I was rummaging about in the cupboard the other morning looking for some tinned tomatoes to have on toast for my breakfast. I had an almost heart stopping moment when I thought I was about to use the last tin, then I moved a tin of Black Beans slightly to the left and discovered a whole other double height row of lovely tomatoey tins ... phew!!
Breakfast was had and enjoyed and the leftover two thirds of the tin was decanted and put into the fridge ready to be used for another meal. I can easily get three meals out of one tin of tomatoes, which got my challenge brain thinking ... how many other food items do I get at least three uses out of?
That would be interesting to note down instead of just thinking about, doing and forgetting.
I don't know why this idea even came to me, but when I was out shopping later in the day I suddenly thought ... What is the price difference between the cheapest tin of tomatoes and the most expensive?
You know me I had to look!!
The ones on the left, picked up from Booths were £1.30 and the ones on the right picked up from Sainsbugs were still available at just 28p.
Wow ... that is some difference for the same sized can of tomatoes.
I haven't opened either of them yet, but it will be really interesting to see if the taste difference is between the two in any way justifies the cost. But I would be able to get four tins of the Sainsbugs ones for less than the cost of the others.
The big question is ... Do people actually buy these on a regular basis just as day to day tomatoes for use in pasta sauces etc? I guess the taste test will tell me when I get around to it.
The slightly littler question is ... WHY did I buy two more tins of tomatoes when I had just discovered a row of eight in my cupboard?
And the teeny, tiny question tapping away at the back of my mind is ... How many other things are there that are so different in price that are just normal every day items of food stuff ... too many for me to buy and taste test I guess. But it's made me think, and I will be looking a little bit harder at brands and prices next time I go shopping.
I couldn't resist showing you my little seedlings, not bad for six days since sowing. It always pays to sow seeds a little later than you think you should. I got home from Manchester yesterday and the Mizuna were up, then this morning all the other ones appeared. 🌱
Sue xx
Hi Sue, I don't have a blog & rarely comment but do so enjoy reading yours. I live in N.W. Italy and the tin of tomatoes that cost so much (Mutti) are considered, here in Italy, to be the best. We also have a huge price difference in the various brands of tinned tomatoes, I only buy Mutti when on special offer and so far haven't really noticed a huge difference in taste. I will be very interested in your appraisal of the various differences. Have a good weekend, Ro xx
ReplyDeleteOnce I have taste tested them, if I do really like them I think that buying them when they are offer is a BRILLIANT idea.
DeleteI keep looking at my packets of seeds and then at the sun - but I'm being cautious.... waiting a bit longer so I don't have to carry things in at night for too many weeks.
ReplyDeleteThey are staying indoors for the next week or so, so they should be safe. Then I have a cold frame now perched on my large raised bed for them to live in for a few weeks until it warms up a bit more consistently ... I hate the whole carrying in and out scenario, hardening off in a cold frame will make things a lot easier. Lid up, lid down etc etc
Delete28p is the best price as far as I can see, even Aldi.
ReplyDeleteJack Munro, the bootstrap cook, checks prices regularly and has discovered you get more tomato in a whole tomato tin than a chopped tomato one.
Now THAT is a good tip. I think I will be buying whole tomatoes then from now on, Jack has done a lot of good bits of research like this over the years hasn't she.
DeleteI would be very interested in your tomato taste test Sue :) We don't use them very often but I do wonder if the more expensive tins of anything are worth the price. We have down shifted to cheaper brands a lot over the last couple of years and now it would grieve me to buy the big brands at full price :)
ReplyDeleteA great result with your seed sowing! We have started various seeds off but are a bit wary in case we get cold, wet weather back again. Most things go back into the cold frame at night.
I've not gotten around to doing this taste test yet as I've been doing another very tomatoey bit of taste testing/food stretching as a bit of a challenge and it had already started when I bought these.
DeleteAs Rosemarie suggests on her comment, buying the more expensive brands when they are on offer would be a good compromise if the taste difference is worth it.
