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The Best Crushed Tomatoes

Sometimes smooth like puree and sometimes chock-full of chunks, crushed tomatoes can be the most unpredictable product in the canned tomato aisle.

Editor&aposs Note:UpdateApril 2017

We recently learned that ConAgra Foods, the company that manufactures Hunt's canned tomato products, has transitioned to BPA-free cans in their American and Canadian facilities. The cans now used to package Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes have a glossy interior similar to the other products in our lineup.

Top Pick

WinnerSan Merican Crushed Tomatoes

Our favorite tasted “very bright and sweet” with “full tomato flavor”—no surprise, given its high levels of sweetness and acidity. Added diced tomatoes, though nontraditional in crushed products, contributed a firm, tender texture that impressed our panel. Although the letters SMT bring to mind the famed San Marzano tomatoes of Italy, the tomatoes are grown domestically and the manufacturer declined to disclose the exact variety.
pH: 4.2 Brix: 9.0Origin: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New JerseySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Concentrated crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sea salt, calcium chloride and citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $3.50 for 28 oz ($0.13 per oz)
Our favorite tasted “very bright and sweet” with “full tomato flavor”—no surprise, given its high levels of sweetness and acidity. Added diced tomatoes, though nontraditional in crushed products, contributed a firm, tender texture that impressed our panel. Although the letters SMT bring to mind the famed San Marzano tomatoes of Italy, the tomatoes are grown domestically and the manufacturer declined to disclose the exact variety.
pH: 4.2 Brix: 9.0Origin: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New JerseySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Concentrated crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sea salt, calcium chloride and citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $3.50 for 28 oz ($0.13 per oz)

What You Need to Know

Crushed tomatoes are a convenience product. Rather than haul out the food processor to break down canned whole tomatoes (or messily squish them in your hands) for a quick sauce or soup, you should be able to just pop the can lid, pour the tomatoes into a pot, and savor their flavor, which should be sweet and bright. As for texture, they should walk that line between a smooth puree and chunkier diced tomatoes (which don’t break down easily because they’re treated with calcium chloride to preserve firmness) and be topped off by puree or juice, offering both body and fluidity.

When we last tasted crushed tomatoes, we happily discovered that a product from Tuttorosso offered the chunky yet saucy consistency and vibrant flavor we were after. The only downside was that it was sold in a 35-ounce can while most recipes call for 28-ounce cans. That discrepancy wasn’t a deal breaker at first, but when the product also became increasingly hard to find in supermarkets, we decided it was time to reevaluate the options. This time, we gathered eight nationally available products sold in 28-ounce cans and tasted them plain and in a simple tomato sauce, which we tossed with spaghetti. Tasters evaluated each sample on its flavor, texture, and overall appeal.

Crushing It

More than half the samples boasted bright flavor and good body—particularly our winner, which delivered distinct firm-tender chunks that created a sauce that coated the noodles well. Tasters rejected only one product, which double-faulted with a “watery” consistency and “lackluster” flavor. We docked products that tasted “flat” or “metallic,” lacked distinct pieces—to us, “crushed” shouldn’t mean pureed—or were rife with “chewy” tomato skins.

That wide range of textures isn’t due to a mix of tomato varieties: All manufacturers use plum (or roma) tomatoes since the firm fruit is best able to withstand mechanical harvesting. They’re inconsistent because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate the term “crushed” in the tomato industry, so a product that’s chock-full of chunks and another that’s smooth can both wear the label. Processing is what makes the difference.

“Crushed” Is Confusing

In the canned-tomato industry, “crushed” can mean anything from thick and chunky to smooth and saucy. Our favorite product, by SMT, added diced tomatoes for a thick and hearty texture

Industry experts told us that all tomatoes designated for crushing are pushed through a machine called a Reitz Disintegrator, which breaks the fruit into smaller pieces and catches some of the skin and seeds much like a food mill does. For a coarser product, manufacturers use a disintegrator with wide holes and move the tomatoes through slowly. Speeding up the process and using smaller holes results in smaller, stringier tomato pieces, which we found made stringy, liquid-y sauces. When we strained and measured the contents of a can of each product to examine the size of the pieces, we noticed that the samples with the smallest bits of tomatoes—measuring ¼ inch or smaller—scored low, confirming that our tasters liked a chunkier product. We also noticed that the tomatoes labeled “unpeeled” had unpleasant curls of plasticky skin; we much preferred the other products, which tended to have fewer and less noticeable pieces of peel.

As for the winner’s particularly hearty texture, the package label revealed that it’s a combination of crushed and diced tomatoes. The crushed portion delivers fuller, richer body, and the firm-yet-tender pieces of diced tomato add big chunks that make it stand out from products with smaller pieces.

