Author Topic: Re: difference between paste, crushed, pureed, etc (Read 1150 times)

dms · « **on:** March 15, 2010, 05:53:14 PM »

Quote from: scott123 on March 15, 2010, 04:53:00 PM

It takes a lot more effort, but I can produce a similar quality pie from $.15/lb private label supermarket flour (on sale) that I get from $.32/lb bromated All Trumps. I can also almost always find some brand of mozzarella on sale for $1.99, and, if I'm very carefully to choose rigid/non squishy packages and use it quickly, the results are top notch.

One of the nice things about living in the midwest: whole milk moz, $1.90 at the walk in food service supplier. That's for a loaf, six pounds average. I'm willing to spend the extra 20 cents a pound for good flour.

Quote

But, tomatoes... yeesh. I'm having a really hard time finding an economical tomato. Out of all the supermarket brand purees (I've tried all the <$2 ones), the only one I'll go near is Cento. Everything else tastes like reconstituted paste (which it is). I can get cento on sale for as little as .99 a 28 oz. can. That can of cento is thick enough to be able to add a few oz. of water to- enough to be able to just squeeze 4 17" pies out of. With longer and longer cold ferments, my yeast cost per pie is negligible. And I grow my own basil.

I really like the idea of a $1.50 pizza (about where I'm at now). I've purchased the Cento San Marzano's and a local brand (Corrado's). Both say they're packed in 'puree.' Yeah, right If I food mill the tomatoes and add the 'puree,' the sauce I end up with is too watery for pizza. If I leave enough of the juice out, I only end up with enough sauce for 2 pies. I don't really mind the food milling too much, but at $2.50 for a 28 oz. can (Corrado's), I'm almost doubling the cost of my raw materials.

I have to admit, I like the taste of the SMs. Quite a bit. Even watery, they're still pretty flavorful/fresh tasting. But that $1.25 per pie bump... I'm telling you, it's keeping me awake at night

i get 6-in-1s for five-something a #10 can. That's about a buck forty a 28 oz can, and they're a heck of a lot better than the centos are. I have pretty good luck freezing them for a couple weeks at a time, in completely full containers. (They're not as good, but much better than anything else.)

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2010, 09:14:55 PM »

dms, have you had the San Benito (from Sams). Can you compare those to the Centos Italian, Centos SM, or the 6 in 1's?

Thanks

dms · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2010, 09:43:52 PM »

Quote from: Tranman on March 21, 2010, 09:14:55 PM

dms, have you had the San Benito (from Sams). Can you compare those to the Centos Italian, Centos SM, or the 6 in 1's?

Thanks

My sam's doesn't stock them, only hunt's. (And something else, which isn't any better. antoher mass market supermarket brand.)
I don't think either of the cash and carry food service places i deal with have them. (neither list htem in the catalog, but that's not entirely conclusive.)

I like the 6 in 1s better than either of the Centos products. The Centos stuff is fine, once you drain enough of the cheap water they have to add to make their prices look good; I'd be perfectly happy using it, if I had to. there are better San Marazano tomatoes, most of which aren't DOP.

scott r · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2010, 09:49:36 PM »

are you sure you tried the right centos, the italian ones with the ROA can code? They have the thickest puree of any italian tomato I have found. Yes, the san marzanos they sell are watery, but the italian?

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2010, 09:55:06 PM »

Quote from: dms on March 21, 2010, 09:43:52 PM

My sam's doesn't stock them, only hunt's. (And something else, which isn't any better. antoher mass market supermarket brand.)
I don't think either of the cash and carry food service places i deal with have them. (neither list htem in the catalog, but that's not entirely conclusive.)

I like the 6 in 1s better than either of the Centos products. The Centos stuff is fine, once you drain enough of the cheap water they have to add to make their prices look good; I'd be perfectly happy using it, if I had to. there are better San Marazano tomatoes, most of which aren't DOP.

Wow, the 6 in 1's must be really good if you think they are better than the Cento SM. I just tried the Cento SM dop and I thought they were very good but way too spendy at $5/30oz can. It sounds like you like other branded SM (non DOP) is that correct?

I'll have to check my local Costco and see what they are carrying.

dms · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2010, 10:12:23 PM »

Quote from: scott r on March 21, 2010, 09:49:36 PM

are you sure you tried the right centos, the italian ones with the ROA can code? They have the thickest puree of any italian tomato I have found. Yes, the san marzanos they sell are watery, but the italian?

they were cento Italian tomatoes. (With basil added, ick. Which is enough to take them off the list of things I want to use. If I want to add spices, I'll add good ones, to my taste. ) They were packed in water, or something indistinguishable from water with tomatoes in it.

scott r · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2010, 10:39:47 PM »

thats odd. never had a watery can with ROA. I know they switched suppliers for a few months a year or two ago.

scott r · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2010, 10:41:08 PM »

Italian "style" centos are TOTALLY watery, by the way. Even more watery than the San Marzanos.

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2010, 11:13:22 PM »

Quote from: scott r on March 21, 2010, 10:41:08 PM

Italian "style" centos are TOTALLY watery, by the way. Even more watery than the San Marzanos.

Are you talking about the cento italian tomatoes shown here?
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,10570.0.html

It had a thicker juice than the Cento SM.

scott r · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2010, 12:00:39 PM »

The ones you tried and are pictured on the left are the ones I like. They are packed with a very thick puree, the thickest I have ever found in an italian tomato. They also have the nice white can lining which helps to keep the tinny taste out. Once processed and brought to the same thickness the yield is about double what you get from the Cento San Marzanos, which ironically cost three times the price in my grocery store, so in the end the San Marzanos end up costing almost six times the price. Regina is the second thickest I have found, and also a good quality product.

Cento has many tomato products all sourced from different canneries, and even different countries. Its hard to keep track off them all. They have another product that looks just like the one in your picture, but it says Cento Italian style tomatoes. That is the one that many people confuse with the quality product. Unfortunately it its really watery and acidic. The way to make sure you have the good one is if the can is stamped ROA on top.

Here is a picture of the ones to avoid: