Tomato sauce in the US

[JJSH]

I have seen many recipes that have been written by someone in the US that contain 'a can of tomato sauce'. Over here in the UK, tomato sauce would either mean tomato ketchup, or possible those pre-prepared pasta sauces you get in jars, niether of which seemed to make sense in the recipes I was reading. So I did a little digging, and found on Wikipedia;

n most of the U.S., "tomato sauce" refers to a tomato puree with salt and small amounts of spices sold in cans. This product is considered incomplete and not normally used as it is. Instead, it is used as a base for almost any food which needs a lot of tomato flavour,

Now, that does make sense, and getting hold of tomato puree is easy enough, but can anyone tell me what spices are added to the cans, and what their usual size is, so I can substitute a home made version of this ingredient in recipes?

Many thanks.

 

[Arky]

The can that I'm looking at here at the computer is 411g (14 1/2 oz.)and besides tomatoes has sugar, salt, citric acid and some chemical preservatives. Some of them also include garlic, oregano and basil.

 

[JJSH]

Thanks for that ~ looks quite easy to replicate. I think the tomato puree we get here has salt and sugar in it as well, so I should be able to get away with a straight swap.

 

[Alix]

Its not terribly thick. There is a tomato paste too which is very thick. Tomato sauce is runnier than the cans of pureed tomatoes here. Good luck, happy replicating.

 

[Claire]

I never buy tomato sauce, but see where you are coming from. The spices would be onion, garlic, oregano, and perhaps more salt that you'd like. You must be looking at some fairly old recipes. Yes, you can use a homemade version, but remember that the tomato sauce they're talking about is thickened, often with corn syrup as an ingredient. I buy, and use, canned tomatoes a lot. I also use tomato paste as a thickening agent. But tomato sauce is one I avoid.

 

[jabbur]

After reading the responses, I think you got the info you're looking for. I would try the tomato puree but keep in mind it might be thicker than the sauce the recipe calls for. You can always thin it out with some water or thicken with tomato paste depending on the recipe and personal preference.

 

[JJSH]

Thanks for all the help ~ I think I'm confident enough to give a few dishes a try using tomato puree, perhaps thinned down a bit.

 

[advoca]

I often use canned tomatoes(drained) and blended in a processor until very smooth. This makes a perfect tomato "sauce."

Add a little sugar (taste it to see if it is enough). Do not add spices, or herbs. Maybe add a little (very little) salt.

 

[Andy M.]

In the US, when a recipe calls for an ingredient identified as tomato sauce, the closer it is to just tomatoes in a can, the better off you are. I always start with whole tomatoes and go from there. I prefer to add my own seasonings so I look for minimal additions.

The product I described is typically labeled as canned tomato. Tomato sauce has been processed further.

 

[LPBeier]

I prefer to use a product called crushed tomatoes. I don't think it is unique to Canada. It is pureed tomatoes with no additives at all. It is the consistency of "tomato sauce", but you can add your own seasonings, etc. and it has a wonderful tomato flavour.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I prefer to use a product called crushed tomatoes. I don't think it is unique to Canada. It is pureed tomatoes with no additives at all. It is the consistency of "tomato sauce", but you can add your own seasonings, etc. and it has a wonderful tomato flavour.

Crushed tomatoes is what I prefer as well, in the U.S. It has a brighter tomato flavor as there is no added anything. It allows me to make the flavor what I want it to be.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[apple*tart]

I use tomato sauce as a base for BBQ sauces, rather than using ketchup. I just up the vinegar and other seasonings a touch. (Less processed, no corn syrup, less expensive, etc.) It's got the right texture - it's smooth without any tomato pieces. Not sure if the puree in the UK has tomato pieces in it? If so, depending on the recipe, you may need to run it through a food processor a bit to get the right texture. You can sort of see the texture of US tomato sauce here.