What's your favorite jarred red sauce?

[Aunt Bea]

Prego. It's handy to have, like a pantry item.

Question: Once a jar is opened, what is its refrigerated shelf life?

I am not sure. I just screw on the lid and put it in the freezer until I need it.

 

[buckytom]

I wonder if the sweet thing is a regional taste. I love sweet spaghetti sauce. Most of the Italian restaurants I've eaten at around here all have sweet sauces, including the restaurants in a section we call "Little Italy". Some serve a sweeter than others though. Interesting.

it most definitely is. i used to date a girl who worked for cpc/best foods international and they made no secret of the fact that they sold upwards of 3 or 4 flavours of the exact same product, such as tomato sauces and mayonaises, each tailored to the taste test of a region. but the labels looked exactly the same.

it sounded weird, but the biggest dividing line for different formulas was the mississippi river. if you lived in illinois, for instance, you'd get sweeter mayo. in iowa, slightly.spicier.

they taste tested constantly so as to maximize sales.

 

[Andy M.]

it most definitely is. i used to date a girl who worked for cpc/best foods international and they made no secret of the fact that they sold upwards of 3 or 4 flavours of the exact same product, such as tomato sauces and mayonaises, each tailored to the taste test of a region. but the labels looked exactly the same.

it sounded weird, but the biggest dividing line for different formulas was the mississippi river. if you lived in illinois, for instance, you'd get sweeter mayo. in iowa, slightly.spicier.

they taste tested constantly so as to maximize sales.

Interesting info, BT. I've heard for years that Best Foods and Hellmann's were the same product. I had also heard some say that BF was sweeter... Supports your point.

 

[pacanis]

Yes, that's really interesting, BT.
I can imagine the calls these companies get if someone relocates to a different region and all of a sudden their product doesn't taste the same.

 

[buckytom]

she used to bring home samples from different regions for us to try.
the differences were slight, but noticable enough to affect what someone might like.
lol, i probably only recently threw out some of the knorr sauce mixes she gave me. they might have been a little off after 20 years.

 

[msmofet]

My grandma and grandpa were from different parts of Italy. Grandpa HAD to have at least twice a year dinner of gravy, raviolis and meatballs like his mom made. Which was sweet red gravy and sweet raviolis both had lots of sugar - in the sauce and the cheese filling for the raviolis (and cook the raviolis in sweet boiling water). The meatballs had to have sugar, raisins and pignoli (pine) nuts in them. Which meant my mom carried on the tradition and I hated the sweet dinner. So it is also an Italian regional thing also.

 

[DaveSoMD]

It used to be Ragu, but I've switched to Hunts or Del Monte. Both are very good and a lot cheaper for the same amount.

 

[4meandthem]

I am not sure. I just screw on the lid and put it in the freezer until I need it.

I never thought of that! Thanks!

 

[buckytom]

speaking of the silver palate brand sauces on sale: i just picked up 5 jars on sale @ about $3 per jar, less than half price. i bought 2 tomato basil, a fra diavolo, an alfredo, and a primavera.

i haven't tried the last two yet.

 

[pacanis]

I never thought of that! Thanks!

My thoughts on freezing jarred sauce is; that's where my homemade sauces reside... If I'm going to thaw sauce, I'll thaw sauce that I have made myself.
I know that I've used jarred sauce that had been in the fridge three weeks opened I figured with the acidity of the tomatoes... what the hey? That and nothing was growing

 

[Kayelle]

I also never buy jarred sauce anymore. A quick Marinara sauce from canned tomatoes is just too easy to make, and I can be sure it won't be sweet and have the blend of spices I like. As someone else said, why buy expensive jar sauce, and then have to doctor it up to make it the way you like it?

 

[Dawgluver]

I doctor up Hunt's, enjoy Emeril's Kicked Up Sauce, especially on sale, and make my own from scratch from time to time. Am loving my roasted homegrowns, which were pretty bland while fresh, but roasting gives them a great flavor.

 

[msmofet]

Shop-Rite 15 oz can of PLAIN tomato sauce is just tomato so I add whatever to it. On sale 3 cans for $1.00. I can get 1 sometimes 2 dinners (depending what I add to it) for 4 people out of 1 doctored 15 oz can. Not bad for 33 cents a can. Or regular price is 67 cents still not bad.

 

[Dawgluver]

Shop-Rite 15 oz can of PLAIN tomato sauce is just tomato so I add whatever to it. On sale 3 cans for $1.00. I can get 1 sometimes 2 dinners (depending what I add to it) for 4 people out of 1 doctored 15 oz can. Not bad for 33 cents a can. Or regular price is 67 cents still not bad.

Is Shop-Rite a specific store brand, MM? I haven't seen it around here.

 

[bakechef]

In the winter I make large batches of sauce and homemade meatballs every couple of months, and store in the freezer. In the summer I usually buy a jarred sauce, as I don't want to deal with a long simmering sauce in the summer, it'll heat up my tiny kitchen, and I am not in the mood for that kind of cooking in the summer, I'm weird that way, LOL.

When I do buy jarred sauce, my go-to sauce is Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara. I've tried their regular marinara and wasn't crazy about it, but this one is good.

 

[msmofet]

Is Shop-Rite a specific store brand, MM? I haven't seen it around here.

yes store brand

One Place. Your Place. | ShopRite Supermarkets

 

[pacanis]

I also never buy jarred sauce anymore. A quick Marinara sauce from canned tomatoes is just too easy to make, and I can be sure it won't be sweet and have the blend of spices I like. As someone else said, why buy expensive jar sauce, and then have to doctor it up to make it the way you like it?

As I said, I'm into making my own sauce too, but your statement has me curious. Exactly how much time does it take for you to make a quick marinara sauce? Are you using canned tomatoes that don't need reduced or thickening? Maybe more expensive than what I am buying and don't need thickening or time for the spices to come together?
Of course this has nothing to do with the original question, what is your favorite jarred sauce (or something like that), but I'm wondering if I have been making from scratch sauces incorrectly, or maybe I just like thicker sauces. I can't think of any homemade red sauce that I would eat that takes as little as heating the contents of a jar up for five minutes in a sauce pan.

Now, making boxed mac and cheese really saves very little time over making homemade, but in how little time can some folks really whip up a decent homemade red gravy? Curious minds want to know

 

[buckytom]

well stated, pac.

about the quickest i can make a sauce from canned tomatoes is 20 minutes to a half hour. and that's not a deeply flavoured sauce, just quick, tomatoey, and a bit tart.

i usually don't use jarred sauce because i try to schedule the time needed to make a sauce when planning a recipe. also the reason i cook less than i'd like. lol.

ya can't win...

 

[Aunt Bea]

I'm with Buckytom!

Hurry-up sauce takes about 20 minutes.

Olive oil
Garlic clove
Hot pepper flakes
Can of Crushed Tomato
Basil
Oregano

If you want it thicker add some paste with the oil and garlic.

 

[pacanis]

Dang. Twenty to thirty minutes, guys? ... I must be cooking on too low a heat. I can never get it to reduce that fast.