I’ve seen that on the shelves of stores that I frequent in the Greater Boston area and I was wondering about it. I feel better taking the plunge (kinda pricey, ~$8+) after your endorsement.
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I keep a tube of paste, and then usually a box of crushed or chopped tomatoes. I do also keep a small pack of sundried tomatoes too. I will usually have a random brand of jarred tomato sauce for pasta.
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I have been using the small cans of Mutti cherry tomatoes a lot lately.
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Pretty much always have a tube of tomato paste in the door of the fridge. No salt petite diced tomatoes often are in the pantry (2-4 cans). Sometimes 1-2 cans of crushed. Most often I have fresh grape or cherry tomatoes that I will puree or chop as needed these days.
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I usually have paste, diced and whole San Marzano in the pantry, all from Costco (the first two are their house brand, the third Cento). If I need something else (fire roasted, passata, Rotel, etc.) I just grab it at the grocery store as needed.
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I always have a tube of paste in the fridge and usually a backup in the pantry. Whole Italian tomatoes, usually San Marzano from a local importer, 2-3 cans. Sometimes I can my own whole plum tomatoes, never got around to it this year. All other tomato products are bought on an as-needed basis for a specific purpose. I will break down whole tomatoes if a recipe calls for crushed/diced in many cases.
I have recently rediscovered the Mutti cherry tomatoes and enjoy them. I also have oven roasted cherry tomatoes in the freezer - 3 pints I think from the summer.
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I have tried that, but haven’t been too successful getting the texture I want. A stick blender helps, but I find the Mutti passata easier and quite acceptable! I use about theee bottles a month.
I also try to roast pasta tomatoes from the garden, and keep some frozen, but that’s pretty seasonal for me.
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As for texture, I don’t mind chunks being left over. They will eventually disintegrate when the sauce is simmering on the stovetop.
So, whole tomatoes in a tin I’ll just quickly (20 seconds) cut down with a knife, in the tin.
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I like to stock up when canned tomatoes are on sale. I don’t care if they are diced, whole or pureed, prefer fire roasted and Muir Glenn. Always have a tube of paste and occasionally buy jarred pasta sauce. If I have a bumper crop in the summer I roast and freeze tomatoes using Nigel Slater’s recipe.
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I’m honored!
My endorsement is qualified in that my grocery outlet had them on sale a couple months ago so I bought a dozen because of the discount. I’d seen them at my local Italian specialty grocer at regular price so I knew they must be decent.
The sauce has definitely lived up to my expectations. However, my expectations are a tiny bit lower since I didn’t pay retail.
Comparing Michael’s marinera on a scale where Mutti (my favorite) is defined as a 10, I’d give Michael’s an 8 and RAO’s an 8.5.
I usually add a lot of unheated good olive oil to these during plating, which elevates the whole meal such that small sauce differences are minified.
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My favorite brand is Cento, and Mutti is close. I always have whole peeled San Marzanos in a can on hand. I can make pretty much any of the other products, other than paste, from them, but usually I just squish them in my hand. I like the double concentrated tubes of paste, but they are for a deeper and richer flavor, not a straight up substitute for tomatoes. I usually have passata on hand, too.
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I thought most everyone had this approach.
I’ve been using Amore tomato paste in a tube.
It won an America’s Test Kitchen taste test, and I do find it less wasteful than opening a can. It can last quite some time in the fridge once opened, and is less messy than scooping out the remains of a half-used can for freezing.
But this is no substitute for all things tomato, as you point out.
When it’s time to stock up, I look for these:
Diced tomatoes in 14 and 28 oz cans
Whole peeled tomatoes 28 oz can
Crushed tomatoes 28 oz can
Paesana or Bertolli jarred sauces (especially Paesana Vodka Sauce) for quick, busy night meals
As for converting one to another, one can whiz the diced or whole tomatoes in the blender to emulate crushed in a pinch, but I prefer to use what the recipe calls for, and I have the room for the few extra cans.
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Yet the producers offer all those other products. So, logically, no. Someday I want to try the Cento yellow tomatoes.
Ta-dah! With my only 6 oz can of tomato paste; Cento. The rest are 4.5 oz tubes.
Tastes good from the pot, and looking forward to using it. This might be my winter version of my beloved Hyderabadi tomato chutney!
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Same here to all of that.
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looks great! it freezes really well — it’s just me, so i freeze in 4 ounce jars.
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I stock a few large cans of store brand whole peeled tomatoes for use in making enchilada meat/vegetable beef base for soup. I will use a generic tomato sauce and paste for some recipes, but mostly I will create from fresh when possible. Extra tomato paste gets frozen, I used to do an ice cube tray full and freeze, but I just don’t use that volume anymore. However, whole can’s worth of tomato paste will coat a rarely made meat loaf.
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Why did you have to mention meatloaf slathered with tomato paste when I am about to head to my children and grandchildren’s house for take out Thai? Meatloaf trumps Thai when it is thirty-five Farenheit and raining nonstop. Now THAT is a first world problem on this night when I am so blessed to have shelter and food.
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Don’t forget the oozy mashed potatoes.
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