I just tried my first can of San Marzano tomatoes and was less than

D

dawnnys

Well-known member
impressed, after everything I've heard about them being sweet. Are they always that bitter? 'Didn't taste any sweetness. I made a pasta sauce out of them using thyme, a little salt, red wine, and a tiny bit of butter.

All I could taste was the bitterness, much more than plain ol' store-bought sauce. When I make my own with "regular" crushed tomato, I never add sugar to that either.

 
I don't remember the sweetness, but I do remember being disappointed. I drove

all over Orlando looking for imported San Marzano tomatoes, thinking it would make the most amazing sauce.

I ended up having to buy a half-dozen case of #10 cans from a restaurant supply store. Ended up giving cans away and making tons of DawnMO Silver Palate Soup. That was actually the best thing about it.

I have to wonder if its notority has caused Italy to mass produce these tomatoes--lossing some of its unique flavor along the way?

 
It depends on the brand - some are better than others. Some are authentic, some aren't.

Also, there is very little added salt, compared to regular store-bought brands, so maybe you're missing that taste?

I like San Marzano, but I like Bionaturae Organic even better.

In general, I only buy cans of whole tomatoes, not crushed or diced, since most, if not all companies save their best quality tomatoes for the cans of whole, while the "rejects" make it into their crushed and diced.

 
The ones I buy are delicious. Right now I have Cento. What brand, did it have the DOP certification

I made braciole with a can a couple of nights ago and the sauce was so good.

Can you get Tuttorosso brand tomatoes? They're not San Marzano, but they're quite good.

 
You know what tomatoes consistently beat italian in Consumer Reports/Cooks Illustrated?

Hunts. I have always preferred Hunt's tomatoes, even their Ketchup. I mourn that they no longer make tomato juice. It beat anyone else's hands down.

 
I was wondering the same thing - my market is having their can-can sale and there

were San Marzano cans on sale by so many different producers. I didn't buy any cause I didn't know if they were all true or not... guess I have to check out which are authentic before buying.

Tess

 
Definitely depends on the brand. I bought both brands at Whole Foods to compare. 1 was inedible.

The problem? I can't remember which one was so bad. Unwilling to take the chance again, I don't buy either.

 
How can you tell if they are authentic other than what it says on the can...

these were from a reliable store. Also, mine were whole. It wasn't the lack of salt, it was the tinny bitterness. Thanks.

 
I grow "Super Marzano" tomatoes--a hybrid version of San Marzanos. They

do have a bitter note to them, but it's not overwhelming. I can imagine the canning process adding to and enhancing the bitterness, especially if the tomatoes didn't get sweet enough while ripening. This past summer I preserved most of my tomatoes by roasting, then running through the food mill and freezing in jars. When I use them, I add a dash of cream, and this seems to mellow the flavor.

One year I made pasta sauce and added a splash of pinot noir. This was a mistake because the bitter flavors compounded.

One of the selling points of Super Marzanos is their high pectin content, which supposedly makes for nice sauce texture.

 
I buy Muir Glen organic tomatoes from our local Raley's. I think they are great.

anyone else have an opinion about them. I think I will try the Heinz and do a taste test. Fun thread.

 
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