In this post, we will be checking the pure tomato paste vs the unsalted one usage in different recipes. There is a wide variety of canned tomato products that may be purchased in the United States, such as whole, diced, crushed, or pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.
In Germany, it seems like they have fewer options to choose from. Because I was initially extremely confused about it, the purpose of this essay is to assist those of you who are also baffled about the distinctions between canned tomato varieties that are common in Germany and those that are common in the United States.
To begin, here is a quick rundown of the differences between all of the tomato products created in the United States (and yes, they are pretty different).
Most of the descriptions were taken from Cook’s Illustrated, but I added a couple of my personal comments here and there as well. Please take note that unlike ketchup, bolognese sauce, barbecue sauce, or pizza sauce, none of these items often include sugar, corn syrup, or other sweeteners.
Tomatoes, salt, occasionally some fresh herbs, and perhaps some calcium chloride or citric acid are the only components of this recipe’s ingredients.
tomatoes that have been peeled, cut into round or plum shapes, and then packed in juice. Either the skins are removed by briefly steaming the fruits or by soaking them in a lye solution. Only the minimum amount of time necessary to eradicate all bacteria is spent heating them.
In German, they are also sometimes referred to as Tomaten, Geschalt, or Tomaten, ganz, geschalt. However, I have only ever seen them packaged in juice in Germany. This is fortunate because Cook’s Illustrated reports that those packaged in juice have a more robust flavor than those packaged in puree. I have only ever seen them packaged in juice in Germany.
Whole canned tomatoes, which are frequently used in recipes calling for sauces or stews, have the flavor profile of tomatoes picked right off the vine. They are often cut into pieces either before or while they are being cooked.
Use if freshness is vital, such as in a quick marinara sauce, and especially if in-season, perfectly ripe fresh tomatoes are not readily accessible. An example of this would be using canned tomatoes in a recipe that calls for fresh tomatoes.
On the labels of products that are sold in Germany, it is often stated that each 100g portion contains 21–23 calories, however, it is not clear if these calories have been removed or not.
What to look for: Cook’s Illustrated states that they prefer tomatoes with somewhat thin flesh because tomatoes with too thick flesh tend to become sensitive or rubbery.
They also found that (provided that the tomatoes had an adequate level of sweetness), the tomatoes with the lowest pH (that is, the most acidic tomatoes) most often scored the highest, garnering praise from the tasters for their “fresh” and “fruity” flavors.
In contrast, the tomatoes with the least amount of acidity performed the worst. According to Cook’s Illustrated, adding calcium chloride to whole tomatoes makes them more malleable and prevents them from disintegrating and turning “mushy.
” Their preferred tomatoes had “thinner, tender-firm skins, and their cavities were the biggest and most full of delectable jelly.” However, I’ve never seen calcium chloride listed as an ingredient on the can of German tomatoes I purchased.
To give you the big picture, tomato puree, sauce, and paste have a less robust flavor than tomato salad since they are made from lesser quality tomatoes and are cooked for a longer period of time. However, they do have more bodies. Tomatoes that have been crushed, diced, or whole has a more vibrant flavor since they have been cooked less and contain better quality tomatoes. Small cans of whole tomatoes weighing a total of 14 ounces (400 grams) are by far the most common form of packaging for these products (240g of tomatoes and 160g of tomato juice).
There are times when larger cans are available for purchase, but this is not the norm. In jars made of glass, I’ve never seen whole tomatoes before. Tomatoes manufactured in Italy and branded as Shiva are offered to consumers.
Citrus acid is present, but no salt is present in these foods. You may get bio tomatoes from Denree brand at the Biofrischmarkt. These tomatoes don’t have any citric acid or salt added to them.
In addition to this, they are produced in Italy. Mutti is yet another Italian brand, and it can be purchased at Shiva. Citric acid can be found within them. The label states that the can has an enamel lining inside of it.
That could be a good thing or a bad thing; I’m not sure which it is. Salt and citric acid are two of the products that are offered for sale under the Baktat brand at the Turkish store. In addition to that, I’ve observed that full-skinned cherry tomato cans are becoming more common recently.
I was in Edeka, and I saw cans of Del Monte and Mutti, as well as a Russian brand that comes in large glass jars. Edeka is a Turkish grocery store.
These tomatoes are, for the most part, whole tomatoes that have been diced up. Instead of purée, opt for chopped tomatoes that are packed in juice because they have a more robust flavor.
Because calcium chloride, which helps diced tomatoes preserve their shape, is often present in them, these tomatoes are an excellent choice for chunky sauces and soups.
Calcium chloride helps diced tomatoes maintain their shape. Because of the presence of calcium chloride, you shouldn’t try to make a sauce out of these; rather, if you want to process something, you should use whole tomatoes. referred to as stückig or gehackte Tomaten in Germany’s Tomatensaft beverage.
There are two sizes of chopped tomatoes available: regular-sized and “Fein hackle,” which are also sometimes called Pizza Tomaten due to their crushed and lumpy consistency.
Unsalted tomato paste vs pure
In terms of flavor and acidity, the unsalted tomato paste vs the pure one is quite different. The former tasted fresher. The Rewe bio pizza tomaten started off being somewhat bitter, but after a while the bitterness went away. The cuvette tomato pieces from the brand Bioladen were extremely small and tasted like nothing at all.
This may be because they are devoid of citric acid and salt. They have a flavor that is relatively mild and gentle. In the tests conducted by Stiftung Warentest, the diced tomatoes from Del Monte came out on top (the Testsieger).
On a personal level, I prefer their flavor to JA’s! Tomatoes of a particular brand, several of which were yellow and unripe.
Tomatoes, tomato juice, citric acid, as well as salt are listed as the ingredients for the Baktat brand product that can be purchased at the Turkish store. The “Fein-stückige Bio-Tomaten” can that I purchased from the Biofrischmarkt only listed Gewürfelte (diced) Tomaten and Tomatensaft as the contents of the can.
Crushed tomatoes that have been peeled and left whole are improved by the addition of a touch of tomato puree. They are also known as ground tomatoes in some contexts.
This most closely resembles what would happen if you put whole, peeled tomatoes into a food processor and processed them. It’s common practice to use crushed tomatoes in dishes like stews and sauces. In contrast to tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes retain their seeds after being processed.
Because there is no standardized definition for crushed tomatoes in the United States, the consistency of crushed tomato products can vary greatly from one brand to the next.
Some crushed tomato products have a chunky consistency, while others have a more liquid consistency. The percentage of tomato solids that varies from brand to brand is anywhere from 50 to 70 percent. Just like whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes are only heated for as long as is necessary to kill any germs.
This can be done at a lower temperature (between 160 and 185 degrees) for a longer amount of time or at a higher temperature (over 200 degrees) for just a shorter period of time, depending on which method is more effective.
Lower temperatures result in a more flavorful product with a more robust consistency when cooked at higher temperatures.
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