Canned Tomatoes... Etc...

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Do you all have a favourite you tend to buy, or do you just get whatever is on sale?
I LOVE Dei Fratelli as a rule, but Aldi's tinned tomatoes (and other stuff) is just as good.
Once in a while, I'll buy Red Gold, since one of the major packing plants is just a hop-skip and a jump from me in Geneva, Indiana.
 

homecook

New member
I use Hunt's, Del Monte, De Fratelli.......I don't notice a big flavor difference. I've even bought San whatever and didn't think they were any different.......IMO.
 

UnConundrum

New member
Gold Site Supporter
You didn't say what kind of canned tomatoes. I happen to love "6 in 1" from Escalon. You won't find them in a store, but can buy some at https://www.escalon.net/shop.aspx . If you buy 6 cans, the price comes down to $2.50/can and they only charge $1.50 for shipping, or a total of $16.50 for 6 cans delivered to your door. They are fresh packed, ripe, California tomatoes with no chemicals added. Generally they're available to the trade only, except for web purchases.
 

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buckytom

Grill Master
without question cento brand imported san marzano tomatoes, at about $3.50 for a 28oz. can.

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sencond choice is la fede san marzanos, around the same price.

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worst comes to worst, i'll go for muir glen.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I also will buy the two Bucky posted but hard to find here most of the time so I buy the ones shown below. I use San Marzano in pasta sauce exclusively but buy others for other things. Some of those are Hunts, Red Gold, Cento, Contadina, Progresso and Rotel depending on what I'm using it for or availability.
 

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ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
I typically buy stewed tomato in a can - I've found that the Giant store brand often has chunks of "not really ripe" stuff in it - core sections that are noticeably green...

the brand name seem more picky about using ripe tomatoes.
 

chowhound

New member
I buy what is on sale, which is usually either Red Pack or Contadina. Someone told me a long time ago that Hunts is more acidic, but I don't know if there is any truth in that. Still, if I need tomatoes and nothing is on sale, I will bypass the Hunts. On sale the 28 oz cans are 10 for $10, so I stock up. Usually crushed, then puree and whole, in that order. Definitely love the crushed for their texture.
One thing I noticed though, I bought an Italian sounding off brand at the town grocer once and the crushed was more like puree, so I try to stick to the two brands I know now. You would think they would standardize that.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Hunts is a bit more acidic CH, than other though not too bad really as others I've tried. If you add a teaspoon of sugar for every large can you won't notice it at all. If you cook them longer it goes away also.

I sometimes use a small can of Hunts in combination with Rotel tomatoes (tomato and chili peppers combined) for Mexican dishes, a pot of chili etc where the acid is good. I tend to buy whole tomatoes as a rule with the only exception of the San Marzano. This I use for my marina sauce and use two large cans of whole to one large can of crushed with 1 small can of paste. I get a good thick hardy red sauce with this every time.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
You didn't say what kind of canned tomatoes. I happen to love "6 in 1" from Escalon. You won't find them in a store, but can buy some at https://www.escalon.net/shop.aspx . If you buy 6 cans, the price comes down to $2.50/can and they only charge $1.50 for shipping, or a total of $16.50 for 6 cans delivered to your door. They are fresh packed, ripe, California tomatoes with no chemicals added. Generally they're available to the trade only, except for web purchases.
Crushed, stewed, whole and paste are what I buy.
 

chowhound

New member
Thanks, Joe. I guess there was some validity to that little nugget stuck in my craw all these years. Plus, I was never a fan of their catsup either.
 

High Cheese

Saucier
without question cento brand imported san marzano tomatoes, at about $3.50 for a 28oz. can.

View attachment 4789

sencond choice is la fede san marzanos, around the same price.

View attachment 4790

worst comes to worst, i'll go for muir glen.

+1 You only need to cook those like 20 minutes.

I also will buy the two Bucky posted but hard to find here most of the time so I buy the ones shown below. I use San Marzano in pasta sauce exclusively but buy others for other things. Some of those are Hunts, Red Gold, Cento, Contadina, Progresso and Rotel depending on what I'm using it for or availability.

Those are just plum tomatoes from Cali. To be true San Marzano it has to be from San Marzano region of Italy and have a special stamp on the can. They may have just grown those from a San Marzano seed.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Thanks, Joe. I guess there was some validity to that little nugget stuck in my craw all these years. Plus, I was never a fan of their catshup either.

I'm a Heinz man myself when it comes to catchup. Hunts tomatoes are good in a chili and also works well for a BBQ sauces that use a tomatoes base.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Those are just plum tomatoes from Cali. To be true San Marzano it has to be from San Marzano region of Italy and have a special stamp on the can. They may have just grown those from a San Marzano seed.

I'm aware of that HC but then if that is all one can get that is best choice for pasta sauce. To be honest though they are so close to the "real thing" imported brands I doubt anyone could really tell the difference in a finished cooked sauce between them and the imported. I use the real thing when I can find them which is about twice a year. I make 6 qts of pasta sauce every two weeks year around.
 
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