# Canned Tomatoes. What do you use?



## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

So... now that were were talking about canned tomato products, what style does everyone like to keep on hand? Not what brand, but what style, as in whole, crushed, puree, diced, already seasoned (sauce, Italian tomatoes)...?
If you can your own, what do you make the most of, or do you leave them whole and decide when you open the jar what you are going to do with them?

Aside from a can or two of tomato paste I like to keep around, I mainly just buy crushed. If I have ten cans on hand, 8 of them are crushed and maybe one whole and one puree. I like the texture of crushed in sauce and I like the texture in chili. All crushed is not the same though. I bought a yellow can one time, De F something, and their crushed was more like diced. It just didn't have that thick texture of Contadina or Red Pack crushed tomatoes.

So what say ye? What is your favorite texture in a canned tomato product?


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## Snip 13 (Mar 7, 2013)

We don't have crushed in SA. 
I buy chopped in tomato juice, chopped with onion and a few cans of Indian Style tomatoes for curry in a hurry!

I also buy tomato puree for lasagna etc and cans with Italian flavouring for quick pasta sauces.

I avoid cans with added sugar and things I can't pronounce lol!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 7, 2013)

Crushed, puree, diced, sauce, paste, Marinara...seriously, I keep it all, never know what I will want, need or have the time for.  Especially this week when I didn't have my extra day for cooking.  Easy to stir together a can of garbanzos and a can of diced with pepper for a quick lunch.  Cook pasta and sauce with Marinara.  I use Marinara with lots of meals.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm not sure we have one labeled chopped unless I haven't noticed it, but it's probably pretty similar to one of them.


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## GLC (Mar 7, 2013)

Mostly Hunt's products. Peeled whole, when I want the tomatoes to have a physical presence. Rather than diced, I break up the whole tomatoes. Crushed for most other things, because I can keep it around in place of puree and sauce. And I keep some paste, for when I need the flavor without the liquid. All of them without flavorings, (not Italian, for instance.) 

A can of tomatoes is, as the old cowboys knew, one of the best refreshments in blazing hot weather.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Crushed, puree, diced, sauce, paste, Marinara...seriously, I keep it all, never know what I will want, need or have the time for. Especially this week when I didn't have my extra day for cooking. Easy to stir together a can of garbanzos and a can of diced with pepper for a quick lunch. Cook pasta and sauce with Marinara. I use Marinara with lots of meals.


 
So I'll put you down for no favorite 

I forgot about Ro-Tel. I don't use that in sauces, but I always have a couple cans of tomatoes & chilies on hand.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 7, 2013)

pacanis said:


> I'm not sure we have one labeled chopped unless I haven't noticed it, but it's probably pretty similar to one of them.



Likely diced.  I have more diced than anything else.  I have a tendency to eat the tomato paste out of the can...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 7, 2013)

pacanis said:


> So I'll put you down for no favorite
> 
> I forgot about Ro-Tel. I don't use that in sauces, but I always have a couple cans of tomatoes & chilies on hand.



Oh yeah, can't live without Ro-Tel...and pintos.  I hope I get lunch soon.


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2013)

I buy whole canned tomatoes.  San Marzano if the price is reasonable.  When I make a pasta sauce, I usually crush them in my hands.  When I make pizza sauce, I puree them.  I keep two sizes, 14 Oz and 28 Oz.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

I don't recall buying much in the way of Hunt's tomatoes. Probably because I don't like their catsup as much as Heinz ketchup


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2013)

pacanis said:


> ...I forgot about Ro-Tel. I don't use that in sauces, but I always have a couple cans of tomatoes & chilies on hand.



I don't care for the taste of  Rotel.  I add chilies to canned tomato as needed.


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## msmofet (Mar 7, 2013)

Nothing with added seasoning in the can. I like to add my own flavor.
Crushed - for chili
Crushed - for sauce but I sometimes run it through a food mill if there is a lot of skins in the can.
Whole - for making a salsa
Plain unseasoned tomato sauce - for a quick doctored sauce 
Paste - for making sauce, sometimes for pizza and for hot dogs and onions
Paste in the tube - for adding a small amount to recipes 
Stewed


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## bethzaring (Mar 7, 2013)

I recently had the opportunity to put this question to the test. I moved from Ohio to New Mexico and sold or gave away enough stuff to get my possessions down to a reasonable sized moving van. (I had to sell my MF 265). I was confronted with what to do with about 300 quarts of home canned goods. The potatoes, green beans, corn, and tomato juice I gave away. But some canned foods I had to bring with me, in my car, and schlep them around to keep them from freezing during the 7 day cross country trip, in December. I needed to be really careful about what I packed in the car, and in retrospect I made some poor choices (some cooking equipment would have been nice, as well as my camera, but alas, those items are somewhere in my storage unit).  The tomato products I hauled and schlepped were spaghetti/pizza sauce and chili sauce, both recipes from the Ball canning book.  The spaghetti/pizza sauce I use for obvious dishes but the chili sauce is used both as an ingredient (taco lasagna/burrito type dishes) and eaten straight out of the jar like salsa. But I do miss my tomato/V8 juice.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