My little seedlings will be living indoors with me for a while yet ... nice and cosy :-)
I'll be really interested in the results of your taste test. I have often wondered if those expensive cans taste 3/4 times as good. xx
ReplyDeleteIt will be fascinating to find out. I'm thinking of making identical soups and pasta sauces with them, with the tomatoes being the only differential.
DeleteI am also interested in your tests and appraisals. All those tiny questions are important. Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt would be good to find out if a splurge on 'posh' ingredients is occasionally worth it.
DeleteThat is interesting about the tomatoes, Sue. We will all be waiting for the results of your taste test! I usually buy what is on sale when it comes to canned tomatoes. I buy canned tomatoes for lots of different recipes but never in my life have I thought of having them on toast for breakfast! I am an every day bowl of cereal breakfast eater!
ReplyDeleteI only discovered plain tomatoes on toast for a meal a couple of years ago during a challenge and I was immediately won over. It's delicious, nourishing and leaves you feeling satisfied for a long time after ... and most importantly in the morning takes just five minutes to make.
DeleteIt is interesting to test the difference in taste and quality of different priced items like that. I always compare prices of similar items and will try the less expensive one before deciding. Sometimes that one is just fine but on other items I have been able to tell a difference and ended up buying the slightly more expensive one. It's mainly personal taste but it's worth comparing. We don't have those brands of tomatoes here but I am still looking forward to your test! Your seedlings are looking good!
ReplyDeleteIt is good to try all the 'levels' of food stuff isn't it. One thing that surprised me many years ago was that I preferred virtually ALL the Weetabix dupes to the real brand. I haven't bought actual Weetabix since then and usually avoid the real thing when we are on holiday.
DeleteYou don't know until you try though do you and I think being open to try the cheapest is always a good thing, I really do not understand 'brand snobs', but I do agree with finding the brand or dupe that you like the best and sticking with it.
We also have quite a difference in the price of tinned tomatoes. I do find the more expensive ones here to taste slightly better which is why I wait for them to go on sale before buying them.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Yes, this is the way to do it isn't it, if you find you like a good brand wait until it is on offer and then stock up.
DeleteTHIS COMMENT WAS DELETED IN ERROR .... so I've copied and pasted from my emails :-)
ReplyDeleteJoAnna has left a new comment on your post 'Tinned Tomatoes at WHAT price!! ':
I grew up in a household with lots of people and very little money, we ate the cheapest of everything, remember when the supermarkets first launched the value ranges with the blue and white stripes? Our shopping would consist of 95% those items, when I left home and had to buy my own shopping I always insisted that there was no difference between the cheapest tinned tomatoes/pasta/yogurt/rice/beans but during lockdown when the shelves were emptied I was forced to buy branded things and my goodness some of them are worlds apart - like the difference between wearing a polyester cardigan and a cashmere one!
The mutti tomatoes are so different to the basic ones, much thicker - far less watery, and overall just taste much nicer. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on them.
Oh how I remember my supermarket trolley from Tesco being full of the blue and white stripey labels when the boys were growing up. The only none stripey things in there were the bag of potatoes and the bunch of bananas. Without the introduction of the value lines in those days I would have really struggled to feed us all. As it was I had to turn the supermarket shopping into a game, with my eldest son having charge of the calculator and working out our running total as we went around so that there would be no embarrassment at the checkout. It wasn't as simple as re-scanning an item then to remove it from your total, they had to call for the supervisor and sit with their hand up until she came.
DeleteI'm looking forward to my taste test.
I remember the Checkout embarrassment too! I often talk to my mum about those days and she's at a point in her life where she's almost back to square one, as she's one of the WASPI women and won't get her state pension until 6 years after she thought she would. I'm not sure if you already watch this YouTube channel, but if you don't I'd love to recommend 'What Vivi did next' to you and your readers, she's fab and literally lives on the food she grows, she's also a massive book lover :)
ReplyDelete