Cooking technique
Why mushrooms steam instead of brown
Mushrooms release a surprising amount of water. Give them a dry surface, a wide pan and time before seasoning if you want colour instead of a grey simmer.
pantry
17 pages tagged pantry.
Dinner ideas
Fresh tomatoes vs tinned: which is better for dinner?
Fresh tomatoes win when you want brightness and a short cook. Tinned tomatoes win when you need a dependable sauce, stew or soup all year.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners that use one spoonful of tomato paste
Use the last spoonful of tomato paste in beans, eggs, lentils, pasta or roasted vegetables. Each idea gives it a clear job instead of leaving it in the fridge.
Buying guides
How to choose passata without buying watery sauce
Passata varies from thick puree to pourable tomato water. Check the ingredient list, packaging and texture clues before you pay more for a carton.
Storage and keeping
How to store passata after opening
Refrigerate opened passata as the label directs, freeze the amount you will use and write the date on the container. Smooth tomato is easy to save when it has a destination.
Cooking technique
Why passata can taste flat straight from the carton
Flat passata usually needs concentration rather than more herbs. Reduce it in a wide pan, season in stages and finish with fat after the water has gone.
Buying guides
How to choose tomato paste with the deepest flavour
Look for dense paste, a short ingredient list and a package you can finish. The biggest flavour gain still comes from frying it properly.
Cooking technique
Why tinned tomatoes taste better in some sauces
Tinned tomatoes are not bland by default. They taste dull when excess water stays in the pan and the tomato never gets the concentrated finish it needs.
Buying guides
How to choose tinned tomatoes without wasting money
Choose the form for the dish first, then read the ingredient list and salt. The label story matters less than the tomato, the liquid and the price per usable tin.
Cooking technique
Why frying tomato paste changes the whole sauce
Frying tomato paste removes its raw edge, concentrates its savoury flavour and coats the cooking fat before liquid is added. The colour in the pan tells you when to stop.
Dinner ideas
5 easy dinners to make with passata
Passata can become a smooth sauce, a poaching base or a quick soup. These five dinners use one carton and ordinary cupboard ingredients.
Storage and keeping
How to store tomato paste after opening
Protect opened tomato paste from air, label it and portion what you will not use soon. A small freezer stash is better than a hopeful fridge corner.
Buying guides
Passata vs crushed tomatoes: which gives the smoother sauce?
For the smoothest sauce with the least work, choose passata. Choose crushed tomatoes when you want a sauce that can reduce further and still taste full.
Buying guides
Tomato paste in a tube vs a tin: which is worth buying?
Buy a tube when you use tomato paste a little at a time. Buy a tin when you cook for a crowd or want the lowest cost per spoon.
Storage and keeping
How to keep tinned tomatoes useful after opening
Move leftover tomatoes out of the tin, chill them promptly and freeze portions you will actually use. The best storage plan is one that has a next meal attached to it.
Dinner ideas
5 weeknight dinners to make with tinned tomatoes
One tin of tomatoes can take dinner in five different directions. These are the ones I use when the cupboard is fuller than the fridge.
Buying guides
Tinned tomatoes vs passata: which belongs in your sauce?
Use tinned tomatoes when the tomato should stay visible. Use passata when you want a smooth sauce with less work. The middle ground is where most pans go wrong.