That's interesting, Beth. It didn't occur to me that canners would season their canned goods before sealing, rather than opening a jar to use and then seasoning it. Duh.
I'll give my tractor a hug for you today


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## bethzaring (Mar 7, 2013)

pacanis said:


> That's interesting, Beth. It didn't occur to me that canners would season their canned goods before sealing, rather than opening a jar to use and then seasoning it. Duh.
> I'll give my tractor a hug for you today


 
I was never able to can only tomatoes, even though I tried to many times.  If I was canning tomatoes, then I also had onions, garlic, green peppers, celery, basil, parsley, carrots......coming on in the garden.  And if I was going to the trouble to can, and was growing all those vegetables, I had to add them to the mix.

That's so sweet of you to hug your tractor for me.  I think I may swing by the storage unit and hug my honda generator today.  That's the closest thing I have to the MF (they are both red).


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## Whiskadoodle (Mar 7, 2013)

Doink   I wish I had a V-8.   When I first discovered V-8 comes in 6 packs., I thought cool.  Drank 'em all at practically one sitting.  Don't buy that anymore.  If I have tomato juice, I can doctor it up any-which-way and it's a tasty one time drink.  I think the adding a little this/ a little that a shake of tabasco etc is self-satisfying.  

I buy San Marzano whole tomatoes and sometimes another brand and break up with my clean hands.  Well, they start out clean anyway.   I bought diced once, they were ok, so would do it again,  am not familiar with a tomato puree.  

I usually have a small cans tomsto paste and Ro-tel on hand.  

Most often I start out with jarred 'spaghetti"  sauce as a base and go from there.    

Last and most important--  Real Tomatoes.   I know this is very much a seasonal vegetable/fruit.  They are getting better about having hot house/ types that are more flavorful.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

My neighbor has a Massey. And there is one across the road from me in the grape vineyard right now. They were resetting posts the other day and it is sitting there with the auger bit buried  MF's are pretty popular around here.


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## sparrowgrass (Mar 7, 2013)

I can my own--love the chili sauce recipe from the BBB, but I leave out the spices and add more hot peppers.  It makes a sweet hot salsa, good for chips, sandwich topping, over pork roast before putting it into the oven, and it makes great Christmas presents!!

I also can salsa without sugar, for tacos or as a chili ingredient.  

Most of the tomato jars in the pantry are roasted sauce--I put all the ingredients for sauce (tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic, celery, maybe some hot peppers) on a roasting pan at 400 for an hour, run it thru the food processor or use the stick blender, add some vinegar, and can it.  I put some of it in half pint jars (just the right size for a pizza) and the rest in pints.  Roasting saves me scorching the sauce on the stove top, no sticking or stirring or blops on the stove top, and the roasting pans rinse clean after a few minutes soak.  (Can you tell I am a lazy gardener/cook?)

I also do a few quarts of plain old tomatoes--I like them in veggie soup.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

Do you make chili, Sparrow? Do you use the roasted sauce for that?


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## Steve Kroll (Mar 7, 2013)

I usually just buy canned whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano. If I need a sauce, I take a stick blender and whiz it into sauce. Occasionally, if I have a recipe where I need chunks of tomatoes, I'll buy canned diced tomatoes.

Oh, and if I'm making up a quick blender salsa, I also like those Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes. I find that for some dishes they are just too acidic, but for salsa, they work great and have a nice smoky flavor.


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## Zhizara (Mar 7, 2013)

I use several canned tomato types:  Regular diced, mini diced, diced chili ready, Ro-tel type, and sauce.  I keep these on hand all the time.


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## kadesma (Mar 7, 2013)

San Marzano for my pasta sauce I keep a tube of tomato paste in the fridg. Ro tel mild for dips and beans but I love Italian tomaotes  for everything else marinara especially.otherwise its is to tart.. 
kades


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 7, 2013)

I also keep a variety of tomato products on hand.  

The most used products in my kitchen are the coarse ground puree and the tomato paste.  

I use a few cans of stewed tomatoes as stewed tomatoes  but, I always add some ground cloves and butter to them.

I used to keep a few 8 ounce cans of sauce on hand but, the quality seemed to go down as the price went up so now I open a large can of crushed tomatoes and freeze them in one cup containers.

As far as brands go I like Wegman's store brand and Red Pack if it is on sale.  Red Pack also has coupons online.


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## Addie (Mar 7, 2013)

I keep a couple of small seasoned diced tomatoes on hand for a quick pasta and tomatoes when pasta and just butter is not emough. I also have a large can of Pine Cone whole American tomatoes for Italian mac and cheese. I have just one can of Pastene Kitchen Ready tomatoes for any Italian dishes. My daughter usually ends up with the can before I even think of using it. Then I have to replace it next time shopping. Happens about every month. I also have several small cans of tomato paste. Like PF, I too love to eat it right from the can. When I only need a spoonful or two, I freeze the rest, if I can keep from eating it.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

I take it San Marzano tomatoes only come whole?


