Buying in bulk

[D.P.]

Ice cream and beer would be a bad for me to buy in bulk Toilet rolls and washing up liquid I can understand, if you have the space.

On the canned tomato debate: just get passata. It's more expensive but well worth it.

passata is different, often better but not the same thing. I bulk buy that as well. Often it is good to mix the 2, 1 tin passata, 1 tin tomatoes so you get a rich sauce as well as some chunk tomatoes pieces.

 

[pitchfork]

Ok, that makes sense.

Will do a blind taste test.

I use fresh vine tomatoes if I really want something authentic and tasty, tinned tomatoes are used when I want to be quick and throw something together. In Switzerland I always used whole toms because the price as you said was far cheaper, but here in the US I buy in bulk form costco and there is minimal difference.

Depends what you want them for - tinned tomatoes are cooked/ stewed down.

The ideal is to do this with your own fresh tomatoes (like if I'm making a ragu I'll roast many trays of tomatoes and then sieve them) but it's a lot of work for making something in the week.

 

[boxman2000]

Depends what you want them for - tinned tomatoes are cooked/ stewed down.

The ideal is to do this with your own fresh tomatoes (like if I'm making a ragu I'll roast many trays of tomatoes and then sieve them) but it's a lot of work for making something in the week.

Depends on what you’re making as well, plus cost as well. If I'm going to make a bulk sauce then I'll use 50/50 plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and passata and then add some deseeded tomatoes (blanced/skins removed). I honestly rate tinned plum/cherry tomatoes over the chopped kind as I find them quite bitter and end up adding a little bit of sugar.

Only exception would be for chilli con carne as I always end up putting in a piece of chocolate which takes away the tartness of the chopped tomatoes.

I tend to keep an eye out for offers on various tinned tomatoes so when winter comes along I've got plenty about to make large batches of nice winter warmers.