Store Bought Cans...What Do You Prefer?

[TXCraig1]

Cento Italian are by far my favorite given what I have readily available. The DeCecco DOP and Strainese DOP are also generally very good. I can usually find the Strainese for $2.49 which is pretty darn good for DOP.

Craig

[sabinoapizza]

Thanks for your informative study on canned tomatoes.I think it would also be important to compare the taste of canned tomatoes after they have cooked on top of a pizza.
Chow
Sabino

[TXCraig1]

Thanks for your informative study on canned tomatoes.I think it would also be important to compare the taste of canned tomatoes after they have cooked on top of a pizza.

Is there another way?

Craig

[dmcavanagh]

TXCraig1- Nice "team"photo!

[Tscarborough]

I like the Centos and also Red Gold.  I am going to try the HEB brand tonight, .99 for the big can!

[Ronzo]

I like the Centos and also Red Gold.  I am going to try the HEB brand tonight, .99 for the big can!

Let me know what you think. I buy their sauce cans for my pasta sauce and they're a great value at $1 per can.

[Tscarborough]

Don't waste your money on the whole peeled HEB, I threw them away.  They were very metallic with a thin juice.  Usually, I have found HEB brand to be very good, and these might work for spaghetti, but not for pizza sauce.

[Ronzo]

Don't waste your money on the whole peeled HEB, I threw them away.  They were very metallic with a thin juice.  Usually, I have found HEB brand to be very good, and these might work for spaghetti, but not for pizza sauce.

That's what I figured. I found the same from Cento's crushed tomatoes before, which is why I don't buy them.

I can tell you the Central Market puree in a jar/bottle thing is pretty good for pizza (to me). I use that quite often, along with the Bionaturae jar/bottle strained tomatoes.

[jkb]

@dmcavanagh:


I just picked up a half dozen cans of Sclafani at Cardona's.  There seems to be a new crop in.  The ones I tried last time had a 2011 exp date and a paper label.  The current ones are 2012 and the label is printed directly on the can.  I'm currently evicted from my house for major renovations.  I'd like to make some pizzas for the friends we're staying with.  I want to try the new crop, but I think I might play it safe and open one of the older cans I still have.  Have you tried the new ones yet?

[lustreking]

I've been very disappointed with my usual go-to tomatoes lately (Redpack, Muir Glen, Cento).  They have been very metallic and lacking rich tomato flavor. 

I used to love the Red Pack tomatoes, so recently, I bought a whole bunch when they were on sale.  All of them were horribly metallic.  I mean really, inedibly, metallic tasting.  Was so disappointed.

Switched to the Walmart brand after that.

[scott r]

@dmcavanagh:


I just picked up a half dozen cans of Sclafani at Cardona's.  There seems to be a new crop in.  The ones I tried last time had a 2011 exp date and a paper label.  The current ones are 2012 and the label is printed directly on the can.  I'm currently evicted from my house for major renovations.  I'd like to make some pizzas for the friends we're staying with.  I want to try the new crop, but I think I might play it safe and open one of the older cans I still have.  Have you tried the new ones yet?

the new sclafani crop is excellent.   dont fear the tomato.

[Essen1]

I bought the Rega brand and Muir Glen Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes on Saturday.

I never used those brands before so let's see how they turn out.

[cornicione54]

Second the vote for Cento. They are by far the best canned tomatoes I've found at a 'regular' store (ie not Whole Foods, TJ etc.).  On a related note, I found Delallo San Marzano DOPs to be pretty poor.

[dmcavanagh]

@dmcavanagh:


I just picked up a half dozen cans of Sclafani at Cardona's.  There seems to be a new crop in.  The ones I tried last time had a 2011 exp date and a paper label.  The current ones are 2012 and the label is printed directly on the can.  I'm currently evicted from my house for major renovations.  I'd like to make some pizzas for the friends we're staying with.  I want to try the new crop, but I think I might play it safe and open one of the older cans I still have.  Have you tried the new ones yet?

jkb- where do you live? I go to a Cardona's in Albany, NY, is that the same one you mentioned. BTW, the cans without the paper lable are great.

[jkb]

I'm in Saratoga, but my work is 10 minutes from Cardona's.

[dmcavanagh]

I'm in Saratoga, but my work is 10 minutes from Cardona's.

jkb- try Roma import store, Cobbee Rd., Latham...right off Rt9. They have Sclafani's and others cheaper than the other place. Also offer a slight discount on a case. Good meats, cheeses etc. !

[jkb]

I looked for Sclafani last time I was at Roma but I didn't see any.  They had the Coluccio but I think they were $6+.  Have you tried the Full Red Cacciatore sauce?  I saw stacks of cases at Cardona's but no cans on the shelf.

[dmcavanagh]

jkb-huge display of Sclafani's as you walk in the door, don't have to go to the aisle. Haven't tried the Full Red Cacciatore but I did see it at Cardona. Cardone had a product called Pastosa, there crushed tomatoes were also very good and reasonable.

[chickenparm]

Its good to see all the replies and favorite choices.Im going to make a list of some of the suggested ones I have not tried and see if the stores in the next city over might carry some of them.I for sure want to order some more stanilaus products as well,but thats going to wait a bit.
 

[c0mpl3x]

i prefer the local farm market who sells jo-de sauce by the #10 for $6.90, it's a stanislaus sauce but i'm having trouble tracking down which it is, they have been labeling it for over 20 years as their own brand and they forgot which one it is but i'm pretty sure it's Full Red as their other sauces don't match the smooth tomato paste texture