Age-old debate: Pastes vs Slicers for Canning

gardengalrn · May 11, 2008

I started to hijack Jennifer's thread in the Discussion forum but realized that wasn't what she was asking. I want to hear opinions on what people can and if they use different types for various recipes (say, pastes for sauce and slicers for stewed, etc). I've always canned all my favorite varieties, 99% slicers. What I've come to realize, though, is that after the cooking process, my end product seems a bit over cooked even when slow-simmering and following all the recommendations. That is, when I am making sauces or salsas. I planted a few more paste types this year hoping to help with that. Also, has anyone canned cherry types and how did they hold up?

caascher2 · May 11, 2008

Well the paste tomatoes have less water and more meat, so to speak. By using slicers you have to cook it longer to cook down the liquid. I used both in my sauces. I read in one thread that someone puts their sauce in the refrigerator and then they are able to separate the liquid better to drain off so you won't have to cook it so long.

PaulF · May 11, 2008

For the past several years, we have not canned, but have frozen our tomatoes. Big chunks in some freezer bags and small chunks in some and pureed (spelling? for food processed) in other bags. We use ours in chili, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and tomato soup. Getting lazy in the old age.

I plant nothing especially for these sauces; we use whatever is ripe and all the extra tomatoes get frozen. This year with the emphasis on hearts and blacks it will be an interesting next winter's supply of tomatoes in the freezer.

GIZZARDFARM · May 11, 2008

I put up 100 quarts of stewed tomatoes last year. I usually plant celerberties, betterboys, and goliths for that reason but last year i mixed in cherry and heirloom tomatoes and they were the best ever. I didnt answer your question because the liquid content doesnt matter in stewed tomatoes just wanted to let you know I have canned cherry tomatoes....Gizzard

gardengalrn · May 11, 2008

Gizzard...wow...100 quarts!! You were really busy! I hope to put up a large quantity this year as well. The plain sauce is the most versatile but I love stewed tomatoes and those generally run out quick too. I'm going to attempt to freeze some salsa this time around as I really don't care for canned. I've tried the Annie's famous salsa several years in a row and while it is the most delicious fresh, it isn't what I'm looking for after being canned. It's the closest I've come, though. I thought some canned whole cherries would be something neat to try, easy to toss with pasta.

Denise_in_MI · May 18, 2008

I usually combine both. If I am just using slicers, I have to cook them down longer.

Earl · May 19, 2008

Has anyone had a problem [if it can be called a problem] with heirlooms cooking down into a sauce and having to strong of a flavor? As in it need to be diluted. Kinda like as strong as if it was paste. I usually can my paste/plum solid types half/whole [wanting some solid tomatoes] and make sauce out of the others.

I also make Annie's Salsa and like it. I like Andes Horn as one that makes a good solid pack canner and sauce. It's also great fresh eating.

Suze · May 20, 2008

If I cook down to the sauce stage to put up, it is usually frozen in ziplocks that are laid flat. This is because I've found that while short-term freezing affects texture, it has little affect on flavor. For sauce, it doesn't matter that much (imo), and a lot of ziplocks are much easier for me to store in my garage freezer than in the pantry. Otherwise, I half tomatoes, and can per safe/accepted instructions.

Anyway, for saucing or canning, I use whatever happens to be piling up on the counter. Knocking out the seeds and juice in the locules of juicier tomatoes can save time in having to cook down tomatoes for sauce. Doing so will also make for a less watery canned result. You can combine this task with any needed seedsaving, if you want.

I also use a large spoon/ladle to occasionally take off the water that tends to float to the top when cooking down for sauce. When it is time to stir, I ladle off the water on the top first. That way I don't have to cook them to death to make a non-watery sauce.

Granny · May 20, 2008

The biggest problem that I have noticed with using many of the beefsteak type tomatoes is that when I can them as "just tomatoes" - either whole or diced - I end up with the tomato meat floating on top of jar. They taste fine, but they look terrible.

cdntomato · May 20, 2008

There is a specific tomato type that is used in Italy for canned sauces. San Marzano and plums (Romas are from the US NOT Italy) are used for whole and diced tomato canning; fat-bottomed Italians (my nickname) are used for sauces. Ernie's Plump, Provenzano, Sicilian Saucer, Barcaroli are in the latter category. Big, fat beefsteak (think Brandywine/Stump of the World for size) but with solid often sweet meat and few seeds. Oven roasting is traditional and yields the best, un-watered down flavour whatever variety you choose to use. Just remember to leave the cooking pot lid off so that moisture evaporates naturally.