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2013)

pacanis said:


> I take it San Marzano tomatoes only come whole?




I believe that's the case.  The cream of the cop are the SM tomatoes grown and canned in the SM region of Italy.  There are all sorts of official seals certifying the canned product as real SM.  Pastene, san marzano tomatoes, imported from italy  Scroll down the page for certification details.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

I heard they were top of the line and of course have seen many threads referencing them. I didn't know they only came one way, whole. 

I can see only buying whole tomatoes and then turning them into the end product for your particular use. It makes a lot of sense.
But it's so dang easy to just open the can and dump. No processing or blending. Of course, maybe I'd use my FP more than twice a year then, lol.


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## Addie (Mar 7, 2013)

True San Marzano tomatoes are not a type of tomato, but an area in Italy where Roma type tomatoes are grown. The reason they are preferrable is because they are grown in volcanic soil. They have a very hearty flavor of tomato. 

In this country there is a "brand" called San Marzano and they are Roma type tomatoes grown right here in the United States. Nothing special about the flavor. In fact, the flavor leaves a lot to be desired. The name is used just to confuse the buyer into thinking they are getting the imported Roma type tomato from the San Marzano area. *You have to look at the label really careful.* True San Marzano tomatoes in this country will have the label of "imported  from San Marzano" on the can. Not all imported Roma type tomatoes imported from Italy are from the San Marzano area. Are you totally confused now?


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## Steve Kroll (Mar 7, 2013)

Sounds like you need a stick blender, Pac. All you have to do is open the can of whole tomatoes, dump, and give it a quick whiz with the stick. Voila! You have sauce.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

I do have a stick blender, Steve. But when whole tomatoes are the same price as crushed (for the brands I buy), I see no point. I like to cook and prep and all, but not to that extent. Not yet anyway...  
Of course if I ever tried the SM  it would be a diffferent story.


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## Alix (Mar 7, 2013)

I have cans of crushed, cans of diced and a few cans of plain sauce and always some paste on hand. I also have canned tomato soup, salsa in the fridge and some of my own tomato puree/paste in the freezer still. 

I'm a Unico girl in terms of brand. I'll buy others in a pinch, but that is my favorite, has been since I can remember. I've never seen SM tomatoes here, but I will admit, I've not been looking very hard.


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2013)

my basic reason for buying SM tomatoes is the natural sweetness.  May canned tomatoes are so acidic I have to doctor the sauce with baking soda to neutralize some of the acid.  SM tomatoes eliminate that effort.

Don't talk to me about sugar in pasta sauce.


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## jabbur (Mar 7, 2013)

I keep the large cans of crushed (whichever brand is cheapest the day I buy) for my chili, Hunt's spaghetti sauce that I add seasonings and meat to for pasta dishes, petite diced and fire roasted diced (I think it's Hunt's brand) and a couple of paste.  The fire roasted gets used in salsa and dips when I want a good tomato flavor that will stand up to the added ingredients.  I never get whole tomatoes in the can.  I'm like you pac that I don't want to mess with it a lot!  I think I have a can of diced that has green peppers and onion that I'll throw into the next pot of chili but usually buy the plain and doctor it up myself.  Don't buy Ro-Tel but do buy the small cans of green chilies to add to dishes.  I think I've only bought Ro-Tel once when I was trying a new recipe that called for it.  Decided to use it the first time then decided I could do just as well without buying the specialty ingredient.


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## no mayonnaise (Mar 7, 2013)

Escalon 6-in-1,  the best


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## sparrowgrass (Mar 7, 2013)

Pacanis, I use a jar of unsweetened salsa in my chili.  I don't like too many tomatoes in  chili, especially not chunks of tomato.


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## CraigC (Mar 7, 2013)

I prefer San Marzano for Italian. Other than that we buy what is on sale, usually Hunts or Del Monte, which one or the other are bogo most of the time. We always keep stewed, petite dice, diced and while in the pantry and just like chipotle in adobo, you will never find our pantry without Rotels.


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## pacanis (Mar 7, 2013)

sparrowgrass said:


> Pacanis, I use a jar of unsweetened salsa in my chili. I don't like too many tomatoes in chili, especially not chunks of tomato.


 
Substituting salsa for tomatoes, I like the sounds of that chili.


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## Zagut (Mar 7, 2013)

I tend to like crushed for the ease in making sauces with them.

But Diced and Whole are fine too.

The food mill is my friend.

I keep tomato paste on hand all the time.

I usually get what's on sale and what has the least additives included on the label.

So far Cento crushed tomatoes win in that catogory.

Pizza and Spaghetti sauce are my main uses.


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## taxlady (Mar 7, 2013)

I don't buy canned tomatoes any more because they are sufficiently acid that just about all the cans (even with organic tomatoes) are lined with BPA containing material. I buy pasata in bottles/jars.

