Tinned tomatoes recipes that will grow on you

Tinned tomatoes are endlessly versatile and super budget-friendly, writes Samuel Goldsmith in his The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook.

Why use tinned tomatoes?

The process of canning has been around for over 200 years, with Frenchman Nicolas Appert first hermetically sealing food for Napoleon’s army and navy to help preserve the tomato for the journey. Initially, preservation was in bottles and jars, but Englishman Peter Durand moved to tins for the Royal Navy a few years later, finding tins lighter and easier to transport. Processed foods are often thought of negatively and, while this may be true for some, the canning of tomatoes is actually considered to have a positive effect. The champion tomato nutrient is lycopene, a carotenoid which gives the tomato its colour. When heated, the concentration of lycopene — a powerful antioxidant — actually increases, so the canning process has a beneficial effect on the tomato.

When tomatoes are canned, they’re often processed while very ripe and still fresh, so the flavour is at its best. For the user, this means the intensity of the tomato flavour is a very pleasurable experience.

Not all tinned tomatoes are equal, however. My main rules when purchasing tinned tomatoes are firstly, pick the right type for what you’re cooking and secondly, buy the best you can afford. If you can, buy the ones with the fewest ingredients and additives — usually just peeled tomatoes and tomato juice. When cooking dishes with very few ingredients where the tomato is the star of the show, it’s more important to buy higher-quality tins; when it’s more of a base to a more complex or slow-cooked sauce, for example, you can get away with a cheaper tin as the deep flavours will mask any acidity.

Varieties

The varieties of tomatoes we eat fresh are very different to those used for canning. When we buy tomatoes for eating raw in salads or as a snack we look for juicy, thin-skinned tomatoes that slice easily or can be burst with a bite. Most tomatoes that are processed are plum tomatoes, ideal because they have thick skins, plump flesh and are less juicy inside. Thankfully they’re also intense in flavour, which is even further concentrated when put through the canning process. It’s no surprise many Mediterranean countries use tinned tomatoes for their sauces even when the fresh varietals are in season because eating fresh tomatoes just doesn’t bring the same intensity of flavour.

Polpa

Sometimes called finely chopped tomatoes, polpa are just that: tomatoes chopped so finely they are like pulp. They’re great for smoother sauces and hold up well to slow cooking. I find they are great for quick cooking, too, because they tend not to release lots of liquid so stay thick without the need to reduce them for a long time.

Chopped tomatoes

Great for stews, soups, sauces and even fresh in dishes like Pan con Tomate. As they’re already pre-chopped they save time when cooking. They can also be found with additional ingredients such as garlic, chilli or dried mixed herbs already in the tin. Whole peeled tomatoes are chopped and processed.

Cherry tomatoes

As the name suggests, they’re the tinned version of the bite-size cherry tomato. Texture-wise, they tend to resemble their fresh selves more than other tinned varieties. Once a premium commodity, they’re now available in budget supermarkets too so more accessible than they once were.

Whole peeled plum tomatoes

The original tinned tomato. They’re peeled while fresh then combined with tomato juice before being tinned. Though chopped tomatoes tend to replace them these days in sauces they’re equally good and, if you’re making a slow-cooked sauce, they’ll break down during cooking and can be helped along by gently crushing them. Some people believe they have a better flavour than chopped so prefer to chop the whole version themselves. Great in stews, sauces or whole as part of a traditional English breakfast.

San Marzano tomatoes

The emperor of the tinned tomato, which has European protected designation of origin certification (P.D.P or D.O.P), meaning to get their certificate they must be grown in the Sarno valley and follow strict rules. Because of their natural flavour, texture and low seed count, they’re ideal for canning. Interestingly they are an heirloom variety, something that’s become increasingly popular.

Tomato paste (concentrated purée)

Much more concentrated than your average tin of tomatoes, tomato paste has an intense flavour and is usually only used in small quantities (usually a tablespoon or two). It’s often added to sauces to boost the tomato flavour just that little bit.

Tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

Great in sauces and bakes, passata is a thick tomato juice made by crushing fresh tomatoes. The skins and seeds are usually removed by passing the tomatoes through a sieve (strainer) — passata comes from the Italian word “passare”, meaning to go through — but some brands finely blend the skins and seeds before mixing them back in and heating to over 90°C/195°F. This gives the more concentrated passata a vibrant colour and great texture. It can be used as a sauce on pizza bases. Passata is also known as tomato purée.

Recipes to try

Make it smoky: If you prefer a smokier barbecue flavour, try adding 2 teaspoons smoked paprika to the beef mixture when you add the chilli powder.

Edited extract from The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, $45, published by Murdoch Books, available now.