Tinned Chopped Tomatoes.

Hmm they both cost the same here.  If I can't find diced, yup, the hand is a great tool or you can empty the can, turn it upside down, and smoosh it up with the edge of said can,  Some nitwits grate them but hands or can is much quicker.  That way you can make sure you get the hard stem end out just by feel.

 

I like to use whole canned tomatoes whenever I can, whenever I'm making a plain tomato sauce for example.  Then I can use my stick blender to break them up for me.

For most uses though I use crushed tomatoes in a can.  It's just more simple.  I realize they've been through extra steps of processing but oh well, sometimes convenience beats out other reasons.  They cost the same amount here too.

 

Suppose you're the manufacturer and have a lot of too small, too big, too damaged tomatoes, wouldn't you try to pack them, chopped in nice equal chunks? It's extra work, so it costs more. But, of course you're right. Buy whole ones and chop them up yourself. 

 

Interesting. If a recipe truly requires starting with whole tomatoes I use fresh ones that I peel, deseed, and chop myself.

If I'm using canned tomato product the largest I buy is diced. But I also by strained (i.e., puree) and sauce in cans.

 

So am I, only, while living in a moderate climate, in cold wintertimes like now,  the best tomatoes for cooking are tinned ones. At least these add a lot of taste to a dish. And yes, when available I always use fresh ones. There are a lot of fresh ones offered, even now, but they taste of exactly.. nothing.

 

That's very true, Chris.

I should have added that most of the ones I use are home-canned, rather than commercially tinned. It's only when my own run out that I buy them in tins.

I only put tomato product up as diced or as plain sauce (that is, nothing but tomato and a little salt go in the jars), which pretty much meets my needs.