Good canned tomatoes—crushed or otherwise—also boast fresh fruit flavor that is superior to most fresh supermarket tomatoes since tomatoes for canning are picked ripe and processed quickly. (Most fresh supermarket tomatoes are picked while still green and hard in order to survive shipping and are then sprayed with ethylene gas, which turns them red but does nothing to improve their flavor.) But processing—particularly the temperature—affects flavor, too. All canned tomatoes are heated to remove microorganisms and make them shelf-stable, but manufacturers can heat them either to between 160 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit (called a “cold break”) or to 200-plus degrees (a “hot break”). Cold-break processing hastens enzymatic activity that causes pectin in the tomato cells to break down, thus creating a thinner product—but one with fresher flavor. Hot-break processing deactivates the enzyme, so more pectin is retained and the tomato product is thicker, but it also destroys volatile aroma compounds, so the tomatoes taste more “cooked.” The choice comes down to manufacturer priorities: thickness or fresh flavor.

Tomatoes in gold-colored juice tasted brighter and scored high marks for flavor, while those in deeper red juice tasted more cooked.
plastic containers filled with juices strained from different canned crushed tomato products. Some are red and some are a golden color
Juices strained from different canned crushed tomato products show differences in color. The color correlates to the temperature at which the tomatoes were processed and, it turns out, to flavor as well.

Most manufacturers wouldn’t tell us if they use hot- or cold-break processing, but we were able to guess when we strained each product and saw the color of the drained liquid. Six of the cans yielded deep red liquid, suggesting that they’d been processed at higher temperatures (heating the fruit releases color pigments and results in darker red fruit and juice). The other two cans yielded bright gold liquid, suggesting that they were processed at lower temperatures. Our tasting offered further proof: Tomatoes in gold-colored juice tasted brighter and scored high marks for flavor, while those in deeper red juice tasted more cooked.

Sweetness and acidity highlight fresh tomato flavor, too, so we asked an independent lab to analyze the pH (a measure of acidity) and Brix (a measure of sweetness) of each product. Our least favorite sample was also the one with the lowest levels of acidity and sweetness—tasters complained that it tasted “dull”—which wasn’t surprising when we noticed that it was the only product in the lineup without citric acid (often added to tomatoes to boost fresh flavor) or salt. The two samples that contained basil were polarizing; most tasters liked it, but some felt that it “overwhelmed” the tomato flavor.

cans on crushed tomatoes on a graph with an x-axis of sweetness and a y-axis of acidity
We asked an independent lab to analyze the Brix (a measure of sweetness) and pH (a measure of acidity) levels of the crushed tomatoes in our lineup. Our favorites struck the right balance between the two qualities. They tasted sweet and bright, with rich tomato flavor.

Our only lingering question: What accounted for the “metallic” flavor in one of the other low-scoring samples (from Hunt’s)? Nothing on the label or in the lab tests explained the problem. It wasn’t until we looked inside the can itself that we figured it out: The interior walls appear to be coated with tin rather than glossy enamel, which is used in most cans to prevent acidic foods like tomatoes from interacting with the metal and acquiring off-flavors.

Any of our top five products would make a fine base for sauce or soup and save you the trouble of crushing whole tomatoes (though we’re not going to rule out crushing whole tomatoes when we want to drain the liquid out to make a thicker puree). But the particularly “full,” “bright” flavor and tender-firm chunks of tomatoes in our favorite can from San Merican Tomatoes made it a standout and our new pantry staple.

  • Taste plain at room temperature
  • Taste cooked in Quick Tomato Sauce and tossed with spaghetti
  • Send each product to lab to have pH (a measure of acidity) and Brix (a measure of sweetness) levels tested
  • Strain one can of each product and compare size of tomato pieces
  • Strain one can of each product and compare liquid color to infer processing temperatures

  • At least 90 mg of sodium per ¼ cup
  • pH level between 4.1 and 4.3, indicating fairly acidic tomatoes
  • Brix level between 7.1 and 9.0, indicating high sweetness
  • Packaged in enamel-coated cans that don’t react with the tomato acid to impart off-flavors
  • Tomato solids that are firm but tender
  • Tomato solids that are more crushed or diced than pureed
  • Strained liquid is gold, indicating a lower processing temperature that preserves volatile aroma compounds responsible for fresh tomato flavor
05:20

