Meatballs with Potatoes and Tomatoes
Finger-shaped beef meatballs baked with potatoes, carrot, green pepper and chopped tomatoes.
The Turkish pantry
Canned Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped tomatoes preserved with their juices for sauces, stews and pilaf.
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This is a commercially canned chopped tomato product, used with its liquid unless the recipe says to drain it. It is not tomato paste, passata or a seasoned pasta sauce.
Types & forms
Chopped or diced
Visible pieces with packing juice; check added ingredients on the label.
Whole peeled or puréed
Different textures that need chopping or a recipe designed for a smoother result.
What to look for when buying
- Choose a plain product when the recipe does not call for herbs or other seasonings.
- Avoid leaking, bulging or badly damaged cans.
Prepare & cook
- Open the can and add the tomatoes and juice when the recipe directs.
- Check whether the recipe measures the full contents or drained tomatoes; they are different amounts.
Store it well
- Store unopened shelf-stable cans in a cool, dry place. Follow any special label instructions.
- Refrigerate unused tomatoes after opening in a covered food container and follow the product’s storage directions.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Tomato paste
Much more concentrated; it is not a can-for-can substitute.
Fresh tomatoes
Water content and texture vary; use a recipe written for fresh tomatoes or adapt the liquid deliberately.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are not provided for this ingredient guide.
Cook with Canned Chopped Tomatoes
Vegetable Bulgur Pilaf
Coarse bulgur cooked with onion, green pepper and tomatoes, then rested for separate, tender grains.