For a small dish, look for a tin stating 240 g drained weight. For a sauce to share, consider 400 g sizes or products stating 480 g drained weight, taking care not to confuse net weight with drained weight. Choose whole peeled tomatoes if you want to keep them chunky or crush them yourself, then check the ingredients and packaging of the product you buy.
If pasta sauce, pizza or a slow-cooked dish is the centrepiece of your meal, one tin should provide the amount you need. Mutti and Cirio offer 400 g sizes, while Carrefour and Auchan also list products stating 480 g drained weight. Compare the weight information before you choose.
If you’re making a smaller quantity of a single recipe, a tin stating 240 g drained weight can help reduce leftovers. Carrefour and E.Leclerc list products in this size.
You can leave whole peeled tomatoes chunky, crush them or blend them, depending on the sauce you want. Check the product description: tomato pulp or a ready-made sauce won’t need the same preparation.
Start with the amount your recipe needs, then decide whether you want to work with whole tomatoes or use a preparation with a set texture. Finally, compare the labels of tins that match both choices.
| Criterion | What to check | What matters to shoppers? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Compare the drained weight where stated, as well as whether the product is sold individually or in a multipack. | I’m making a sauce to share and want enough without having to open several tins. Around 45% of shoppers put quantity first. |
| Texture | Check whether they’re whole peeled tomatoes, tomato pulp or a prepared sauce. | For my pizza or slow-cooked dish, I want to decide whether the tomatoes stay chunky or are crushed. Getting the texture right is the priority for around 33% of shoppers. |
| Origin and ingredients | Read the stated origin and ingredients list for the product you choose. | If Italian origin or certain ingredients matter for my menu, I compare the label on the tin I’m going to buy. This is the top priority for around 22% of shoppers. |
The net weight of a tin containing juice isn’t necessarily the same as the weight of the tomatoes once drained. Comparing the two can therefore give you the wrong idea of how much your recipe will need.
When tomatoes are packed in liquid, look for the drained weight on the label, then choose an amount that suits your menu.
Auchan says that the ingredients in its whole peeled tomato product may vary depending on the collection point and purchase date. So the origin or ingredients shown on one product listing may not apply to every tin sold by the retailer.
If these details influence your choice, check the listing for the product on offer and the label on the tin you buy.
An opened tin can leave you with unused tomatoes, especially when a recipe only calls for a small amount.
Follow the storage instructions on your tin and transfer leftovers to a suitable container if the packaging advises you to do so.
According to the DGCCRF, a bulging tin, rust or dents may indicate that the contents have been compromised.
If you’re unsure about the condition of the tin, discard it. Don’t taste the contents to check.
Mutti offers peeled tomatoes in 400 g and 800 g tins, as well as a pack of two 400 g tins.
Cirio’s Pelati range includes 400 g and 800 g tins.
Carrefour lists peeled tomatoes in juice, with stated drained weights of 240 g or 480 g.
E.Leclerc lists whole peeled tomatoes in juice in sizes stating 240 g and 480 g.
Auchan lists whole peeled tomatoes in juice in a 480 g size, as well as an Auchan Bio product stating 240 g.
This Pomodorini product is described as 400 g of cherry tomatoes. If you’re specifically looking for an individual tin of whole peeled tomatoes, check the product description and packaging before choosing it for your recipe.
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If your recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, check that this variety gives you the texture you want. The stated size is 400 g; check the drained weight and whether it’s sold individually before choosing.
For a small dish, look for products stating 240 g drained weight. For a recipe to share, compare 400 g sizes with products stating 480 g drained weight. Check what the stated weight refers to and choose an amount that suits the number of dishes you’re making.
Yes, if you want to control the texture yourself by leaving them chunky, crushing them or blending them. Cirio suggests using its Pelati in sauces and for slow cooking, while Mutti mentions pasta sauces and pizzas among the uses for its product.
Check the product description, ingredients and weight information, particularly the drained weight if the tomatoes are packed in liquid. The DGCCRF explains that this figure distinguishes the weight of the drained product from the total contents.
Follow the storage instructions on the tin you’ve bought. If they tell you to transfer the leftovers to a suitable container and refrigerate them, also follow the storage period stated on the packaging.
Discard any tin if you’re unsure that it’s intact. According to the DGCCRF, bulging, rust or dents may indicate that the contents have been compromised. Don’t taste them to check.