The Truth About Canned Tomatoes

Here’s the truth: Canned tomatoes are picked at peak ripeness, while most fresh ones are plucked green, shipped across the country, and left to ripen in storage. By the time they land in your kitchen, the flavor can be underwhelming, especially in fall and winter.

Canned tomatoes aren’t just a backup plan for tomato triage. They’re a pantry power move, giving cooks and chefs across the globe access to ripe, richly flavored tomatoes all year long. For many pros, they’re not a compromise; they’re the upgrade.

Why Chefs Love Canned Tomatoes

Pixley, self-proclaimed “canned tomato evangelist” and co-author of The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook and Vegetable Illustrated, has strong opinions about produce of all shapes and sizes. Canned tomatoes are her go-to for sauces, soups, and stir-fries—any place she might cook a tomato, she’ll reach for canned.

She loves them not just because they’re reliable and ready whenever you need them, but because they’re scientifically better for you. “They’re actually more nutritionally beneficial than raw tomatoes,” she explains, noting that lycopene—a powerful antioxidant present in tomatoes—is better absorbed by the body when exposed to heat. Translation: Your favorite tomato sauce is doing more good than you think.

Reynolds calls herself “a fresh tomato gal through and through… at the height of tomato season,” when the fruit is at its juiciest and sweetest. But for the rest of the tomato-barren year, canned tomatoes of all forms reliably bridge the gap. And don’t get her started on tomato paste. “What a dream,” she gushes. “So concentrated and savory. I work it into most braises, stews, sauces, and soups” for bold and rich tomato flavor.

At State Road Tavern located in Martha’s Vineyard, Warnock has access to the restaurant’s bountiful tomato garden, but just until winter hits. When the vines go bare, he turns to canned, whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and tomato paste to keep the menu shining. During those periods “when fresh tomatoes don’t have a lot of flavor,” he uses the canned products for everything from classic tomato sauces to richly flavored meat ragù.

Which Canned Tomatoes Are the Best?

Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. The pros say to skip those with additives or sweeteners—your label should list just tomatoes and salt (and maybe basil). Most American brands include calcium chloride (for firmness) and citric acid (to boost sweetness), even in cans labeled “Italian-style” or “San Marzano-style.”

If you can, reach for imported Italian tomato products, grown in the fertile soil and sun-drenched conditions that give tomatoes their magic. The real-deal San Marzano label is a protected designation (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, or DOP), reserved for the elongated, hand-picked tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil in Campania. Yes, they’re pricier, but you can taste where the extra dollars went.

Some chefs swear by Cento, known for its mild, versatile flavor and rich tomato taste. Others are die-hard fans of Mutti, cherished for its balanced acidity and bold, bright flavor. Mutti, Cento, and Pomi skip additives in most of their products and can their tomatoes within hours of harvest, locking in that just-off-the-vine sweetness and delivering vibrant, sun-ripened flavor from Italy right to your kitchen.