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I'm one of the pickiest people I know when it comes to getting the "good" version of something, as Ina would say. I never buy anything but Parmigiano-Reggiano, hate ice cream that has gums and carrageenan, and I really taste the differences in olive oils. But I do not perceive the supposed superiority of San Marzano tomatoes. I buy whatever diced tomatoes are on sale this week, and when they're cooked in a sauce, I really can't tell the difference. I've done blind taste tests before, too, in which I was not the one doing the cooking.
My favorite brand of tomatoes is the #10 can of Cento plum tomatoes from Costco. Between 3 and 4 dollars, last time I was there.
San Marzano tomatoes have less acid, have less seeds and are usually sweeter. That's not enough for me to spend almost $5 on a can of tomatoes. I buy Tuttorosso regularly. I was a big fan of Red Pack but noticed over the past few years that the tomatoes weren't very ripe so I stopped buying them. My other favorite is Sclafani or Cento. If one knows how to make a good sauce then trust me, even the store brands will make a good sauce.
I avoid canned tomatoes like the plague. I raised San Marzanos a couple years back, but honestly they didnt WOW me. There are SO MANY varieties of tomatoes out there, and they are so easy to grow (if you have the space & free time).
I only buy them when they are on sale. Perhaps it's just because I've been led to believe that they are superior, but I always seem to like them more than others I buy. My kids do, too (but I've probably convinced them that they're better)
There are only 3 ingredients -- the tomatoes, an onion (just cut in half; not chopped), and a whole lot of butter. With such a limited list of ingredients, the quality has to be good, I think.
By the way, this sauce is smooth as silk. Like, uh, buttah. And it's the only time that I use San Marzano.
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Originally Posted by SUPbud
I avoid canned tomatoes like the plague. I raised San Marzanos a couple years back, but honestly they didnt WOW me. There are SO MANY varieties of tomatoes out there, and they are so easy to grow (if you have the space & free time).
In some if not all canned Italian San Marzanos it's not only the variety but having been grown in a certain area, in the volcanic soil of the area around Mt. Vesuvius that's considered important.
I'm one of the pickiest people I know when it comes to getting the "good" version of something, as Ina would say. I never buy anything but Parmigiano-Reggiano, hate ice cream that has gums and carrageenan, and I really taste the differences in olive oils. But I do not perceive the supposed superiority of San Marzano tomatoes. I buy whatever diced tomatoes are on sale this week, and when they're cooked in a sauce, I really can't tell the difference. I've done blind taste tests before, too, in which I was not the one doing the cooking.
My favorite brand of tomatoes is the #10 can of Cento plum tomatoes from Costco. Between 3 and 4 dollars, last time I was there.
Agreed. I've tried, many times, to ascertain the difference and superiority of San Marzanos, but have not been able to--and I believe I've got a pretty good palate. I buy the Cento when they're on sale, or the Furmanos. I don't like the diced tomatoes though, except perhaps in a soup. I buy either the whole or crushed.
Can't understand why anyone would opt for Hunt's. I find them often unripe and tough.
I do not perceive the supposed superiority of San Marzano tomatoes.
My favorite brand of tomatoes is the #10 can of Cento plum tomatoes from Costco. Between 3 and 4 dollars, last time I was there.
Isn't the Cento brand San Marzano? That's the kind Lidia is always advertising before her show.
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