Fresh isn’t always best. Sure, we’d all love to cook with farmer’s market tomatoes all the time, but they’re not always in season—and cooking fresh tomatoes can sometimes take hours. So, you may need to rely on jarred or canned tomatoes when you’re in a pinch, or following a recipe. In many ways, they’re the superior option: They’re often more flavorful, economical, and convenient.

There’s just one problem: How does one decipher between the multitude of choices? Tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and whole peeled tomatoes are just a few options, not including the ones that are fire-roasted or mixed with chilies. To make sense of the many tomato products to choose from, let’s take a closer look at two popular types: tomato purée vs tomato paste. Both ingredients are made from the same beloved fruit (because yes, tomato is technically a fruit) but they have different tastes and consistencies.

What Is Tomato Purée?

“Purée” is another word for “mash.” So tomato purée is essentially mashed tomatoes. However, the tomatoes aren’t processed raw with seeds and all. Before puréeing them, the tomatoes are lightly cooked and strained to remove the skins and seeds, yielding a liquid consistency. They might even be blended afterward to get a uniform smoothness. The end result: A thick but smooth liquid made from just heated, strained (and sometimes blended) tomatoes with no added seasonings or spices. 

You can find tomato purée in most supermarkets in the canned goods aisle, though it’s sometimes packaged in glass jars. Alternatively, tomato purée is pretty simple to make at home by boiling or slow-cooking and straining fresh tomatoes.

What Is Tomato Paste?

Tomato paste, not to be confused with tomato sauce, is basically tomato flavor in a tube. It’s extremely concentrated because it doesn’t contain a lot of water or moisture—hence why it’s so thick and boasts a dark red color. Some tomato pastes are even labeled “double concentrated,” which packs even more flavor.

As is the case with tomato purée, fresh tomatoes are cooked and strained to make tomato paste. However, they’re cooked significantly more to create tomato paste. The tomatoes are usually cooked twice—once before they’re strained, and again after to allow all the moisture to evaporate. Doing this leaves the thickest and most concentrated tomato product you can get. 

The purpose of tomato paste is to add an intense tomato flavor when cooking, but you can also dilute it with water if needed—this creates a nice substitute for tomato sauce. Tomato paste is usually packaged in cans, jars, or resealable tubes. The tubes are typically the most economical, because you can pop the cap back on and store it in the refrigerator for up to a few months so you can use it again.

How to Cook With Tomato Purée

If you feel overwhelmed by the rows and rows of choices in the shelf-stable tomato section, you’re not alone. Here’s when tomato purée comes in handy, and why you may want to keep a few cans in your pantry at all times.

Since it’s only lightly heated and not cooked down for hours on end, tomato purée doesn’t pack the strongest tomato flavor of the bunch. So, you can use it when you want a hint of tomato flavor without it taking center stage. For example, recipes like these Mostly Make-Ahead BBQ Ribs call for a couple spoonfuls of tomato purée, and some recipes for baked beans do too. You might also use tomato purée when you want tomato flavor and the thick, liquid consistency that comes with it, such as in pasta sauces. Bolognese sauce might call for an entire can of the stuff. Unsurprisingly, it’s used in a lot of Italian-inspired dishes—it serves as a great base for sauces, such as marinara or pizza sauce, but it’s also a good starter for soups and stews.

How to Cook With Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is a small but mighty—and often affordable—staple to have on hand. A variety of recipes call for tomato paste, such as dipping sauces, glazes, pasta dishes, and more. It’s used in all kinds of cuisines, including Italian, Indian, and Mexican, to name a few.

It’s also versatile because you can add water to it to change the consistency. Since it’s super thick (all the moisture gets cooked off), it can be used as a thickening agent—it holds up well when braising meat or making rice dishes, for example. You can also thin it out: Add a little water and the paste starts to resemble tomato sauce, which you can then use to make pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and so on.

Unlike tomato purée, which you don’t have to add right away, tomato paste often comes early on in the cooking process of most dishes. If you start with tomato paste, it gives it a chance to caramelize in the pan, bringing out the sugars and intensifying the flavor even more. If you’re cooking with aromatics, such as garlic and onion, cook those first and then add tomato paste and let it cook down for a minute or two.

Are Tomato Purée and Tomato Paste Interchangeable?

Tomato purée and tomato paste are both made with cooked and strained tomatoes, but they’re still different products with varying consistencies and levels of intensity. All it takes is one look at them to assume they’re probably not interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio when unaltered, but all hope is not lost. Here’s how you can substitute tomato paste and tomato purée for each other.

To use tomato paste in place of tomato purée, you’ll need to dilute it with water. Use a 1:1 ratio of tomato paste and water to create a tomato purée substitute. For example, if a recipe calls for a cup of tomato purée, mix ½ cup of tomato paste and ½ cup water.

To use tomato purée in place of tomato paste, follow a 3:1 ratio: Use three parts tomato purée for one part tomato paste. So, if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of tomato paste, use three tablespoons of tomato purée instead. Just note this isn’t a perfect solution, because this substitute adds more moisture than the recipe intended, which can affect the outcome of the final dish. You can get around this by reducing the tomato purée in a sauce pan first—once it’s thick like a paste, it’s ready to use.