Before I worried about BPA, I liked to buy mostly crushed tomatoes, for ease of use and some whole tomatoes for versatility.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 7, 2013)

I keep Hunt's diced tomatoes and tomato paste on hand, as well as prepared pasta sauces, usually Barilla or Classico, that I doctor up. When I make my annual lasagna lol I get Cento San Marzano whole tomatoes and tomato sauce. Sometimes I have Rotel, sometimes I just add red pepper flakes, hot sauce or hot peppers frozen from the garden. 

I don't can tomatoes, but I blanch and freeze them, either in pieces or as salsa. Sometimes I roast them before freezing.


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2013)

i mostly have cans of whole peeled, crushed, and paste, but i also stock a can or two of hunt's canned sauce for specific dishes.

i wait for cento brand imported san marzanos (cento also sells domestic sm's) to go on sale twice a year and i stock up. i buy about 20 cans each time of whole peeled, and maybe 10 of paste. i save over $2 per can by doing that. they go surprisingly quickly, though.

i don't buy many cans of crushed and no puree. whole peeled can be turned into crushed or puree pretty easily with a knife and/or your hands.


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## bakechef (Mar 7, 2013)

Crushed and paste, whatever brand is on sale.  Usually the 28oz. cans can be had for a buck at the club store.  

I'm not crazy about the texture of chunky tomatoes.


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## HomeCook58 (Mar 7, 2013)

*Tomatoes*

I checked my larder.. Pantry to you who don't know the other word... 
I buy Stewed, Diced, Puree, Sauce, Paste, Crushed by the case when they are in season and on sale.  Brand varies but Hunts, DelMonte are the best for the price.  I use them in soups, stews and stewed heated in a sauce pan on med. Lo to Med. heat.  I add three sliced of bread, chunked (torn apart) and 1TBS Splenda.  Cook until hot and serve as salad or side either one. One 15oz can serves 2 people just fine...


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## Rocklobster (Mar 7, 2013)

I usually buy whole or diced plumb tomatoes. Low, or no salt added.  If I need them broken down more I use the immersion blender.


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2013)

Rocklobster said:


> I usually buy whole or diced *plumb* tomatoes. Low, or no salt added.  If I need them broken down more I use the immersion blender.




i wonder who makes sure that all of the tomatoes in the can are exactly vertical?

he hee, j/k.


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## bakechef (Mar 7, 2013)

buckytom said:


> i wonder who makes sure that all of the tomatoes in the can are exactly vertical?
> 
> he hee, j/k.



The way your brain works never ceases to make me chuckle!


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2013)

thanks. i watch too much tv.


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## Addie (Mar 7, 2013)

buckytom said:


> thanks. i watch too much tv.


 
You have too much time on your hands. But then so do I. That's why we think alike. 

One tomato, two tomato, three tomato, four. Five tomato, six tomato,  seven tomato more. You're out!


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2013)

duck, duck, duck...


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## Addie (Mar 7, 2013)

buckytom said:


> duck, duck, duck...


 
 Thank you! 

For those that don't understnd, you have to be a city kid on the East Coast.


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## Steve Kroll (Mar 8, 2013)

buckytom said:


> i wait for cento brand imported san marzanos (cento also sells domestic sm's) to go on sale twice a year and i stock up. i buy about 20 cans each time of whole peeled, and maybe 10 of paste. i save over $2 per can by doing that. they go surprisingly quickly, though.


Cento is the brand I like best. Makes the best pizza sauce, too.



Addie said:


> For those that don't understnd, you have to be a city kid on the East Coast.


...or pretty much anywhere else in the world.


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## no mayonnaise (Mar 8, 2013)

Stanislaus 7/11 is also good but I don't like the fact that they have citric acid added.  Seems a ton of pizza/Italian joints use either Escalon 6-in-1 or Stanislaus 7/11.


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## pacanis (Mar 8, 2013)

buckytom said:


> i wonder who makes sure that all of the tomatoes in the can are exactly vertical?
> 
> he hee, j/k.


 
Bob.


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2013)




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## menumaker (Mar 8, 2013)

I buy whole tinned tomatoes and then chop, puree or leave depending on what I'm doing. Apart from anything else the whole ones are always a bit cheaper so, why not? I add any flavorings myself.
 In the summer when I have a glut of them from the garden I half them, sprinkle with EVOO, season and roast until edges are slightly singed then crush with a potato masher or puree then freeze in batches for winter sauces etc. Sometimes I roast them with Indian spices or cumin, mediterranean herbs  such as Basil/ onion, garlic, red peppers whatever inspires me on the day. Makes wonderful soups, pasta sauces, curry bases. I usually use a dash of ketchup rather than concentrated tomato puree if I want to 'beef' up the flavor.


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## Rocklobster (Mar 8, 2013)

buckytom said:


> i wonder who makes sure that all of the tomatoes in the can are exactly vertical?
> 
> he hee, j/k.


