Canned Tomatoes

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Where do you get your's, if anywhere. I'm so jaded by all of the EU confusion over what constitutes an authentic San Marzano canned tomato that I'm disinclined to believe just about everything. I bought some Flora brand canned tomatoss yesterday at Wegmans. The can says "San Marzano Tomates of Sarnese-Nocerino Area." Imported Authentic Tomato. D.O.P. The designation "of Sarnese-Nocerion Area" has me totally confused. They cost $2.99 for a 28 oz. can. But the question lingers: did I get bona fide San Marzano tomatoes? There are at least 3 seals on the back side and numbers. At this point, I think it's all bullshit myself.

[brendanc]

Where do you get your's, if anywhere.  I'm so jaded by all of the EU confusion over what constitutes an authentic San Marzano canned tomato that I'm disinclined to believe just about everything.  I bought some Flora brand canned tomatoss yesterday at Wegmans.  The can says "San Marzano Tomates of Sarnese-Nocerino Area."  Imported Authentic Tomato.  D.O.P.  The designation "of Sarnese-Nocerion Area" has me totally confused.  They cost $2.99 for a 28 oz. can. But the question lingers:  did I get bona fide San Marzano tomatoes?  There are at least 3 seals on the back side and numbers.  At this point, I think it's all bullshit myself.

The Italian Store off Spout Run Pkwy and Lee Hwy has what I remember as being true San Marzanos, also good pizza and fantastic subs

[JPW]

You can also pick up the Cento brand San Marzanos at Snider's in Silver Spring.

[mdt]

Where do you get your's, if anywhere.  I'm so jaded by all of the EU confusion over what constitutes an authentic San Marzano canned tomato that I'm disinclined to believe just about everything.  I bought some Flora brand canned tomatoss yesterday at Wegmans.  The can says "San Marzano Tomates of Sarnese-Nocerino Area."  Imported Authentic Tomato.  D.O.P.  The designation "of Sarnese-Nocerion Area" has me totally confused.  They cost $2.99 for a 28 oz. can. But the question lingers:  did I get bona fide San Marzano tomatoes?  There are at least 3 seals on the back side and numbers.  At this point, I think it's all bullshit myself.

Buy a couple of cans of different tomatoes and do a taste test. It would be interesting to see how they compare.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I have found many brands of San Marzano "style" tomatoes, but the DOP one's I found the other day at Wegman's were as close to "real" San Marzanos as I have seen. I'm still not satisfied that they are the real McCoy. The one's at the Italian Store on Spout Run are San Marzano "style" not DOP.

[mktye]

At this point, I think it's all bullshit myself.

My thoughts exactly.

Buy a couple of cans of different tomatoes and do a taste test.  It would be interesting to see how they compare.

Great idea! Anyone want to join me? Some friends and I did a vanilla taste test a few years ago and we had a blast!

For sauces and such I usually use american canned tomatoes. My way of looking at it is that once you add garlic/onions/herbs/spices & such and cook the sauce for any length of time, the subtle nuances between the various tomatoes are lost anyway.

And if I am making something that calls for unadulterated canned tomatoes, I like Muir Glen (I've only seen them sold at Whole Foods). In my experience, the quality of San Marzano tomatoes varies wildly, even within the same brand, so I've given up on them.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Shopper's Food has Muir Glen tomotoes. They are not in the regular canned tomato section, they are in what I will descibe as the "international asile." There is a section with organic stuff and that is where they keep the Muir Glen tomato products. Probably cheaper than Whole Paycheck.

edited to add: I'd be intersted in what Mrs. B thinks about this subject.

[MicGSD]

I agree with Mktye; I think once you add to it, the taste difference is probably

lost. I've tried bothCento and Muir Glen also - don't see a whole lot of difference.

[hillvalley]

I would check out Literi's on NE. They have the widest range of imported tomatos thta I have seen locally (including the Italian Store).

Even if you don't find the tomatos you want its worth a trip down their for their subs. They make Italian Store look like Subway.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I would check out Literi's on NE.  They have the widest range of imported tomatos thta I have seen locally (including the Italian Store). 

