When stocking up for a camping trip, choose each tin size based on how much you’ll use in one meal. A multipack of 2 × 400 g lets you open the tins separately for different meals, while a small tin helps avoid leftovers when reliable refrigeration isn’t available. Choose a large tin for a recipe that uses the whole contents. Before you set off, check the drained net weight, ingredients, best-before date and condition of each tin.
If you’re making a sauce, soup or casserole for several campers, a large tin could work well as long as you use all of it. Mutti offers an 800 g tin, for example, while Auchan lists a Pouce tin with a drained net weight of 480 g. These figures refer to different measurements, so check how much your recipe needs.
If you can’t keep leftovers chilled, plan a recipe that uses the whole tin. A small tin may be easier to finish. For the Auchan products we checked, any remaining contents should be transferred to an airtight container, refrigerated and used within two days.
If you also choose products based on their ingredients, stated origin or drained net weight, compare the specific tins you plan to take with you. The ingredients listed by Mutti, Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc vary between products. Auchan also advises checking the label on the product you buy.
When stocking up for a camping trip, start with the meals you’ve planned and whether you’ll have access to refrigeration after opening. Then use the label to compare the sizes that suit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Amount for a shared meal | Count the meals and compare the drained net weight per tin, not just the number of tins in the multipack. | When I’m cooking for a group, I want to open an amount everyone can finish at the meal. Around 42% of shoppers would put this need for the right quantity first. |
| Leftovers after opening | Check how much your recipe needs and the storage instructions on the tin you buy. | Without a reliable fridge, I’d rather finish the tin than store opened tomatoes. This would be the top priority for around 33% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients and label | Check the ingredients, drained net weight, stated origin (if provided) and best-before date. | Before stocking up, I want to compare the ingredients and details of the products I’m considering. Around 25% of shoppers would make these checks their first priority. |
A tin that’s right for the group is less practical if you only use some of it. The instructions for the Auchan products we checked say to transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, refrigerate them and use them within two days.
If you don’t have reliable refrigeration, choose an amount you can use up; otherwise, bring an airtight container and make sure you have a way to keep it chilled.
Keeping leftovers means carrying a container and having somewhere to refrigerate it after the meal.
Two packs can contain different amounts of tomatoes once you’ve drained off the liquid. The DGCCRF states that the drained net weight must be shown on the label of prepacked food sold in a covering liquid.
Compare the drained weight per tin with the amount needed for each recipe, then decide how many tins to open.
The DGCCRF warns that dents, rust or bulging in a metal tin can be signs that the contents have deteriorated.
Check the tins before you leave and after travelling. If one looks damaged or you’re unsure about its condition, don’t eat the contents.
Ingredients lists vary between the products we checked. Auchan also notes that the ingredients may differ depending on the chosen drive and purchase date.
Check the labels on the tins you’ve actually bought before planning your meals for the trip.
Mutti sells its peeled tomatoes in 400 g and 800 g tins, as well as in a multipack of 2 × 400 g. The multipack gives you the option of opening the tins separately.
The Cirio product we found at Carrefour is a 400 g tin of peeled tomatoes, which may suit a meal that calls for this size.
One Carrefour product comes as a pack of three tins of whole peeled tomatoes in juice, each with a drained net weight of 480 g.
The products we checked include a 240 g Auchan tin and a Pouce tin with a drained net weight of 480 g. Compare both sizes with the number of people you’re cooking for.
E.Leclerc lists a Notre Jardin product of whole peeled tomatoes in juice with a drained net weight of 240 g, worth comparing for smaller recipes.
Going past the best-before date does not, on its own, mean that the tin is unsafe to eat. The French Ministry of the Economy distinguishes this date from a use-by date. For a metal tin, check its condition too, and don’t eat the contents if it’s bulging, rusty, dented or you have any concerns.
Yes, if you can follow the storage instructions for the product you bought. For the Auchan products we checked, these say to transfer the tomatoes to an airtight container, refrigerate them and use them within two days. If you don’t have reliable refrigeration while camping, it’s best to use the whole tin in one meal.
Drained net weight helps you compare the amount of tomatoes when they’re sold in a covering liquid. The DGCCRF states that this information must appear on the label of the relevant prepacked foods. Compare it with the amount your recipe needs.
A multipack works well if you want to open tins separately for different meals. A large tin is a good choice if the group will use all of it in one dish. Mutti’s multipack of 2 × 400 g is an example of the first option, while its 800 g tin calls for a recipe that uses everything in one go.