Jennifer

zeuspaul · May 20, 2008

I only make sauce (may try stewing some this year). I use any tomato that's collecting on the counter...usually slicers.

They go through an electric tomato strainer to remove skins and seeds. Then poured into a sieve to drain the water off. The sauce is very thick without the need for endless boiling.

The water is saved for making soup.

Zeuspaul

Granite26 · June 2, 2009

When canning I like to use Juliets. They fill the jars nice and dont cook down so you end up with a full jar after processing. I did some slicers once and even quartered the jars had lots of empty space after processing.
My son and I have a record of 114 quarts in one day from picking to finished product. We averaged 33 Juliets per quart. Started picking about 9 am and finished processing 11 pm. What a day!
I am growing San Marzano Redorta this year and will try some of these as well as more juliets.

aninocentangel · June 4, 2009

I tend to use whatever I have on hand for canning whatever I choose to can LOL
That said, what they are does effect how I prepare them. If I have mostly slicing tomatoes and I'm making sauce, I will seed, chop/grind them, drain, freeze overnight, defrost and drain, and then proceed. The freezing seems to help remove more of the water. Still have to siphon it off with my turkey baster though.
If I'm making stewed tomatoes and they're sturdy paste types, I will lower the temp and cook them a little longer so they soften.
Hot packing the tomatoes helps with floating.
This year I thought that I would like to can some whole peeled, so I'm planting some Campari seed that I saved and we'll see what we get.

May 11, 2008	#1
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	Age-old debate: Pastes vs Slicers for Canning I started to hijack Jennifer's thread in the Discussion forum but realized that wasn't what she was asking. I want to hear opinions on what people can and if they use different types for various recipes (say, pastes for sauce and slicers for stewed, etc). I've always canned all my favorite varieties, 99% slicers. What I've come to realize, though, is that after the cooking process, my end product seems a bit over cooked even when slow-simmering and following all the recommendations. That is, when I am making sauces or salsas. I planted a few more paste types this year hoping to help with that. Also, has anyone canned cherry types and how did they hold up? __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

May 11, 2008	#2
caascher2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Va. Beach, VA Posts: 178	Well the paste tomatoes have less water and more meat, so to speak. By using slicers you have to cook it longer to cook down the liquid. I used both in my sauces. I read in one thread that someone puts their sauce in the refrigerator and then they are able to separate the liquid better to drain off so you won't have to cook it so long. __________________ Carol Mom to Lindsay, Eric and Elyse

May 11, 2008	#3
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	For the past several years, we have not canned, but have frozen our tomatoes. Big chunks in some freezer bags and small chunks in some and pureed (spelling? for food processed) in other bags. We use ours in chili, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and tomato soup. Getting lazy in the old age. I plant nothing especially for these sauces; we use whatever is ripe and all the extra tomatoes get frozen. This year with the emphasis on hearts and blacks it will be an interesting next winter's supply of tomatoes in the freezer. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

May 11, 2008	#5
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	Gizzard...wow...100 quarts!! You were really busy! I hope to put up a large quantity this year as well. The plain sauce is the most versatile but I love stewed tomatoes and those generally run out quick too. I'm going to attempt to freeze some salsa this time around as I really don't care for canned. I've tried the Annie's famous salsa several years in a row and while it is the most delicious fresh, it isn't what I'm looking for after being canned. It's the closest I've come, though. I thought some canned whole cherries would be something neat to try, easy to toss with pasta. __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

May 18, 2008	#6
Denise_in_MI Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Zone 4 in NLP and Zone 5b/6a in SE MI Posts: 79	I usually combine both. If I am just using slicers, I have to cook them down longer. __________________ Denise