Even if you don't find the tomatos you want its worth a trip down their for their subs.  They make Italian Store look like Subway.

Where exactly is this place?

[hillvalley]

Right here

[mdt]

My thoughts exactly.

Great idea!  Anyone want to join me?  Some friends and I did a vanilla taste test a few years ago and we had a blast!

I have offered to do a pasta making session to a couple of others, maybe we could combine the two and have a pretty good carb fest.

[bilrus]

I have offered to do a pasta making session to a couple of others, maybe we could combine the two and have a pretty good carb fest.

I'm down.

[Anna Blume]

Not sure if we're calling all canned Italian plum tomatoes "San Marzano" style, but has anyone seen the Ferrara brand in D.C. recently?

While I wasn't a member of DR back when you had the big canned tomato taste test, I read the results with interest and seem to recall this was a supermarket brand that scored well. Giant used to carry it, but has drastically limited its inventory and now only carries Furmano which I don't like at all.

FYI: Safeway is now selling a store-brand ( ) of imported DOP San Marzano tomatoes for more than $5 a can. Even Vace charges less.

[echallstrom]

I would also like to see the results form the canned tomato taste test.

[echallstrom]

Nevermind, I found it (listed as tomato sauce and pasta-making) here.

[zoramargolis]

Not sure if we're calling all canned Italian plum tomatoes "San Marzano" style, but has anyone seen the Ferrara brand in D.C. recently?

I think I may have seen it at Rodman's.

[Anna Blume]

Does anyone have an opinion about using crushed vs. whole canned tomatoes in making sauce?

Curious because at Safeway, Cento's crushed tomatoes cost less than the whole and the only listed ingredient was the fruit itself. Not even salt, so low sodium level, too. (You would not believe how much more salt Hunts adds to diced vs. whole tomatoes.) (If you really need a nap, read further.)

* * *

FYI it also costs more to buy the tomatoes Cento's label proclaims as "Product of Italy" vs. the Italian-Style Tomatoes even though the fine print on cans of the latter reads "pomodori pelati..." and reassures me Italian law was respected in their processing.

ETA: Just reviewed the results of the DR tomato-tasting and was surprised since a recent attempt to use Hunt's in a pasta sauce disappointed.

[dcs]

Does anyone have an opinion about using crushed vs. whole canned tomatoes in making sauce?

Curious because at Safeway, Cento's crushed tomatoes cost less than the whole and the only listed ingredient was the fruit itself. Not even salt, so low sodium level, too. (You would not believe how much more salt Hunts adds to diced vs. whole tomatoes.) (If you really need a nap, read further.)

* * *

FYI it also costs more to buy the tomatoes Cento's label proclaims as "Product of Italy" vs. the Italian-Style Tomatoes even though the fine print on cans of the latter reads "pomodori pelati..." and reassures me Italian law was respected in their processing.

I always have gravitated towards the whole tomatoes on the belief that they are less processed and somehow fresher, although I have absolutely no evidence to support such a ridiculous claim. I have noticed, too, a wide disparity in texture among various crushed tomato brands. Cento, I seem to recall, is the thickest of the thick and for that reason is not preferred by me; stick a spoon in the middle and the tomatoes will hold it upright. It is something a little added water will cure, however.

[sandynva]

Does anyone have an opinion about using crushed vs. whole canned tomatoes in making sauce?

Curious because at Safeway, Cento's crushed tomatoes cost less than the whole and the only listed ingredient was the fruit itself. Not even salt, so low sodium level, too. (You would not believe how much more salt Hunts adds to diced vs. whole tomatoes.) (If you really need a nap, read further.)

* * *

FYI it also costs more to buy the tomatoes Cento's label proclaims as "Product of Italy" vs. the Italian-Style Tomatoes even though the fine print on cans of the latter reads "pomodori pelati..." and reassures me Italian law was respected in their processing.

ETA: Just reviewed the results of the DR tomato-tasting and was surprised since a recent attempt to use Hunt's in a pasta sauce disappointed.

