You grab a can of tomatoes, thinking it’s a safe, boring choice because tomatoes are tomatoes, right? But one night your sauce tastes bright and balanced, and the next it’s oddly flat or watery, even though you swear you bought the same thing. That’s because a can of tomatoes isn’t a single, uniform product; two cans sitting side by side on the shelf can look nearly identical and still behave completely differently in a recipe.
Canned tomatoes vary because of the type of tomato used, how ripe it was when packed, what it’s packed in and how it was processed. I learned this over 13 years ago on a trip to some farms in California with DelMonte. These differences affect flavor, texture and the amount of cooking time your dish needs.
Tomato varieties matter
One of the biggest reasons canned tomatoes behave differently is because of the type of tomato inside the can. Most canned tomatoes are made from either Roma-type tomatoes (what these tomato chips are made with from that aforementioned trip) or round, juicier varieties.
Roma tomatoes are naturally meatier, with fewer seeds and less water. That makes them ideal for sauces, because they break down smoothly and concentrate as they cook. San Marzano is a specific variety of Roma tomato, often used in canned tomatoes.
San Marzano-style tomatoes (used in this tomato ranch pappardelle recipe) are known for balanced sweetness, lower acidity and dense flesh. Since these tomatoes have sauce-friendly traits, they cook down more evenly than standard canned tomatoes.
Round tomatoes, while perfect when thickly sliced on your burger or sandwich, contain more juice and a higher water content, which can make sauces thinner and less flavorful. Tomatoes with more natural sugar taste less sharp. Watery tomatoes tend to stay loose or require longer cooking.
“I always stock up on several cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes. You can make the simplest, most authentic-tasting pasta sauce with olive oil, garlic and a big can of San Marzano tomatoes. My pantry is never without a few cans.”
— Casey Rooney, Get On My Plate
Pack style
Even when the tomatoes themselves are similar, what they’re packed in and how they’re cut can completely change how they behave in a recipe. The packing liquid and cut style affect everything from cooking time to final consistency.
Tomatoes packed in puree tend to create thicker, more cohesive sauces right away. The puree adds body and helps everything cook evenly. I love this style for quick chili recipes when you don’t want to be cooking down liquid for hours. Tomatoes packed in juice release more liquid as they heat, which can be helpful in soups and stews, but it means extra simmering time if you’re aiming for a rich sauce.
Cut style is another important factor. Whole tomatoes are usually the most versatile, because you control how much they break down as you cook them. Crushed tomatoes are finely chopped tomatoes packed in tomato puree, which have a smooth, thick texture that will break down further as they cook.
Diced tomatoes are the most unpredictable. They’re treated with calcium chloride, an additive that is used to keep the pieces intact. This keeps the tomatoes from breaking down, keeping them firm.
Additives and acidity
If you’ve ever opened a can of tomatoes and noticed a sharp, sour or slightly metallic flavor, you’re not imagining it. This flavor difference is due to acidity and additives.
Citric acid is commonly added to canned tomatoes to make them shelf stable. It’s added for food safety, not taste, but it can still affect flavor. Extra acidity can make tomatoes taste brighter, but it can also push them into sour or bitter territory if the balance is off.
The tinny taste people sometimes notice isn’t from the can itself. That flavor results from high acidity interacting with the tomato’s natural compounds. This flavor can also be more noticeable in lower-salt products. No-salt-added products are useful when you want full control over seasoning. But without any salt to balance acidity, these tomatoes can taste harsher straight from the can.
Choosing the right can
Once you know the factors that affect flavor and texture, choosing canned tomatoes becomes a lot more approachable. Here’s how to match the can to the recipe.
For long-simmered sauces
When making marinara sauce or bolognese, look for whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes packed in puree. Roma or San Marzano-style tomatoes work especially well here because their dense flesh breaks down smoothly over time. Avoid diced tomatoes, which tend to stay firm and resist melting into the sauce.
For quick weeknight pasta
Choose crushed or whole tomatoes, which you can quickly break up with a spoon. These start with a softer texture and cook down fast, giving you good flavor even without a long simmer. Tomatoes packed in puree help create body without extra reduction. These would work well in this ground beef pasta recipe.
For soups and chili
Diced or chunkier crushed tomatoes can be a good choice for chili if you prioritize the pieces of tomato holding their shape. In longer-cooked soups, the firmness of diced tomatoes is an advantage.
For casseroles and baked dishes
Avoid anything overly juicy. Whole or crushed tomatoes packed in puree are less likely to release excess liquid as they bake. This helps prevent soggy casseroles and keeps the flavor concentrated.
Why your sauce tastes different every time
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two completely different results, canned tomatoes are often the reason.
Brands vary a lot more than people think. Some are packed at peak ripeness, others a little earlier. Some lean sweeter, others more acidic. Even the same brand can shift slightly depending on the harvest that season.
I’ve found it’s worth sticking to one or two brands you trust for sauces you make often. It will take a lot of the guesswork out of things and give you a more consistent result. Then you can adjust seasoning based on what you know that brand typically tastes like instead of starting from scratch every time.
How to fix a bad can of tomatoes
Even when you pick the “right” can, sometimes it just doesn’t taste right. Instead of scrapping a sauce, a few small adjustments can usually save it.
If the tomatoes taste too acidic or sharp, a pinch of sugar helps, but I might also reach for butter or olive oil. Fat smooths things out without making the sauce taste sweet. Letting it simmer longer can also help to mellow out any edginess.
If the sauce feels thin or watery, don’t panic and don’t immediately add tomato paste. Just let it cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes. Tomatoes packed in juice especially need time to reduce before they come together.
If the flavor is flat, it’s usually a salt issue, not the tomatoes themselves. Season in layers and taste as you go. A final drizzle of olive oil or even a splash of vinegar (I add balsamic vinegar to almost any tomato based sauce) at the end can wake everything up.
The one rule
The simplest way to avoid frustration with canned tomatoes is to stop treating them as interchangeable. Matching the can to the job solves many common problems before they start. You also don’t need the most expensive tomatoes for every meal. In many cases, a basic, inexpensive can is exactly right. Choose tomatoes that work with your recipe, not against it.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