Chalk line one up for tom.


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## FrankZ (Mar 8, 2013)

Pac,

I have several cans of crushed tomatoes in the basement (the store had a sale and tis what I like to use anyways).  When I can them I skin, reduce and stick the immersion blender in.

I will buy diced, sauce, paste, stewed, whole as needed (though if I see paste on sale I will pick up extra).


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## msmofet (Mar 8, 2013)

buckytom said:


> duck, duck, duck...


 Silly goose!


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Mar 8, 2013)

Crushed tomatoes in puree, small diced with and without added herbs and spices, both canned tomato paste for when the recipe calls for ounces and tomato paste in a tube when the recipe calls for tea- or tablespoons, and I usually keep a can of tomato sauce on hand just in case a recipe calls for it.


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## Addie (Mar 9, 2013)

For every step the manufacturer takes to reduce the tomato, it is added to the final cost of the product as a whole. So I try to buy whole tomatoes and crush, puree, or whatever myself. It only takes a couple of seconds. Sometmes when diced are on sale, I will buy a couple of cans. I can add my own seasonings. I use Amercian canned tomatoes for my mac and cheese. A couple of sharp knives placed inside the can and they are cut up just fine. I am more about the final cost than the convience of the final product.


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## CraigC (Mar 9, 2013)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the seeds removed for puree and canned sauce? Running canned whole tomatoes through a food mill takes a lot longer than a few seconds.


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## Addie (Mar 9, 2013)

CraigC said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the seeds removed for puree and canned sauce? Running canned whole tomatoes through a food mill takes a lot longer than a few seconds.


 
If I am willing to eat the seeds in a BLT, then I see no reason to go through a lot of work to remove them in order to obtain a product I can purchase off the shelf of my supermarket. I don't mind taking extra steps to save money, but sometimes it becomes downright silly. 

I just HAD to have a food mill. Just HAD to. My cooking life was not going to be complete without one. Then I saw one in a yard sale. After using it twice, I realized why it was in the yard sale. It went right into the trash. On top of the trash can where it could be seen by walkerbys. Sure enough, it was only there for less than an hour. I am so glad I never invested in a new one. 

I also had to have a potato ricer. Difficult to store and a lot of work to use. Cleanup is no  picnic either. Grant you, I does make great fluffy mashed potaotes, but so not worth the price. It is now the proud possesion of my daughter. Good luck to her. I often think that the best thing that ever happened to me was having to downsize. It certainly cut down on all those wonderful things I just thought I had to have. Can my large FP do the same job? Good, then I don't need an appliance designed just for that one purpose. And if it can't, then I will find a recipe that my FP can do for me. Be carfull what you wish for. It just might mean more work than you want.


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## Zagut (Mar 9, 2013)

CraigC said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the seeds removed for puree and canned sauce? Running canned whole tomatoes through a food mill takes a lot longer than a few seconds.


 



Yes it takes more then a few seconds.



But isn't what we eat worth it?


Cooking is enjoyment for me and I don't mind the time.




Have we really become a society where a millisecond counts?



I'm sorry if I'm old fashioned but I still don't believe 9:01 is late when 9:00 was the time agreed upon.


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## Andy M. (Mar 9, 2013)

I find whole tomatoes are generally more expensive than crushed, puree, etc.  

I use a ricer for mashed because I like my potatoes light, fluffy and lump-free.  A ricer is easier to clean than a FP.

Never had a food mill.  Don't miss it.


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## Addie (Mar 9, 2013)

Zagut said:


> Yes it takes more then a few seconds.
> 
> But isn't what we eat worth it?
> 
> ...


 
And I prefer to be there at 8:59. Can me anal, I know I am. But I don't like to keep folks waiting.


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## Zagut (Mar 9, 2013)

Oh I agree being early is the way to go but have we become slaves to the "Cell Phone" clock to the point where a few seconds (60) matter so much?

Sorry but I like to believe that 9ish is just that. Around 9:00 and a tiny bit of time plus or minus isn't a deal breaker.


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## buckytom (Mar 9, 2013)

removing seeds from tomatoes is pretty easy, no big deal. 

after blanching to remove the skin, you just cut them in half and give a gentle squeeze. most of the seeds and unwanted liquid comes out. i mean, unless you are a michelin chef, you don't have get rid of every single seed.


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## Addie (Mar 9, 2013)

buckytom said:


> removing seeds from tomatoes is pretty easy, no big deal.
> 
> after blanching to remove the skin, you just cut them in half and give a gentle squeeze. most of the seeds and unwanted liquid comes out. i mean, unless you are a michelin chef, you don't have get rid of every single seed.


 
And I always thought I had five stars or diamonds or tires or whatever it is they give nowadays.


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## msmofet (Mar 9, 2013)

I like tomato seeds. But I do put my crushed and whole through the food mill sometimes to get rid of skins and other stuff you find on occasion in the can that I don't want in my sauce.