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Everything We Tested

Recommended

WinnerSan Merican Crushed Tomatoes

Our favorite tasted “very bright and sweet” with “full tomato flavor”—no surprise, given its high levels of sweetness and acidity. Added diced tomatoes, though nontraditional in crushed products, contributed a firm, tender texture that impressed our panel. Although the letters SMT bring to mind the famed San Marzano tomatoes of Italy, the tomatoes are grown domestically and the manufacturer declined to disclose the exact variety.
pH: 4.2 Brix: 9.0Origin: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New JerseySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Concentrated crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sea salt, calcium chloride and citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $3.50 for 28 oz ($0.13 per oz)
Our favorite tasted “very bright and sweet” with “full tomato flavor”—no surprise, given its high levels of sweetness and acidity. Added diced tomatoes, though nontraditional in crushed products, contributed a firm, tender texture that impressed our panel. Although the letters SMT bring to mind the famed San Marzano tomatoes of Italy, the tomatoes are grown domestically and the manufacturer declined to disclose the exact variety.
pH: 4.2 Brix: 9.0Origin: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New JerseySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Concentrated crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sea salt, calcium chloride and citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $3.50 for 28 oz ($0.13 per oz)

Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Puree (also sold as Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes)

With the right balance of sweetness and acidity, our runner-up earned praise for its “complex, tomatoey flavor.” The pieces were crushed to a slightly smaller size than in some of our other high-scoring products, but these tomatoes still made a “good building block” for pasta sauce.
pH: 4.2Brix: 9.3Origin: Indiana, Michigan, OhioSodium: 90 mgIngredients: Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, naturally derived citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/4 to 1/2 inProcessing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $1.50 for 28 oz ($0.05 per oz)
With the right balance of sweetness and acidity, our runner-up earned praise for its “complex, tomatoey flavor.” The pieces were crushed to a slightly smaller size than in some of our other high-scoring products, but these tomatoes still made a “good building block” for pasta sauce.
pH: 4.2Brix: 9.3Origin: Indiana, Michigan, OhioSodium: 90 mgIngredients: Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, naturally derived citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 1/4 to 1/2 inProcessing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $1.50 for 28 oz ($0.05 per oz)

Pastene Kitchen Ready Chunky Style Ground Peeled Tomatoes

Besides praising its “sweet tomato flavor,” tasters appreciated this sample’s relatively large pieces, which helped make a hearty sauce that “coated the pasta nicely.”
pH: 4.1Brix: 8.9Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 150 mgIngredients: Vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, naturally derived citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 3/4 to 1 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $1.99 for 28 oz ($0.07 per oz)
Besides praising its “sweet tomato flavor,” tasters appreciated this sample’s relatively large pieces, which helped make a hearty sauce that “coated the pasta nicely.”
pH: 4.1Brix: 8.9Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 150 mgIngredients: Vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, naturally derived citric acidSize of tomato pieces: 3/4 to 1 in Processing temperature: ProprietaryColor of strained liquid: GoldPrice at Time of Testing: $1.99 for 28 oz ($0.07 per oz)

Cento Organic Chunky Style Crushed Tomatoes

Even after they were cooked in sauce, these firm yet tender crushed tomatoes tasted pleasantly “fresh.” Although some tasters thought that the basil flavor was a bit strong in the plain tasting (one can had a whopping 11 leaves), many on our panel thought it was a welcome addition in sauce. The fairly large pieces of tomato lent the sauce a “chunky” texture that tasters liked.
pH: 4.3Brix: 7.1Origin: ItalySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato juice, sea salt, citric acid, basilSize of tomato pieces: 3/4 to 1 inProcessing temperature: 212°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $4.69 for 28 oz ($0.17 per oz)
Even after they were cooked in sauce, these firm yet tender crushed tomatoes tasted pleasantly “fresh.” Although some tasters thought that the basil flavor was a bit strong in the plain tasting (one can had a whopping 11 leaves), many on our panel thought it was a welcome addition in sauce. The fairly large pieces of tomato lent the sauce a “chunky” texture that tasters liked.
pH: 4.3Brix: 7.1Origin: ItalySodium: 95 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato juice, sea salt, citric acid, basilSize of tomato pieces: 3/4 to 1 inProcessing temperature: 212°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $4.69 for 28 oz ($0.17 per oz)

Contadina Crushed Roma Tomatoes

With “bright,” “fruity” flavor and meaty pieces, these tomatoes would have had it all, except for one flaw: The fruit wasn’t peeled. The “tough” skins were unpleasant in the plain tasting, though they were much less noticeable in pasta sauce.
pH: 4.2Brix: 8.5Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 150 mgIngredients: Tomato puree, crushed unpeeled tomatoes, sea salt, citric acid, calcium chlorideSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 inProcessing temperature: 190–200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.49 for 28 oz ($0.09 per oz)
With “bright,” “fruity” flavor and meaty pieces, these tomatoes would have had it all, except for one flaw: The fruit wasn’t peeled. The “tough” skins were unpleasant in the plain tasting, though they were much less noticeable in pasta sauce.
pH: 4.2Brix: 8.5Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 150 mgIngredients: Tomato puree, crushed unpeeled tomatoes, sea salt, citric acid, calcium chlorideSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 inProcessing temperature: 190–200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.49 for 28 oz ($0.09 per oz)