May 11, 2008	#4
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	I put up 100 quarts of stewed tomatoes last year. I usually plant celerberties, betterboys, and goliths for that reason but last year i mixed in cherry and heirloom tomatoes and they were the best ever. I didnt answer your question because the liquid content doesnt matter in stewed tomatoes just wanted to let you know I have canned cherry tomatoes....Gizzard

May 19, 2008	#7
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Has anyone had a problem [if it can be called a problem] with heirlooms cooking down into a sauce and having to strong of a flavor? As in it need to be diluted. Kinda like as strong as if it was paste. I usually can my paste/plum solid types half/whole [wanting some solid tomatoes] and make sauce out of the others. I also make Annie's Salsa and like it. I like Andes Horn as one that makes a good solid pack canner and sauce. It's also great fresh eating. __________________ "Seriously think about what you're about to do/say before you do it and the outcome will always be better." Earl

May 20, 2008	#8
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	If I cook down to the sauce stage to put up, it is usually frozen in ziplocks that are laid flat. This is because I've found that while short-term freezing affects texture, it has little affect on flavor. For sauce, it doesn't matter that much (imo), and a lot of ziplocks are much easier for me to store in my garage freezer than in the pantry. Otherwise, I half tomatoes, and can per safe/accepted instructions. Anyway, for saucing or canning, I use whatever happens to be piling up on the counter. Knocking out the seeds and juice in the locules of juicier tomatoes can save time in having to cook down tomatoes for sauce. Doing so will also make for a less watery canned result. You can combine this task with any needed seedsaving, if you want. I also use a large spoon/ladle to occasionally take off the water that tends to float to the top when cooking down for sauce. When it is time to stir, I ladle off the water on the top first. That way I don't have to cook them to death to make a non-watery sauce.

May 20, 2008	#9
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	The biggest problem that I have noticed with using many of the beefsteak type tomatoes is that when I can them as "just tomatoes" - either whole or diced - I end up with the tomato meat floating on top of jar. They taste fine, but they look terrible.

May 20, 2008	#10
cdntomato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kingston, Ontario Posts: 554	There is a specific tomato type that is used in Italy for canned sauces. San Marzano and plums (Romas are from the US NOT Italy) are used for whole and diced tomato canning; fat-bottomed Italians (my nickname) are used for sauces. Ernie's Plump, Provenzano, Sicilian Saucer, Barcaroli are in the latter category. Big, fat beefsteak (think Brandywine/Stump of the World for size) but with solid often sweet meat and few seeds. Oven roasting is traditional and yields the best, un-watered down flavour whatever variety you choose to use. Just remember to leave the cooking pot lid off so that moisture evaporates naturally. Jennifer __________________ There is no sincerer love than the love of food. -George Bernard Shaw

May 20, 2008	#11
zeuspaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: North County, San Diego Posts: 419	I only make sauce (may try stewing some this year). I use any tomato that's collecting on the counter...usually slicers. They go through an electric tomato strainer to remove skins and seeds. Then poured into a sieve to drain the water off. The sauce is very thick without the need for endless boiling. The water is saved for making soup. Zeuspaul

June 2, 2009	#12
Granite26 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Western WI Posts: 359	When canning I like to use Juliets. They fill the jars nice and dont cook down so you end up with a full jar after processing. I did some slicers once and even quartered the jars had lots of empty space after processing. My son and I have a record of 114 quarts in one day from picking to finished product. We averaged 33 Juliets per quart. Started picking about 9 am and finished processing 11 pm. What a day! I am growing San Marzano Redorta this year and will try some of these as well as more juliets.

June 4, 2009	#13
aninocentangel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 8a Coastal SC Posts: 251	I tend to use whatever I have on hand for canning whatever I choose to can LOL That said, what they are does effect how I prepare them. If I have mostly slicing tomatoes and I'm making sauce, I will seed, chop/grind them, drain, freeze overnight, defrost and drain, and then proceed. The freezing seems to help remove more of the water. Still have to siphon it off with my turkey baster though. If I'm making stewed tomatoes and they're sturdy paste types, I will lower the temp and cook them a little longer so they soften. Hot packing the tomatoes helps with floating. This year I thought that I would like to can some whole peeled, so I'm planting some Campari seed that I saved and we'll see what we get.