For a dish with fewer pieces, fine pulp or a smooth tomato preparation generally needs less preparation than whole peeled tomatoes. Whole peeled tomatoes are still an option if the recipe allows you to cook them and then mash or blend them. Either way, check the texture of the finished dish.
For a sauce, soup or slow-cooked dish, the form of the tomatoes matters just as much as the recipe. Mutti describes its peeled tomatoes as firm and fleshy, while Auchan describes Cirio Tomato Pulp as smooth and consistent. Whichever base you choose, check the texture after cooking.
If you cook with tinned tomatoes regularly, a larger pack may suit you. For a single meal, compare the quantities shown on the packaging with how much you plan to use and store.
Check the ingredient list and the form of the product separately. Carrefour, for example, offers whole peeled organic tomatoes, which you’ll need to mash or blend if pieces aren’t suitable.
Choose these if: the recipe involves cooking the tomatoes, then mashing or blending them.
Bear in mind: the tomatoes may still have pieces if they’re only warmed through. Check the result before serving.
Choose this if: you’d like to start your recipe with tomatoes that are already chopped or described as smooth and consistent.
Bear in mind: the texture of the dish also depends on the other ingredients and how it’s cooked. Ingredients vary between products.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Texture of the dish | Check whether the tomatoes are whole, in fine pulp or smooth pulp. Mash or blend them if needed. | I want to avoid firm pieces in my meal and be able to check the result before serving. Around 42% of consumers are said to prioritise texture. |
| Amount you can use | Compare the pack size, number of tins and drained weight, if shown. | I’m making a small amount and would rather choose a pack size I can use up. For around 33% of consumers, the amount they can use is said to be the main consideration. |
| Preparation and ingredients | Read the ingredients for the specific product and decide whether you’d prefer a ready-prepared base or whole tomatoes to work with. | I have little time to prepare the sauce, or I want to choose its ingredients and production method carefully. These factors are said to be priorities for around 25% of consumers. |
Peeling doesn’t turn a whole tomato into a smooth preparation. Mutti describes its Pelati tomatoes as firm and fleshy, for example.
If you need to break down the pieces, choose a form that suits your recipe or plan to cook, mash and blend the tomatoes, then check the finished dish.
A large tin or multipack won’t necessarily be the right amount for one meal.
Check the weight shown and choose an amount you can use or store according to the instructions on the packaging.
Carrefour’s product listing for Mutti peeled tomatoes lists tomatoes and tomato juice, while Auchan’s listing for Cirio Tomato Pulp also lists sugar, salt and citric acid.
Read the ingredients for the specific product you’re buying, especially if you want to control the seasoning in your recipe.
The range includes Pelati peeled tomatoes in several pack sizes, as well as an organic version.
The range lets you choose between whole peeled tomatoes and tomato pulp.
The retailer offers whole peeled tomatoes under its Classic’ and Bio ranges, in different pack sizes.
These tomato-based products offer different starting points for a sauce or slow-cooked dish: passata, fine pulp, finely chopped tomatoes and purées. They aren’t all a substitute for whole peeled tomatoes in a recipe that needs to retain pieces.
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Consider this passata if you’d like to start a sauce without mashing whole tomatoes. Check the texture of the dish once it’s prepared.
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Fine pulp for a recipe where you’d rather not start with whole tomatoes. Check how many pieces remain in the finished dish.
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Worth considering for a recipe where small pieces of tomato are suitable. “Finely chopped” doesn’t mean the preparation is smooth.
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A small pack of tomato purée to consider for a sauce or soup base. Check the texture you get with the other ingredients in the dish.
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Tomato purée for making a sauce or slow-cooked dish without starting by mashing whole tomatoes. Check that the final texture suits your recipe.
Yes, if the recipe lets you cook them and then mash or blend them before checking the texture. Mutti describes its Pelati as firm and fleshy, so simply warming them through may not give you the result you’re looking for.
No: organic describes how the tomatoes are produced, not the size of the pieces. Carrefour Bio’s product, described as whole peeled tomatoes, still needs to be mashed or blended if your recipe calls for a more consistent texture.
First, follow the instructions on the packaging for the product you’ve chosen. For food that needs to be refrigerated, Anses recommends keeping it at 4 °C in the coldest part of the fridge and limiting how long it is left at room temperature.