Calcium Chloride in Tomato Products

[chickenparm]

I really cannot stand this stuff.Every can I have ever tried,that has Calcium Chloride added,I end up throwing it away.Is it just me,or are any of you the same?

I tried a can of Contadina crushed tomatoes today and threw it out.It had CC on the label,but I wanted to try it at least once.I should have known,Same thing happened,has that awful bleachy-chemical tasting aftertaste.

[Prefessa]

Pomi, Cento and 6 in 1 have no CaCl2

[dmcavanagh]

Sclafani and Classico are also calcium chloride free. Check the labels, most of the crap you find in your local supermarket contain calcium chloride. They use the stuff to keep the tomatoes firm and from breaking down.

[albert6500]

I really cannot stand this stuff.Every can I have ever tried,that has Calcium Chloride added,I end up throwing it away.Is it just me,or are any of you the same?

I tried a can of Contadina crushed tomatoes today and threw it out.It had CC on the label,but I wanted to try it at least once.I should have known,Same thing happened,has that awful bleachy-chemical tasting aftertaste.



Best bet are any of the Escalon varieties like 6 in 1 which do not contain calcium chloride or citric acid.

[chickenparm]

I know that.I use 6 in 1's and others all the time.I was just focusing on the the products that have CC in it.
 

[TXCraig1]

The main uses of it in food processing are 1) to make something taste saltier without increasing sodium, and 2) make canned vegetables firmer. In canned tomatoes, I would think a producer would be using it for the latter to compensate for low quality, mushy tomatoes. Maybe another reason to steer away from tomato products that include it?

CL

[albert6500]

Right on!

[chickenparm]

The main uses of it in food processing are 1) to make something taste saltier without increasing sodium, and 2) make canned vegetables firmer. In canned tomatoes, I would think a producer would be using it for the latter to compensate for low quality, mushy tomatoes. Maybe another reason to steer away from tomato products that include it?

CL

Yep,I wont buy anything with it anymore.Nasty stuff.I always doublecheck the labels now.
 

[albert6500]

Care to share a favorite sauce recipe of yours?  One where the tomato flavor dominates.

[dmcavanagh]

I generally use good quality crushed tomatoes for my pizzas. That said, I was recently at a restaurant that had the most fantastic tomato sauce I have experienced in a LOOOOng time. I told the waiter I was a pizza maker and I loved there sauce. Asked him if he could tell me what tomatoes thet were using to make their sauce. Answer....Stanislaus "Alta Cucina's", a whole, peeled tomato grown in California. Take that for what it is, I now have a #10 can of Alta Cucina's in my pantry. He said they only season with a little salt and basil, the true tomato taste shines through.

[chickenparm]

Albert,I dont have a recipe I swear by yet,but I usually just take a can of crushed tomatoes and add a little salt to taste,if its even needed.I may sometimes add a tiny bit of sugar to sweeten it more.

I pretty much just do that,and when the pie comes out of the oven,I sprinkle a little garlic powder,then oregano over the top of the pie.People sometimes ask me what my sauce is,since they love the tomatoey flavor,and most are shocked when I just tell them I used a can of crushed tomatoes.I always taste the tomatoes first before using to determine if it needs anything.Many times,I just use it straight from the can.

2 of my common brands to use is classico,walmart's GV, crushed tomatoes in 28oz cans.They are easy to find/buy locally and taste very good on a pizza.

I do use 6 in 1's sometimes as well.They are really good,but I live far from the store so I dont buy it that often.Im trying 7/11's this week.Im still searching for the brands that will blow me away with flavor.


DM,
Thanks for posting about the Stanislaus.I will try and order a can sometimes.Im always willing to try new stuff.
 

[dmcavanagh]

chickenparm

I may break mine open this weekend, if I do I will report. I've had the can for almost a year, it's just that they are so big I hate to open them and have some go to waste. I plan on using some straight on pizza, the rest will be made into a sauce for future pies and a lasagna dinner.

[albert6500]

From reading this posting I gather most people here are fans of cheese pizzas. Same here, pizza purists.  After all that's what it's all about. A recent mailing I received from Stanislaus was titled "Don't be penny wise and pizza foolish". The point of the article was that sauce accounts for 9% of a pizza's cost but 41% of the flavor!

[thezaman]

 this is interesting, cooks illustrated march/april edition rates tomatoes and felt the cc was a major factor in the quality of tomatoes.the tomatoes with cc scored much higher that the non cc products.they did not report at all favorably on cento dop san marazano's, the tasters reported them as bland,and lacking acidity. the top tomato was muir glen organic whole tomatoes,yes it has cc in it.
 seems that the lack of salt in the  Italian tomato was a major negative, as well as the lower acidity. i personally like to be able to salt my tomatoes to taste,as well as add a little sherry vinegar if needed to kick up the acidity.

[dmcavanagh]

I should probably qualify my statement above about the tomatoes without cc, they are "crushed" tomatoes, not whole tomatoes. Calcium chloride helps tomatoes stay firm, which is much more of an issue for whole tomatoes then it is for crushed tomatoes.

[FeCheF]

I was just focusing on the the products that have CC in it.
 

If everyone bought products with CC in it, Companies will keep using CC. Just some food for thought