Tinned Tomatoes

Redhead what are 'Greek style' stuffed tomatoes/peppers? They sound delicious.

I agree with you Fiachna. I never realised putting sugar in tinned tomatoes was ever on anybody's agenda. Nutritionally, tinned tomatoes are mainly just sugar in water anyway.

I usually make Chilli with tinned tomatoes. Ive never added sugar, I think we have enough sugar in food as it is.

My dad always had a greenhouse full of tomatoes and other veg. I grew up wanting to grow my own too some times successfully some times not so. Fresh tomatoes are lovely with a pinch of salt. I love to make stuffed and baked large tomatoes and peppers Greek style. Tinned tomatoes are an essential in my house I have at least six tins no particular brand in the pullout. I make a batch of Jamie's sauce with added veg its gorgeous it can be used in lots of recipes. As soon as have used one bag of it from the freezer I make another to replace it. It's better than a jar any day.

It's only a pinch, perhaps a level teaspoon when making bolognaise sauce which may be 4 or 5 portions (some for the freezer).

I'm quite glad I usually only cook for myself. I don't add salt or sugar to anything, but I'm happy with how my food tastes. Thank goodness I don't have to please anybody else. Tinned tomatoes always taste sweet to me anyway.

I've often seen instructions to add a bit of sugar to recipes involving tomatoes - or granulated sweetener. I've no idea why, and I've never done it.

And now I'm wracking my brains trying to remember if that was just with tinned tomatoes, or if the recipes called for sugar/sweetener with fresh tomatoes as well.

MawB love the poem. Thanks for a smile to start the day. ??

Yes please.

DD3 used to enter drama and speech competitions and I remember Spike Milligan poems with great fondness!

I've gone off on a Spike Millican poetry reverie Do you want to hear/read the one that reminds me of my long-gone friend? I'll post it if anyone wants..
(and it's got nothing to do with tinned tomatoes)

Ditto kittylester and Callistemon.
Napolina would be my first choice, and a pinch of sugar.

That poem was by Ogden Nash, I believe.

I made a red pepper & tomato soup earlier this week. It didn’t taste quite right so I added a tiny amount of sugar and it was transformed!

I do add honey to apples when softening them for pies or crumbles though.

I have never added sugar or salt to tinned tomatoes when using them in recipes, like spag bol or chilli or whatever.

Love that Spike pome
Cirio's a good make,btw.
I learned to cook in middle Italy and adding sugar to tinned toms is a new one to me.
There's also no mention of sugar in my Italian cookbook, ie those bought in, and written in, Italian, either.
Strange, that..

Ps I'm not sure if that was a Spike Milligan poem, though, although it sounds like his style.

MawB that reminds me of the time when one of my DC had a book of Spike Milligan poetry as a set book for GCSE.

'Twas never thus in my day!

Sorry OP but saying tinned tomatoes are a great ingredient is a bit like saying bread goes well with butter.
As for honey????
I am reminded of, I think Spike Milligan (?)
I eat my peas with honey
I’ve done it all my life
It makes them taste quite funny
But it keeps them on my knife
??????

If you can get them, the tinned or bottled Sicilian cherry tomatoes are worth paying the extra for. My Mil was Italian and would always add a pinch of sugar to tinned tomatoes. In the Italian countryside they would bottle tomatoes at the end of the summer. I remember an afternoon spent with a huge cauldron bubbling away outside. So I don't think that it's particularly authentic to only use fresh.

Roasting tomatoes also brings out the flavour.

Yes, just a pinch of sugar brings the flavour out. They are fruit, after all.

I have always added a little sugar when cooking with tinned tomatoes. It changes the taste dramatically giving the dish a depth of flavour you get in real Italian cooking. Salt is also essential with tomatoes.

I add a pinch of sugar to tinned toms when a recipe says so, I don't think of adding it otherwise lol...

Cooking them releases lycopene.

Something to do with the cooking process. I've heard that too.