Cooking with Canned Tomatoes

While I like the Hunt's tomatoes, especially the fire roasted ones, I'm worried about the BPA in the can lining. Trying to go with fresh or tomatoes from a box.

I have also quit buying canned tomatoes. It's funny that people freaked out over BPA being in plastic bottles but no one is upset over it being in the canned lining. I used to be gallon sized hunts cans from sams. But no more. My husband and I are planning a huge garden with more then 70 tomato plants to get us through the winter

I too have started saving summer tomatoes for the winter months. Because we live in an apt, I don't have as much storage space for canned tomatoes. I skin ripe summer tomatoes, cut them up, then lightly sautee them until they get soft. After the tomatoes cool down, I put them into freezer bags, store them in the freezer for the whole winter. I did this with 30kg of tomatoes this eyar. They took up 2 drawers in my freezer. Just delightful to have the taste of summer in the cold winter months. Next year I will do more!

I was just researching the BPA lined cans (that's how I came across this) and it is reported that Hunt's has remove the BPA from its plain tomato packaging. Although frozen tomatoes from the garden are the best! In the past, I have done the same thing, either blanched them, or slightly cooked them and frozen them, they are great all winter!

I have been canning tomatoes for many years the old fashioned way that my mother taught me how to do, I have created many recipes using these tomatoes, I also make salsa and can that in jars as well. My husband and I usually grow 50 to 100 tomato plants in our garden outside, I not only can produce for us I can for my sister and brother. We have a small fruit orchard and I make all kinds of preserves, jellies and jams. Sure helps on the overall food bill.

Yeah I can post link after link about the toxic levels of BPA in canned tomatoes but, i don't want to give you all nightmares. I don't know anyone still using canned tomatoes. Sure would be nice to find them in the jar but, haven't yet :(

My son and I save the seeds from any exotic tomato we buy & plant them in the spring. There is nothing like the taste of a yellow tomato, plucked fresh from the vine. Our fresh colorful bruschetta is to die for.

I've been eating canned tomatoes for over 50 years with no problems and probably never will have problems. People aren't happy unless they have something to worry or complain about, I guess. If I have to give up canned tomatoes, too, might as well just die now since obviously "something" is going to kill me someday...

I have been using canned tomatoes for years as well, but most have 10% or more sodium, so now I only buy MASTRO ITALIAN TOMATOES, no salt added. It has 0% sodium. I have never heard about BPA, but I also try to avoid buying products in plastic. Glass is so much safer I believe. It's kind of strange, everyone is complaining about the use of plastic bags, plastic this and plastic that, yet mayonnaise jars, ketchup bottles, and others suddenly appeared in plastic containers. What gives?

OMG, Burn Water! You've never heard about BPA??? Where have you been??? Personally, I'm MUCH more concerned about the SODIUM content of canned tomatoes than I am of the BPA content of the can they come in (I never even THINK of that!), and I buy the lowest sodium brand I can find. I've never either heard of or seen Mastro Italian Tomatoes. Lately, I've been using Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes for my black-and-white bean soup because they're the lowest sodium brand I've been able to find. But, if I ever do see the Mastros, I'll definitely check 'em out. NO sodium? I am SO there! :) Burn Water, I think "what gives" with all the plastic containers these days is that they're lighter weight, and I guess that's what customers want. Makes it a lot easier to carry groceries home from the store. However, glass is easier to recycle. You don't have to separate it by numbers. Glass is glass, although you do have to separate it by colors, at least you USED to.

Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention. Not only are plastic containers lighter weight, they're also unbreakable. Another plus for them.

I am able to buy tomato sauce from a local farm that puts it up in jars. It is called Greenstring Farms and is located in Petaluma, California if anyone else lives around here. It is super good.No BPA.

By the way on a website it says that Hunts Plain tomatoes are BPA free! Good news for Everyone! Write support letters and maybe they will remove it from more. Check out the site as it lists other brands of canned goods that do not use BPA.

I use POMI tomatoes, they are in a box. My doctor recommended them 4 years ago due to a blood disorder I have and the effects of chemicals on my blood. I use to have to go to Whole Foods or order on vitacost.com, but now our local Publix grocery store carries them.

Fresh frozen is great. I wash and core fresh tomatos from the farmers market when plentiful. Flash freeze with skin, on cookie sheets. Store frozen in zip lock bags. When thawed a lot of the water separates and is easily discarded. Peeling is also easy at this point. I usually food process skins and flesh together. Using the skin is healthy and thickens the final product. The taste is summertime fresh. Add some minced garlic, fresh basil, olive oil salt and pepper and have a fresh raw red sauce.

Nothing better than fresh tomatoes. I just put them in the food processor, skins and all, and then measure them to be the size of the can I would be cooking with. I put them into freezer bags and have fresh tomatoes all yer long. They tend to be a little watery, so I take that into account while I cook. Canning is too much work.

to rick sheldon and any one else who throws out the liquid from frozen tomatoes. this tomatoe water tastes great and is good as a base for vegetable stock also makes for great drinks - use it in smoothies but don't throw out!!

I enjoy canning summer tomatoes! Heat a large pot of water to boiling, put in tomatoes for about one minute, lift them out with slotted spoon or ladle, and cool in cold water. Slip the skins off by hand, cut out the stem and core end, and any blemishes that you object to. Cut the tomatoes into small bits, about the size of your thumb or smaller, and put into clean glass jars. (I use quarts.)You can fill the jar to within a half-inch of full. Place flat lids on the jars and tighten down with the removable threaded rings (Both available in the grocery or hardware store.) Put the filled jars into a pressure cooker (I have a Mirro that holds seven jars)and process at 10-lb pressure for 10 minutes after the pressure comes up. This cooks and sterilizes everything. After the cooker cools down, open it and remove the jars and allow to cool. As they cool, the flat lids will pop down. Test for seal by pressing the center of the lids with your finger. The lid should not buckle up and down,o

The way I look at life is that I'm going to die when its my time no matter what. But I do enjoy canning and freezing my vegetable from my garden. I will not use a pressure cooker, one blew up on my grandmother years ago, therefore I use the boiling water bath and have never had a bad batch of anything that I have canned.

My family has canned tomatoes Labor Day weekend for almost 40 years. It's something my sister and I still do. It is not as hard as people think-because it's an acid, you don't need to pressure cook, just hot water bath. Also it's more economical, and the tomatoes are far superior in chili, pasta dishes, and any other dish. As your local extension service for class dates as it is becoming popular again.