I use my rice to squeeze out liquid from juicy foods.


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

Addie said:


> For every step the manufacturer takes to reduce the tomato, it is added to the final cost of the product as a whole. So I try to buy whole tomatoes and crush, puree, or whatever myself. It only takes a couple of seconds. Sometmes when diced are on sale, I will buy a couple of cans. I can add my own seasonings. I use Amercian canned tomatoes for my mac and cheese. A couple of sharp knives placed inside the can and they are cut up just fine. I am more about the final cost than the convience of the final product.


 
You must have missed my earlier post. Here anyway, at the stores I shop, a can of whole tomatoes costs exactly the same as a can of diced, puree, crushed... whatever. So if they are passing on the extra costs of processing they are distributing it amongst all the varieties they sell. I'm not saying it isn't the stores that might be evening out costs. If whole tomatoes were cheaper, that's what I would be buying.


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## bakechef (Mar 9, 2013)

They are all the same price here as well.


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

buckytom said:


> removing seeds from tomatoes is pretty easy, no big deal.
> 
> after blanching to remove the skin, you just cut them in half and give a gentle squeeze. most of the seeds and unwanted liquid comes out. i mean, unless you are a michelin chef, you don't have get rid of every single seed.


 
I've never tried removing seeds from canned tomatoes. That seems like it would be a mooky mess doing them like you would a fresh tomato


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## buckytom (Mar 9, 2013)

no, i was talking about fresh tomatoes. you wouldn't have to blanch or skin canned tomatoes, either.


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## Zagut (Mar 9, 2013)

" i mean, unless you are a michelin chef, you don't have get rid of every single seed."

5 Star or A.R. 
They're about the same. 


I like my food mill and it does what it was made to do.


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

buckytom said:


> no, i was talking about fresh tomatoes. you wouldn't have to blanch or skin canned tomatoes, either.


 
Ahh. I must have missed the turn in the road 
One minute the conversation was about the seeds present in whole tomatoes and not the purees and the next you were talking about how easy it was to remove the seeds. For all I know, since I've never bought them, SM tomatoes came with the skins on. I thought you were talking about them.

Fresh tomatoes. Gotcha. I use a spoon to dig the seeds out. They never seem to come out when I squeeze them. They just hang there


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## Alix (Mar 9, 2013)

You take the seeds out? Never done that myself. Just lazy I guess.


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

Alix said:


> You take the seeds out? Never done that myself. Just lazy I guess.


 
When I'm using fresh tomatoes I take the seeds out for some things, pico de gallo comes to mind because I just made some... other stuff, too... Scrambled eggs... Things I don't want a lot of tomato liquids in. Especially in a warm dish. Unless I'm layering the top of a casserole with slices.


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## Andy M. (Mar 9, 2013)

pacanis said:


> Ahh. I must have missed the turn in the road
> One minute the conversation was about the seeds present in whole tomatoes and not the purees and the next you were talking about how easy it was to remove the seeds. For all I know, since I've never bought them, SM tomatoes came with the skins on. I thought you were talking about them.
> 
> Fresh tomatoes. Gotcha. I use a spoon to dig the seeds out. They never seem to come out when I squeeze them. They just hang there




If you cut fresh tomatoes in half at the 'equator' rather than 'pole to pole' a quick squeeze and shake into the sink will de-seed them .  It's also easier to just stick your impeccably clean finger into each cavity and expel the seeds and gel.

Note:  Does not apply to canned tomatoes


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> If you cut fresh tomatoes in half at the 'equator' rather than 'pole to pole' a quick squeeze and shake into the sink will de-seed them . It's also easier to just stick your impeccably clean finger into each cavity and expel the seeds and gel.
> 
> Note: Does not apply to canned tomatoes


 
Maybe I don't squeeze my 'maters hard enough. I always slice through the equater. And I squeeze. And the seeds just hang there... If I wanted crushed tomatoes I'd buy canned  
Besides, I've got the spoon thing down pretty good  A push, a twist, a flick of the spoon, wala!


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## Andy M. (Mar 9, 2013)

Just a thought...


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## pacanis (Mar 9, 2013)

One of these years I'll get the technique.


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## buckytom (Mar 10, 2013)

pacanis said:


> Ahh. I must have missed the turn in the road
> One minute the conversation was about the seeds present in whole tomatoes and not the purees and the next you were talking about how easy it was to remove the seeds.



addie was driving.

you know how those bostonians drive...


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## Addie (Mar 10, 2013)

buckytom said:


> addie was driving.
> 
> you know how those Bostonians drive...


 
So true. So true. We own the road. Get out of our way.

I had company from California. I was taking them on the Freedom Trail. We were about to cross Tremont street and a car wanted to go up Park Street. It is a very narrow street with two way driving and parking on both sides. There was a car coming down, so the car that wanted to go up Park Street, just drove up on the sidewalk. A very common occurrence. They still haven't gotten over that one. And that was more than ten years ago. Every time I hear from the wife, she asks me if I have seen any cars driving on the sidewalks. If they are, I never even notice. If you are in our way, we either push you out of our way or go around you. Care to drive up here for a visit?