Recommended with reservations

Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes with Basil

Large, chunky tomato pieces appealed to tasters, particularly in the pasta sauce. But while the ample sweetness, acidity, and salt should have highlighted the fruit’s bright taste, the dried basil flavor was so overwhelming that panelists compared this product to pizza sauce.
pH: 4.0Brix: 8.5Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 110 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato puree, sea salt, naturally derived citric acid, organic basilSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 to 1 inProcessing temperature: 200–210°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.99 for 28 oz ($0.11 per oz)
Large, chunky tomato pieces appealed to tasters, particularly in the pasta sauce. But while the ample sweetness, acidity, and salt should have highlighted the fruit’s bright taste, the dried basil flavor was so overwhelming that panelists compared this product to pizza sauce.
pH: 4.0Brix: 8.5Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 110 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato puree, sea salt, naturally derived citric acid, organic basilSize of tomato pieces: 1/2 to 1 inProcessing temperature: 200–210°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.99 for 28 oz ($0.11 per oz)

Hunt’s Crushed Tomatoes

These tomatoes are crushed fairly small, so the resulting sauce was thinner than with our top scorers, but it still coated pasta well. Loose peels were fairly prominent. Several tasters noticed a slight “metallic” taste that might be due to a tin (rather than enamel) can lining. Update: April, 2017: Hunt's has transitioned to BPA-free cans in its American and Canadian facilities. The cans now used to package Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes have a glossy interior similar to the other products in our lineup.
pH: 4.1Brix: 9.3Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 105 mgIngredients: Unpeeled tomatoes, tomato puree, less than 2% of: salt, citric acidSize of tomato pieces: Less than 1/4 inProcessing temperature: Nearly 200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.19 for 28 oz ($0.08 per oz)
These tomatoes are crushed fairly small, so the resulting sauce was thinner than with our top scorers, but it still coated pasta well. Loose peels were fairly prominent. Several tasters noticed a slight “metallic” taste that might be due to a tin (rather than enamel) can lining. Update: April, 2017: Hunt's has transitioned to BPA-free cans in its American and Canadian facilities. The cans now used to package Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes have a glossy interior similar to the other products in our lineup.
pH: 4.1Brix: 9.3Origin: CaliforniaSodium: 105 mgIngredients: Unpeeled tomatoes, tomato puree, less than 2% of: salt, citric acidSize of tomato pieces: Less than 1/4 inProcessing temperature: Nearly 200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $2.19 for 28 oz ($0.08 per oz)

Not Recommended

Bionaturae Organic Crushed Tomatoes

Without citric acid or added salt and with the lowest sweetness level by far, it was no wonder we found these tomatoes “bland” and “dull.” Even onions and garlic weren’t enough to save them when cooked in tomato sauce. Plus, the small pieces of tomato practically disappeared when cooked, resulting in a “watery” sauce.
pH: 4.5Brix: 5.3Origin: ItalySodium: 15 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato pureeSize of tomato pieces: Less than 1/4 inProcessing temperature: 200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $3.69 for 28.2 oz ($0.13 per oz)
Without citric acid or added salt and with the lowest sweetness level by far, it was no wonder we found these tomatoes “bland” and “dull.” Even onions and garlic weren’t enough to save them when cooked in tomato sauce. Plus, the small pieces of tomato practically disappeared when cooked, resulting in a “watery” sauce.
pH: 4.5Brix: 5.3Origin: ItalySodium: 15 mgIngredients: Organic tomatoes, organic tomato pureeSize of tomato pieces: Less than 1/4 inProcessing temperature: 200°FColor of strained liquid: RedPrice at Time of Testing: $3.69 for 28.2 oz ($0.13 per oz)

*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.

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The Expert

byKate Shannon

Deputy Editor, ATK Reviews

Kate is a deputy editor for ATK Reviews. She's a culinary school graduate and former line cook and cheesemonger.

Kate Shannon is a deputy editor for ATK Reviews. She’s covered a wide variety of topics at America’s Test Kitchen, but she especially loves writing about cheese, pantry staples such as anchovies and kosher salt, and cleaning products. One of her proudest accomplishments is finding a life-changing kitchen sponge (really) and proving once and for all that it's a bad idea to leave a soggy sponge in the bottom of your sink. Prior to joining America’s Test Kitchen, she attended Boston University’s culinary program and worked as both a line cook and a cheesemonger.

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