I'd like to throw a distinction into the discussion: jarred, canned,
and fresh tomato. I don't normally make tomato sauce from fresh
tomatoes. I tried it once and decided it was too much trouble. I don't
normally open a jar of tomato sauce. As others have mentioned, they
tend to be too sweet or have off flavors.


But canned.
Canned tomato products are yummy.
If you check the ingredients, canned can have one ingredient: tomatoes.
Canned sauces can have spices added to them or not.
A small can of Muir Glen tomato sauce poured over pasta can make an
excellent quick meal.
Canned tomato products can be paste or chopped seedless or sauce
depending on how much liquid is evaporated off in the process.
Canned tomato products can be the one great excuse for buying canned
goods at all.
They are, in my opinion, better than fresh.
I'll stand on a soap box for canned tomato sauce any time.


--Lia