It's too bad you had a bad experience with hunts. I wonder if it was maybe the style of sauce you were making? one of my weeknight/get home from work famished and can't wait more than 10 mins to eat meals is pasta with a quick sauce made from hunts petite diced tomatoes. while water's boiling I just put a bit of olive oil in skillet, 2 smashed garlic cloves, red pepper flakes and a can of hunts petite diced, simmer for a few min, add fresh basil at the end, and that's it, the (rather chunky) sauce is done before the pasta is. so it's a fresh-type rather than long-simmered sauce, and the hunts works better in it, because it's fresher tasting/closer to fresh diced tomatoes than other brands i've tried. but, for the same reason i like it in the quick sauce-it's comparative freshness--it might be bad in a longer simmered sauce.....

[monavano]

Aside from the cut of the canned tomato (whole, diced, crushed), factors that affect flavor include what the tomatoes are packed in. Generally, they are packed in tomato juice or tomato puree.

Canned tomatoes from Italy are generally packed in puree, which is a cooked product. The reason for this is that the tax on tomatoes packed in puree vs. tomato juice is big, with the former being cheaper.

CI reported that taste testers perceived tomatoes packed in puree to taste less fresh than those packed in juice. The addition of calcium chloride enhances the brightness of the tomato taste, and citric acid preserved texture.

So, according to CI, the best predictor of satisfaction with a canned tomato product is not its provinance or cut (despite the oft-repeated mantra that the more the tomato is processed, the more flavor it will lose), but what's listed under the ingredients.

So, look for packing in juice vs. puree (which is often made using tomatoes which are inferior to the marquis type on the label), calcium chloride and citric acid.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/tastetests/overview.asp?docid=10023

eta: Hunt's whole tomatoes were recommended, the diced were not.

[Anna Blume]

Interesting, M!

All tomatoes used to be packed in juice vs. purée. I figured the latter supplanted the former because you can sell consumers fewer tomatoes in the weightier purée than you could in juice. For a while, I started to buy the 16 oz. vs. 28/32 (remember those?) oz. cans because more tomatoes per oz. were crammed in smaller cans.

Who continues to pack tomatoes in juice vs. purée?

[monavano]

Interesting, M!

All tomatoes used to be packed in juice vs. purée. I figured the latter supplanted the former because you can sell consumers fewer tomatoes in the weightier purée than you could in juice. For a while, I started to buy the 16 oz. vs. 28/32 (remember those?) oz. cans because more tomatoes per oz. were crammed in smaller cans.

Who continues to pack tomatoes in juice vs. purée?

Your observation is in line with CI's findings; There were more whole tomatoes packed in juice vs. puree.

I'm looking at 3 large cans of tomatoes. Contadina Crushed (which I buy in bulk at Costco) are a stand-by for me. They are packed in puree (USA). Soprano Cherry Tomato (Pomodorini Di Collina) are packed in tomato juice and are available at Cheesetique. Soprano's are bright and firm, and are great for tossing with pasta, especially in the winter. They are from Italy. Furmano's Whole Peeled Tomatoes (USA) are packed in tomato juice. The label also boasts "now with lower sodium sea salt.

[LauraB]

Who continues to pack tomatoes in juice vs. purée?

I use Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes which are packed in juice and also contain citric acid and calcium chloride. I've been very happy with the results I get cooking with them. I just read the CI report (thanks for the link, Monavano) and was pleased to discover that the diced Muir Glens are also the most highly recommended of those CI tested.

[sandynva]

M-thank you very much for the interesting article and great summary! and, you hit the nail on the head--what i dislike about so many brands is the puree/cooked taste.

[Anna Blume]

FYI: Cento Italian-style 28 oz. can w purée contained 11 whole plum tomatoes, 3-4 shredded bits (< 1 tomato) and 12 fluid oz. of purée.

[Hannah]

I've had pretty good results with both the Cento and the Flora whole San Marzano tomatoes, as well as various other brands of DOP San Marzanos picked up here and there. I haven't noticed an enormous taste difference between puree and juice-packed once they're turned into sauce; the puree's a bit of a time-saver since the sauce takes slightly less time to reduce, but I haven't generally gone out of my way to choose one over the other.

