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Roll The Dice On Canned Tomatoes

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The Miami Herald

Published: December 13, 2008

Canned, diced tomatoes are a favorite timesaver, and there are more organic options than ever.

Organic doesn't just mean pesticide-free: A U.S. Department of Agriculture study found they offer significantly more antioxidants than conventionally farmed tomatoes.

All canned tomatoes sampled have roughly 25 calories per half-cup serving. Here's the take on several brands trying to have that just-off-the vine taste:

Muir Glen ($1.33, 14.5 ounces) is an organic heavyweight, but we found its tomatoes pallid and swimming in watery juice. There's too much liquid, not enough flesh, and the flavor is muted and flat.

Eden organic diced tomatoes ($1.69, 14.5 ounces) are unpeeled, providing an extra dose of antioxidants. They have subtle flavor and are diced fine, maybe too fine, vanishing into stews. Eden is pricier, too, proving that spending more isn't always the answer.

Nor is spending less. Whole Foods 365 Organics ($1.19, 14.5 ounces) is your low-price leader, but these tomatoes have a tinge of tinniness.

The happy surprise is Publix Greenwise diced tomatoes ($1.45, 14.5 ounces). They're chunkier than the others, and perhaps that's the secret - bigger tomato bits mean bigger tomato taste, with true sweetness and acidity.

We found the "easy-open" pop top on Hunt's diced organic tomatoes to be anything but. Once inside, however, the tomatoes ($1.39, 14.5 ounces) are rich, red and chunky, like those from Greenwise, with a high flesh to juice ratio.

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