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Original poster

Tinned tomatoes 🍅

139 replies

smurfette11 · 29/07/2023 22:04

Settle an argument at home.

YANBU it doesn't matter which tinned tomatoes you buy they all taste the same and the trick is to cook them properly and drain off the watery stuff

YABU premium brands are so much better And have more pulp

OP posts:
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 30/07/2023 07:57

Patty101 · 29/07/2023 22:51

I think the really cheap tins can be quite nasty. But never tried a tin that I felt was miles better than the rest.

And for those people saying you only throw them in your cooking anyway, do you never put them on top of cheese on toast with a load of black pepper and Worcestershire sauce?

No. I'd slice a fresh (vine) tomato for that. Tinned tomatoes are for cooking only in our house.

blobby10 · 30/07/2023 07:56

I use aldi or Lidl chopped tomatoes with herbs and think they are streets ahead of sainsburys or waitrose own brands. Don't know why they are all so different as they all have the same % of tomatoes!

LuciferRising · 30/07/2023 07:44

Mutti appear to be the only ones without citric acid and are nearly 100% tomatoes while the others come in at around 60%. Napolina don't state tomato %.

I kinda agree with the person who states it depends on what you are cooking.

VictoriaVenkman · 30/07/2023 06:41

Waitrose essential tinned tomatoes are really good quality. Really thick sauce and tasty tomatoes.

RosesAndHellebores · 30/07/2023 06:12

Those who swear by fresh, what do you do about the seeds. They are a pain to fiddle with ime and vile in a sauce if you don't.

HappiDaze · 30/07/2023 06:11

Make sure they're tinned plum tomatoes and not just ordinary tomatoes as to me this makes a difference

Ana yes you get what you pay for

Poppyblush · 30/07/2023 06:04

Decent brand and whole not chopped. Every time.

DahliaMacNamara · 30/07/2023 03:56

Another Mutti fan here, though never at full price. I usually get the polpa for pasta sauces. I take the point about whole plum tomatoes, but if I'm guddling about in juice and bits, I might as well be using fresh ones at this time of year. They come free from a relative's greenhouse.

nalabae · 30/07/2023 03:36

If you use seasoning it's fine

Verite1 · 30/07/2023 00:56

I like Biona best. But Mutti and Mr Organic also good. Much less watery than cheap brands. They are always on offer somewhere!

GrumpyPanda · 30/07/2023 00:55

ZairWazAnOldLady · 29/07/2023 22:57

Just use fresh it’s summer

I take it you are growing your own then? Or where do you manage to miraculously find fully ripe tomatoes? Fine for a tomato salad, yes. But for most of us who aren't actually living in Southrtn climes, tinned will be by far the better bet for a pasta sauce. Think you'll find professionals doing the same.

dinosaurcookie · 30/07/2023 00:51

£1.45 a can. Blimey!!

GrumpyPanda · 30/07/2023 00:45

Agree on Mutti, or if you really want to splurge get imported San Marzano tomatoes no matter which brand. And most importantly, only whole tomatoes not chopped.

DixonD · 30/07/2023 00:41

None of them - sit some beefsteak tomatoes in boiling water, then peel the skins and mash them. No tinned tomatoes can compete!

fuckityfuckityfuckfuck · 30/07/2023 00:25

I don't find any difference between mid-range and expensive but cheap cheap (value 38p type tins) are just red water with bits in.

EnthENd · 30/07/2023 00:21

Neither.

It makes a difference but the fancy ones aren't the best for all recipes.

DM swears by Napolina. I find they're good for Italian dishes but the tomato flavour is too strong for curries. Cheaper ones work better for curries to give a sauce base where the spice blend is the main source of flavour.

neveradullmoment99 · 30/07/2023 00:19

Cucina by Aldi are cheap but vert good. Rich tomatoes, Not a lot of juice and barely any seeds.

goingtotown · 30/07/2023 00:18

Sainsburys own brand not the basic,they're the same as Ciro.

autienotnaughti · 30/07/2023 00:12

We season our food so cheap ones are fine

Maverick101 · 29/07/2023 23:56

If I were buying tinned tomatoes in the UK I'd be wanting to look at the provenance.

Really cheap Italian tomatoes = what's effectively slave labour.

Dixiechickonhols · 29/07/2023 23:48

I think there’s a big difference and buy the mutti (stock up when 25% off)

LesLavandes · 29/07/2023 23:47

Mutti

mastertomsmum · 29/07/2023 23:46

Different versions suit different recipes. Coop with herbs are great for batch cooking but not for everything. Budget ranges are watery, so need more work to build to a sauce. Passata is not everyone’s cup of tea

PickAChew · 29/07/2023 23:42

Even when I was a flat broke student, I avoided most of the cheap brands because they were. So watery that t you needed more.

Now I avoid anything with added citric acid so only use mutti or cirio passata rustics (in jars but increasingly hard to get)

ButterCrackers · 29/07/2023 23:41

I buy the cheapest tinned tomatoes because they are just tomatoes. No fuss.

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