The best tomatoes for making paste, based on flavor

Any type of tomato can technically be turned into tomato paste, but some are much better than others. You want meaty, low moisture tomatoes for a thick paste that doesn't lose flavor from prolonged cooking.

The best type of tomatoes for making paste isn't a hidden secret - it's right in the name: paste tomatoes. They are sometimes called Roma, Plum, or Sauce tomatoes - which all refer to the same thing and are used interchangeably.

This list is based on my own experience, farm trials, university trials, as well as some detailed home-gardener tests. (This isn't a click-bait article repurposing catalogue descriptions - promise!). I've spent years growing tomatoes, taking extensive notes, and talking with all sorts of experts in the field. I'm sharing that information in an effort to help you grow the best paste tomatoes in your garden this year.

Cooking tomatoes concentrates some of the flavors (like the sugars and acid), but degrades many of the more nuanced flavors. The best way to make tomato paste is to roast the tomatoes in the oven which efficiently evaporates the liquid. While you can make tomato paste by slowly simmering it on the stovetop, you actually lose more flavor.

*Based on several published research papers, Effect of Cooking Method on the Physicochemical Properties of Tomatoes (Teh, A. H., & Ting, T.W., 2024) (PDF) and Impact of drying techniques, seasonal variation and organic growing on flavor compound profiles in two Italian tomato varieties (Paolo et al., 2019)

Tomato paste can include the peels and seeds without affecting the texture. In fact, keeping them in adds more flavor. The peels contain significantly more flavor and antioxidants than the flesh, and the seeds contain more umami (savoriness).

So when picking the best tomato to grow for making paste, you can choose purely based on flavor or a variety that grows well in your area.

Growth habit

Tomato plants can be determinate or indeterminate. One type isn't better than the other. You can pick based on how (and when) you want to use your tomatoes.

Determinate tomatoes ripen roughly at the same time, for one giant harvest. These plants tend to be shorter and bushier and can usually be supported with a tomato cage. They can be slightly more susceptible to blossom end rot.

Indeterminate tomatoes grow and ripen throughout the summer, for smaller, continuous harvests. These plants tend to be 5-7 feet tall and need staking or trellising. They are less bushy, so they take up less plot space when grown vertically than a bushier determinate variety.

I've also seen some seed websites start labeling a handful of varieties as semi-determinate. Those plants are half way between the two - they don't ripen all at once, but they do ripen in a much smaller window than an indeterminate variety.

Paste tomatoes with the characteristic elongated shape are actually more susceptible to blossom end rot that round tomatoes (even rounder paste tomatoes). One study examined tomato genes and concluded that "elongated fruit shapes are more prone to BER than the round-fruited varieties."

Blossom end rot (often abbreviate as BER on seed websites), turns the end of the tomato brown and it rots. It's an issue with calcium uptake, often related to hot, dry spells.

Best tomatoes for paste: info chart

I picked out the 5 best tomatoes for making paste, based on a few different categories that people are interested in. Keep reading for the full descriptions and why I chose each one, but first, let's start with a quick chart:

Yield per plant

The yield per plant is estimated based on field trials and some gardener reviews. They are not perfect, since each garden is different. The sun exposure, soil nutrients, and Mother Nature all greatly affect the total yield, and no two gardens will produce the same amount. Your own garden will vary quite a bit from year to year as well.

So why would I include total yield at all? I find "high yielding" descriptors to be only marginally helpful. I have no idea how many tomatoes to expect for a high-yielding variety, making it hard to know how many I should plant in my garden.

The total yields give you a place to start, even if your garden will produce much more, or much less. At the very least, they can be used to compare varieties relative to each other.

For reference when planning your garden, 30 pounds of tomatoes will produce 5-10 cups of tomato paste, depending on how watery the tomatoes are and how thick you make the paste.

Best overall: Amish Paste

This very large, oxheart-shaped heirloom from Wisconsin makes a really flavorful tomato paste. It's almost seedless too. This variety is much less likely to suffer from blossom end rot than others.

Of the varieties I've grown, so far this is my favorite for making sauce and paste. The taste and texture are both excellent for fresh eating, whereas most paste tomatoes have a mealy texture when fresh. The flavor is also fantastic and very tomato-y when cooked down into a paste.

Penn State conducted a large taste-test trial on paste tomatoes and Amish Paste came out on top: "This was the number one flavored tomato in both tastings. It had deep tomato flavor and due to the high solids would be great on sandwiches."