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## buckytom (Mar 10, 2013)

the road? it's get off the sidewalk, pathway, and playground, too!


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## buckytom (Mar 10, 2013)

this pretty much sums it up: (but don't click on it if you're offended by foul language)

Boston: Because fuck you. - PandaWhale


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## Addie (Mar 10, 2013)

buckytom said:


> this pretty much sums it up: (but don't click on it if you're offended by foul language)
> 
> Boston: Because **** you. - PandaWhale


 
Sounds like you have tried to drive in Boston. To add to the confusion, they just finished building a new road just for service vehicles to the airport. And when you come out of the Callahan Tunnel and DON'T want to go to the airport, good luck. Once you get into the airport, you are never seen again.


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## buckytom (Mar 10, 2013)

even the cows and horses that laid down the original paths creating boston's streets used to get lost.


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## Addie (Mar 10, 2013)

buckytom said:


> even the cows and horses that laid down the original paths creating boston's streets used to get lost.


 
There are some streets that when you cross the street, the name changes in the middle of the block. We do that just to confuse tourists.


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## buckytom (Mar 10, 2013)

the locals don't seem to fare any better.


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## Addie (Mar 10, 2013)

buckytom said:


> the locals don't seem to fare any better.


 
We can get around just fine.


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## Addie (Mar 10, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> I find whole tomatoes are generally more expensive than crushed, puree, etc.
> 
> I use a ricer for mashed because I like my potatoes light, fluffy and lump-free. A ricer is easier to clean than a FP.
> 
> Never had a food mill. Don't miss it.


 
My FP sits on the counter top. Take the lid off, toss in the can of whole tomatoes and whiz them. When I wash it, the base is right there to put it back together. Where do you store a ricer?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 10, 2013)

Addie said:


> There are some streets that when you cross the street, the name changes in the middle of the block. We do that just to confuse tourists.



Missoula was planned on logging mills and cow tracks, too...the streets are wider, though.


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## Andy M. (Mar 10, 2013)

Addie said:


> ...Where do you store a ricer?



It goes there directly from the dishwasher to a corner of a cabinet.


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## Andy M. (Mar 10, 2013)

buckytom said:


> this pretty much sums it up: (but don't click on it if you're offended by foul language)
> 
> Boston: Because **** you. - PandaWhale




You got a problem with that?

I had to laugh.  A member on an Aruba forum stated that you have to be careful of Aruban drivers, because they drive like Boston drivers.  He had no clue.  I walk faster than Aruban drivers drive.  The actually stop at crosswalks!


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## Zagut (Mar 10, 2013)

"Never had a food mill. Don't miss it."


Can't miss what you never had. 



I've never had a ricer so I guess I don't know what I'm missing. 


I believe a ricer does the same thing only easier then a mill. 

Until I get one I'll keep using my mill for Canned Tomatoes that aren't of the crushed variety.


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## MrsLMB (Mar 10, 2013)

I always have tomato sauce, whole tomatoes and puree in the can, but those are for emergency only. 

During the summer months we have enough tomatoes from our plants that I roast them and freeze them. 

When I want sauce just thaw them out, blend then and it's the best sauce ever. 

When we run out of those at winters end I use the canned stuff.

I can't wait to get my tomato plants going this year.


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## Andy M. (Mar 10, 2013)

Zagut said:


> "Never had a food mill. Don't miss it."
> Can't miss what you never had.
> 
> I've never had a ricer so I guess I don't know what I'm missing.
> ...



The primary benefit of a mill in the world of tomato processing is that it removes skin and seeds from tomatoes  I don't process fresh tomatoes to remove seeds and skin so haven't felt the need for a mill.  I buy canned tomato that has the skin removed.  I ignore the seeds.

The ricer does a fine job of ricing potatoes and pressing moisture out of foods.  Could another tool do the same.  Maybe.


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## no mayonnaise (Mar 10, 2013)

pacanis said:


> Maybe I don't squeeze my 'maters hard enough. I always slice through the equater. And I squeeze. And the seeds just hang there... If I wanted crushed tomatoes I'd buy canned
> Besides, I've got the spoon thing down pretty good  A push, a twist, a flick of the spoon, wala!



I slice off the "lid" enough to expose the cavity with the guts, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch is all you gotta slice off.  Then I turn it over the sink and give a good squeeze.  Not much of a problem with stragglers, usually gets everything out nicely for me.


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## jharris (Mar 10, 2013)

no mayonnaise said:
			
		

> I slice off the "lid" enough to expose the cavity with the guts, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch is all you gotta slice off.  Then I turn it over the sink and give a good squeeze.  Not much of a problem with stragglers, usually gets everything out nicely for me.



SACRILEGE!!!!!!

There's more flavor in what you squeeze out than any other part of the 'mater.

