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For recipes that call for tomatoes as an ingredients and either fresh or canned will be ok, which do you usually choose, and why?
i guess it depends on what i'm making.
honestly, though, i think that different varieties of tomatoes have dramatically different tastes, and I don't know which to buy. So, i stick to canned, just because they typically use the sort of tomatoes i am looking for.
LOL. I don't know about preservatives, but I read that the cans of Muir Glen (some of you's favorite) are line with a material that is harmful to health. I do agree canned ones are easier for cooking, and they are also cheaper than fresh ones.
Reminder: this is a Poll. Please vote.
I use fresh often, but when sauce or crushed are called for I use a brand in boxes, called POMI. Unlike cans, there is an expiration date on the boxes. They taste fresher to me.
I don't like the idea of acid (from tomatoes) in the cans. Some of the coating or metal can leach out.
Generally canned based in part on laziness (refusal to go shopping unless absolutely necessary) and on the belief that tomatoes are generally canned at the peak of their flavor and freshness.
I am so glad that you brought this up.
I used to get plum tomatoes because they had the best consistent flavor all year round (east coaster, here).
Then there was that phony salmonella in tomato scare in 2008. Since then, I cannot get a decent plum tomato, so I've been getting the Campari (Canadian, hydroponically grown) tomatoes. They come in those little clear plastic box/clam shell containers.
During my last trip to the supermarket (two, in fact), the Campari's are not there and there is a crappy looking 'Ole' brand (not rosy red and some have fungus).
We used to not have an off season for tomatoes. There would always be some sort of acceptable tomato in the market. Now, they all lack flavor.
There are those little really red tomatoes on the vine, but they just look pretty and lack flavor, too.
It seems as though all the really good tomatoes go to canning companies anymore.
I used to get plum tomatoes because they had the best consistent flavor all year round (east coaster, here).
Then there was that phony salmonella in tomato scare in 2008. Since then, I cannot get a decent plum tomato, so I've been getting the Campari (Canadian, hydroponically grown) tomatoes. They come in those little clear plastic box/clam shell containers.
During my last trip to the supermarket (two, in fact), the Campari's are not there and there is a crappy looking 'Ole' brand (not rosy red and some have fungus).
We used to not have an off season for tomatoes. There would always be some sort of acceptable tomato in the market. Now, they all lack flavor.
There are those little really red tomatoes on the vine, but they just look pretty and lack flavor, too.
It seems as though all the really good tomatoes go to canning companies anymore.
I just saw those Campari tomatoes on the shelves and they looked like garbage and the box said product of Mexico, not Canada. Funny, online articles say they are from Canada but the box says Mexico. Anyway, the quality sure went downhill and I'm not buying them.
If I'm cooking I use canned, except for some baked dishes. I really only use fresh tomatoes for things like salads, sandwiches or salsa. If I do cook with fresh, I always peel them, it's easy if you dip them in boiling water.
Canned and I'm Italian. Hehe. All the recipes I've ever tasted, too, growing up w/ plenty of Italian cooks in the kitchen always used canned, too. My husband used to make fresh, but the canned are really okay and have a good flavor.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I've seen several recipes for spaghetti bolognaise that call for both fresh and canned. Anyone know (or can hazard a guess) the reason behind this? Either way, the sauce tasted great, far superior to anything out of a jar.
Farmers markets around me are far and few to come across without a 40 minute or more drive.
We do have one or two close ones but the produce is most of the time "seconds" not of the best quality.
So for me it's canned unless I see some real nice ripe tomatos at a store for slicing and always grape tomatos for salads.
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