is to substitute tomato paste, saving you from opening a whole can only to use a tablespoon or two. To make a paste, combine equal parts tomato powder and warm water. If you add more water, you can make a basic tomato sauce that is ready for customization. Don’t stop at a tomato paste substitute, though.

As Bon Appétit’s Senior Editor, Sarah Jampel, explains, “Tomato powder can also go where tomato paste cannot! It’s dry and sprinkle-able, meaning you can use it similar to a spice in rubs (tomato-rubbed chicken wings?!) or to flavor roasted vegetables or nut mixes.”

Storing Tomato Powder

Tomato powder can be prone to clumping as we do not use artificial anti-caking agents. Like most spices, we recommend keeping the lid sealed tightly and storing it in a cool, dry place that is out of direct sunlight. If you live in a more humid climate, you may wish to store this product in the freezer to avoid clumping,

Souped-up Soups and Sauces

Next time you're making any soup–seriously, any soup–add a bit of tomato powder. Not only will it give your soup a savory boost of flavor, it adds a beautiful red color. Sarah Jampel describes our tomato powder as, "clown nose–red and as sweet as the summer’s smallest, ripest cherry tomato."

This unique, tomatoey flavor is especially helpful for making homemade broths. Sometimes a broth tastes too watery and adding salt won’t fill in the missing flavor. Tomato powder has richness and sharpness that tastes almost meaty, giving your broth a well-rounded and delicious taste. Chili con carne is another great recipe to try with tomato powder, giving your homemade chili a richer, deeper flavor. The same goes for sauces. Tomato sauces, curries, barbecue sauces, and even marinades can all benefit from a tablespoon of tomato powder.

Baked Goods, Breading, and Spice Blends

Tomato powder’s unique physical property gives it a special edge in the kitchen. This works especially well in bread baking, as is evident by the Tomato Basil Bread Recipe below. You simply whisk the tomato powder and herbs into the flour before adding the yeast and water.

You could even try whisking tomato powder into your breading mixture or flour dredge. Chicken or eggplant parmesan would be amazing with that extra bit of savory flavor in the crust.

Try adding tomato powder to your homemade spice blends. Combine garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, salt, and tomato powder for an Italian-style spice blend that is perfect for fish, chicken, or pork chops.

Storing Tomato Powder

Just like spices, tomato powder should be kept in a place that is cool, dark, and low on humidity. Stored properly, tomato powder will keep indefinitely. Clumping is a common occurrence, even when stored properly. Simply use a butter knife to break up the clumps before using in your cooking.

Top Recipes for Tomato Powder

Tomato Basil Bread

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Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato and Quinoa

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Vodka Sauce

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