[giant shrimp]

i like pomi tomatoes, though technically they come in a carton, and most often buy them chopped. they work well with marcella hazan's tuna spaghetti sauce, although, chopped at least, they don't really mix in with the hot olive oil and light golden garlic the way they should. it's a case of slick meets slick. they're on the lowest shelf at the p street whole foods, and sometimes you have to crawl on the floor to reach them.

there's nothing in the pomi tomatoes, which maybe disproves the need for the chemical additions that cook's illustrated finds so significant. i find that this publication -- like consumer reports -- tends to study things to death and then reach some conclusions maybe i wouldn't because i guess i must be on a different wavelength. i don't want to knock it, however. i am a frequent subscriber, with gaps in between because it seems like i've barely started my subscription and then it expires. i've never been one to lean this heavily on science in the kitchen, although i realize it's going on in the background the minute you start boiling your water.

[zoramargolis]

i like pomi tomatoes, though technically they come in a carton, and most often buy them chopped.

The fact that Pomi is sold in a carton means that there is considerably less risk of ingesting BPA from cans.

[Barbara]

The fact that Pomi is sold in a carton means that there is considerably less risk of ingesting BPA from cans.

After reading this today, I went up to Cleveland Park and picked up a couple of boxes at Vace. Need to check Rodman's--I'll bet they're cheaper there.

[Anna Blume]

After reading this today, I went up to Cleveland Park and picked up a couple of boxes at Vace. Need to check Rodman's--I'll bet they're cheaper there.

You'll find a limited supply at WFM where I bet they're cheaper.

Along w a safer product, you get a political scandal for free!

[MC Horoscope]

Balducci's has La Valle brand in a can smaller than 28 oz. 14 oz. IIRC.

[Barbara]

Along w a safer product, you get a political scandal for free!

Archway cookies???? No wonder they went bankrupt.

[Anna Blume]

I noticed Target sells canned tomatoes packed in juice vs. purée under its Market Place label. 97 cents for 28 oz.

Many of you have probably heard the story about the cannibal who spared interlopers after finding Gerber's baby food among their possessions; given the picture of the fat-cheeked baby on the jars, he figured he was in for quite a treat. FWIW, the tomatoes on the Market Place label are subtly tapered, so they might be Italian plum.

[squidsdc]

*Sidebar-we happened upon a demo at Bloomingdale's a couple of year's ago. The owner of Filomena was doing a demo, and said these were the best canned tomatoes and the only ones they use. She gave us a taste and they were very good. So when I happened to see a can sitting above the drink cooler at the Greek Deli one day, I asked if we could purchase it. When I get a chance I'l check the recycle bin to find out the name and post it.

So I finally got around to checking the can-the brand is called 74-40. And it was a huge 6lb can, so we have lots of sauce for freezing!

The ragu turned out very good, and even better the second night when I added in some sauteed mushrooms. The tomatoes were tasty but I don't have enough experience tasting canned tomatoes to be able to rank them as being "the best." There would have to be another canned tomato tasting in order to rank them properly

[dcs]

Where do you get your's, if anywhere. I'm so jaded by all of the EU confusion over what constitutes an authentic San Marzano canned tomato that I'm disinclined to believe just about everything. I bought some Flora brand canned tomatoss yesterday at Wegmans. The can says "San Marzano Tomates of Sarnese-Nocerino Area." Imported Authentic Tomato. D.O.P. The designation "of Sarnese-Nocerion Area" has me totally confused. They cost $2.99 for a 28 oz. can. But the question lingers: did I get bona fide San Marzano tomatoes? There are at least 3 seals on the back side and numbers. At this point, I think it's all bullshit myself.

I have found many brands of San Marzano "style" tomatoes, but the DOP one's I found the other day at Wegman's were as close to "real" San Marzanos as I have seen. I'm still not satisfied that they are the real McCoy. The one's at the Italian Store on Spout Run are San Marzano "style" not DOP.

This blog entry purports to help you verify that you are buying real San Marzano tomatoes. Apparently, at least 95% of tomatoes marketed in the U.S. as San Marzano are not the genuine article.