Portland Nursery rated the flavor over 100 tomatoes from 1 to 5 stars (when eaten fresh). Amish Paste received a 4.4 star rating, compared to 3.3 stars for San Marzano. For context, the popular beefsteak Cherokee Purple tomato got a 4.5 star rating with Brandywine (beefsteak) a full 5 stars. View their ratings from 2022 (PDF download).

Amish Paste tomatoes weight between 8-12 ounces, more than twice the size of San Marzanos. The plants can produce heavy yields, which are highly dependent on growing conditions.

Best Italian heirloom: San Marzano Redorta

The San Marzano Redorta is descendant of San Marzano with better flavor, a larger size, and better disease resistance. This heirloom variety is much larger than the classic San Marzano - close to twice the size, weighing 8-12 ounces.

These are widely considered more flavorful too. Their taste and texture is reportedly good enough for slicing on sandwiches, in addition to making an excellent sauce or paste. I have not personally grown this variety (yet), so I have relied on other expert and gardener reviews on flavor.

Best disease resistance: Plum Regal

Plum Regal tomatoes are a modern hybrid, created for superior disease resistance. Most modern hybrids are bred to be disease resistant, less prone to cracking, and produce large yields.

However, hybrids usually have a lot less flavor than heirlooms. Sometimes they are bred to have more sugar, but they are still missing the genetics that create all of the nuanced tomato flavor.

Plum Regal is an exception - it's still quite flavorful. In fact, Fedco Seeds (a co-op based in Maine), conducted a paste tomato taste test in 2019 with over 20 varieties.

Alternate option: La Roma III Hybrid

I haven't grown these tomatoes, but they are occasionally mentioned by gardeners as a good option for making tomato paste. They are larger than Plum Regal (5-8 ounces), determinate, and resistant to nematodes, Fusarium, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and Verticillium Wilt. 20-30 pounds yield per plant.

Best for hot & arid climates: Rio Grande

Rio Grande is routinely cited as the best tomato for hot climates, both humid and dry. It was developed by the University of California specifically to handle hot weather.

It's adapted to handle drier periods without developing blossom end rot. It's not immune, but much more resistant than other paste tomatoes. It also does well in the Southeast, recommended by nurseries in states like Georgia and North Carolina.

Farmers Market: San Marzano

San Marzano tomatoes are a classic heirloom from Italy. In fact, in order to have the DOP label, a certification that guarantees authenticity and quality, they must be grown in a specific area that's near Mount Vesuvius. It has volcanic soil that produces great-tasting tomatoes, which you can find canned in stores across the US.

If you're shopping at a farmers market, these will be your best bet as they are widely grown across the US for farmers markets. I bought a bushel of San Marzanos at the farmers market (grown in Michigan) and it made a decent tomato paste - it was definitely better than store-bought, but not as tomato-y as other varieties.

In the garden

If you're looking for a paste tomato for the garden, I wouldn't purposefully choose San Marzano. Gasp! Hear me out - the plants are probably the most susceptible to blossom end rot and the yields aren't as good as other varieties.

As for flavor, most gardeners agree they are bland when eaten fresh and make an okay (but not great) flavored paste. Adding in a lot of herbs helps remedy that problem.

They are also only really good for making sauces and pastes. Not only is the flavor pretty bland when eaten fresh, but the texture isn't great either. They aren't good for slicing onto a sandwich or in salads, unlike the other varieties.

How many tomato plants you need to make paste

Tomato paste is pretty thick and requires a large amount of fresh tomatoes to begin with. To make 1 cup of tomato paste, you need 3-6 pounds of fresh tomatoes. The variance depends on how much water weight needs to evaporate and how thick you make the paste.

Most of the plants listed above produce between 20-40 pounds of tomatoes. That means each plant can be turned into 3-6 cups of tomato paste on the low end, up to 6-12 cups on the high end.

When I make a homemade 9" pizza, I use homemade tomato paste for a thick, flavorful base that doesn't turn watery. I use about a half-cup per pizza. You can freeze the tomato paste or process in a water bath canner (with the proper recipe). Consider putting them in 4 ounce (half-cup) jars if you don't use a lot of paste at once.

More garden guides & resources

Are you looking for other tomatoes to grow this year? Check out the best varieties for making sun-dried tomatoes.

These paste tomatoes are all good for making soup as well. Try one of these recipes.

Roasted tomato soup with basil

Using fresh tomatoes and basil to create the ultimate soup. Developed for maximum flavor and minimum acidity.

Roasted tomato soup

Italian roasted tomato, zucchini, and eggplant soup

Combining 3 of Italy's favorite vegetables for a flavorful and balanced soup.

Tomato, zucchini, and eggplant soup