How to Feed Tomato Pomace to Your Dog? Easy Tips & Tricks!

Okay, so I've been trying to find ways to use up EVERYTHING in my kitchen lately. No waste, you know? And I had this big pile of tomato pomace after making a huge batch of sauce. For those who don't know, pomace is the leftover skins and seeds after you process tomatoes.

Normally, I'd just toss it in the compost, but I thought, "There's gotta be SOMETHING else I can do with this." My dog, Buster, is always sniffing around when I'm cooking, so a quick Google search showed me some folks use tomato pomace in dog treats. I was like, "Alright, let's give this a shot!"

My Experiment Begins

First, I spread the pomace out on a baking sheet. It was pretty wet, so I figured it needed a good, long drying time. I popped it in the oven at the lowest setting, like 170°F (77°C), and just let it sit there. For, like, HOURS. Seriously, I think it was in there for a good 6-8 hours, maybe even longer. I just kept checking on it until it felt really dry and crumbly.

• Step 1: Spread the wet tomato pomace on a baking sheet.
• Step 2: Dehydrate at low heat (around 170°F or 77°C).
• Step 3:Check periodically for dryness and crumbliness.

Once it was totally dried, I let it cool down completely. Then, I threw it into my food processor and whizzed it up until it was a powder. It looked kinda like paprika, actually! A nice, reddish powder.

Mixing it Up

I didn't want to just give Buster straight-up tomato powder, so I decided to mix it into some homemade dog treats. I used my usual recipe – just some whole wheat flour, oats, peanut butter (make sure it's xylitol-free!), and a little bit of water. I added a few tablespoons of the tomato powder to the mix. It didn't really change the color of the dough much, to be honest.

I rolled out the dough, cut out some cute bone shapes with a cookie cutter, and baked them like usual. The kitchen smelled pretty good, a mix of peanut butter and… well, a hint of tomato, I guess.

The Taste Test

Buster was VERY interested in the whole process, especially when the treats came out of the oven. Once they were cool, I gave him one. He sniffed it for a second, then CHOMPED it down. He definitely seemed to enjoy it! He's had a few more since then, and no problems so far. No upset tummy or anything.

So, yeah, that's my tomato pomace experiment! I felt pretty good about using up something that would normally go to waste, and Buster got some extra fiber and nutrients in his treats. I'm calling it a win-win!

Notes:

• Remember I am not a vet, make sure to consult professionals before you give this to your dog.