I understand that the juice may be undesirable as excess liquid in any given recipe but don't waste it.

Granted, I'm a certifiable fanatic when it comes to tomatoes but try this....

Squeeze out the seeds and juice into a tumbler, add sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and drink.

Nectar of the Gods my friend!


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## merstar (Mar 10, 2013)

My favorite is Bionaturae Organic Whole Canned Tomatoes from Tuscany. Fantastic!
http://www.bionaturae.com/tomatoes.html


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## taxlady (Mar 11, 2013)

merstar said:


> My favorite is Bionaturae Organic Whole Canned Tomatoes from Tuscany. Fantastic!
> Tomatoes


I will look for those. I love their whole grain pasta. I see from the link that "The lining of our cans are produced without BPA".


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## buckytom (Mar 11, 2013)

taxlady said:


> I will look for those. I love their whole grain pasta.



+1. 

it's one of the few whole wheat pastas i've tried that doesn't taste like cardboard.


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## no mayonnaise (Mar 11, 2013)

jharris said:


> SACRILEGE!!!!!!
> 
> There's more flavor in what you squeeze out than any other part of the 'mater.
> 
> ...



More power to you if you like that stuff but I just don't enjoy raw tomatoes without them being in or on something...  especially the texture of the "guts"
 and that techniques only for times when the excess moisture isn't wanted like in salsa.  I can't think of much worse when it comes to salsa and there's a big pool of flavorless liquid sitting on top of it.


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## FrankZ (Mar 11, 2013)

When I was making and canning sauce over the summer I would collect the pulp and seeds from the tomatoes and then food mill it for drinking.  It took a whole lot of tomatoes to get something worth saving depending on the type (Amish paste were very little seeds and pulp).


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## CharlieD (Mar 12, 2013)

I've used all kind of tomato products from sauce and paste to diced and whole tomatoes. I love them all, there are all kind of uses for them.


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## jharris (Mar 13, 2013)

no mayonnaise said:
			
		

> More power to you if you like that stuff but I just don't enjoy raw tomatoes without them being in or on something...  especially the texture of the "guts"
> and that techniques only for times when the excess moisture isn't wanted like in salsa.  I can't think of much worse when it comes to salsa and there's a big pool of flavorless liquid sitting on top of it.



I understand. 

Hello, my name is Jeff and I'm a tomatoholic. Its been 27 minutes since my last tomato.


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## Kylie1969 (Mar 21, 2013)




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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 22, 2013)

I grow my own and talk to them, the conversation is very one sided as I am a shy person by nature.


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## Snip 13 (Mar 22, 2013)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I grow my own and talk to them, the conversation is very one sided as I am a shy person by nature.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 23, 2013)

Hello, I am also a tomatoholic, but I have curbed my addiction to canned tomatoes by growing my own...I can no longer tolerate canned tomatoes...hello, I am a tomatoholic...


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## kadesma (Mar 23, 2013)

I am a tomatoholic too. Love any kind fresh or canned Italian I don't wast any part of the tomato.  I adore homemade gravy,tomato sauce, juice  give it to me any way shape or form.
kades


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## CWS4322 (Mar 23, 2013)

kadesma said:


> I am a tomatoholic too. Love any kind fresh or canned Italian I don't wast any part of the tomato.  I adore homemade gravy,tomato sauce, juice  give it to me any way shape or form.
> kades


And I'm also addicted to dehydrated Roma tomato chips. Bring the garden season on!


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## Addie (Mar 23, 2013)

I had a neighbor who loved to grow tomatoes. His wife hated them. So he gave me permission to take any whenever I wanted some. Every morning I would have my disposable salt shaker and go in the garden and pick a beautiful big fully ripe tomato. I would eat it while I was waiting for the bus to go to work. Then I would pick another one when I came home and have it with my supper.


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## jharris (Mar 25, 2013)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> Hello..., I am a tomatoholic...



Welcome CWS and Kadesma, need a sponsor?


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## Snip 13 (Mar 25, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Hello, I am also a tomatoholic, but I have curbed my addiction to canned tomatoes by growing my own...I can no longer tolerate canned tomatoes...hello, I am a tomatoholic...


 
I feel the same about beets. I tasted some a few days ago and nearly gagged! Homemade is a million times better!

Didn't even bother trying bought pickles or jams again 
I buy canned tomato because I use so much. My kitchen is far too small to make preserves on that scale


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## Steve Kroll (Mar 25, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Hello, I am also a tomatoholic, but I have curbed my addiction to canned tomatoes by growing my own...I can no longer tolerate canned tomatoes...hello, I am a tomatoholic...


I grow my own tomatoes as well and love them in season. But by the end of the season, just like with zuccchini, peppers, and sweet corn, I'm usually not so in love with them anymore. In fact, I am downright tired of the damned things at that point. But the following year, the cycle begins again and the tomato romance is rekindled. 

I don't mind canned tomatoes, but for whatever reason I don't tend to think of them as the same vegetable as fresh tomatoes.


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