Is it safe to use the rest of a can of tomato paste that had been covered with foil in the refrigerator for a week?

I prefer the intensity and consistency of the tube Tomato paste, so I rarely buy the cans any more unless I need a LOT for a recipe. I never store anything overnight in a can. I always remove any remaining into a storage container. I would not use tomato paste or anything else that sat in it's original can (but open) for a week.

Acidic foods can eat into the coating inside the can relasing toxins into the food. It's a good rule of thumb never to store items inside the can they came in. Store in ziplock bags or air tight sealed containers. I have taught food saftey as a culinary arts instructor and had this question come up several times.

Keeping foods in the can isn't necessarily bad because of the can (although Cynthia is right--metals can react with acidic foods and, at the least, make them taste "off"). It's the fact that storing them in the can makes them more susceptible to picking up off flavors and drying out. The above suggestions about keeping tomato paste are great. You can also buy tomato paste in a tube, which is wonderful as it keeps the paste airtight and fresh indefinitely. It's a bit pricier, but it's better than throwing out half-used cans of tomato paste.

It's a good idea to avoid covering any kind of tomato product directly with foil, as the acids react badly with foil, causing it to break down and actually contaminate the food. I use the ice cube tray method, too, Diana B.

yes, tomato paste is very soft when frozen. back to your can- I froze some canned toma.paste after 2 wks in the frig (just one of my growing number of lazy moments). I scraped off the discolored/air exposed top and froze the rest in a piece of saran. And we're a;; healthy and well, th you!

You can put the remainder in an appropriately sized freezer bag and flatten it as uniformly as possible, pushing out any excess air. Freeze it flat and horizontal, (I put mine on a cake pan)and when frozen it will take up almost no room in the freezer. The frozen paste is thin enough that you can break off what you need (I do this while it's still in the bag)and put the rest back in the freezer.

In the future, put a tablespoon of the stuff in each well of an ice-cube tray, freeze, pop out and place in a freezer bag. Then when you need a little tomato paste, you'll have it!

You can also scrape down the sides of the jar or container, and make the top kind of neat with a spoon. Then pour some olive (or other) oil over the top (about 1/3 inch thick?) so its completely covered. Cover with some It will keep like this for ages in the fridge. Pour off the oil to cook with next time, scoop some paste out, and cover with new oil.

My mother in law used to do that, but I grew up hearing from my parents that you always had to take the leftovers out of the can and put them into some other type of container. My best recollection is that it had to do with the interaction of the can and tomato products or botulism or something health related. It could just be that my parents were perpetuating some old wives tale. I am curious to know!

yes as long as there isn't anything growing on it! If I have some leftover from a can (i usually buy it in a tube-it lasts longer) you can freeze it in a log shape and cut hunks off it. No waste!