Topic: tomato puree

[Old Trousers]

Hi

Diluted tomato puree being such a regular ingredient, I just wondered what people's thoughts are on whether the brand of tomato puree makes a lot of difference?

I've used Tesco own brand (as there is a store right next to where I live and it's dead easy to obtain) and it seems to be okay, but wonder if its worth paying a bit more for a better brand, or whether any resulting improvement will be lost in the flavours of the final curry?

Thanks

[Peripatetic Phil]

It's one of the few foods I buy from Lidl, so for me at least, top quality is not an essential.  I also buy my peeled plum tomatoes from there, and have been known to buy a 10k bag of Basmatti rice ...

** Phil.

[Salvador Dhali]

I'd concur with Phil. I've tried the White Tower brand used by the majority of BIRs, and all the various supermarket and big name brands (Napolina, etc), and haven't been able to discern much difference in the finished curry.

That said, I do like my curries hot, so perhaps the chilli levels interfere with the detection of such subtleties.  ;D

I'm currently using Tesco double concentrated puree, which does the job well enough, but as with all such matters, the best thing to do is try a few different brands and see which works for you...

[Secret Santa]

I just buy whatever tomato puree I can lay my hands on and I've never noticed any difference whatsoever.

[George]

It's one of the few foods I buy from Lidl, so for me at least, top quality is not an essential. 

How rude is that?! You're implying that Lidl stuff is low quality, whereas I agree with their basic marketing message that it's fundamentally high quality produce at lower prices than from supermarkets such as Tesco or Sainsburys.

[Peripatetic Phil]

How rude is that?! You're implying that Lidl stuff is low quality,

No, I am suggesting that it is not top quality, unlike (e.g., Waitrose); that does not necessarily make it low quality, any more than not being upper class necessarily makes someone working class.  But when an allegedly free-range Irish chicken spontaneously separates at the joints while being cooked, as happened to me with a Lidl chicken, I for one gain severe doubts as to their sourcing and quality control.  Some of their products (particularly their German pre-cured meats such as Black Forest ham) are not bad at all, but never again will I ever buy fresh meat from them.



** Phil.

[Salvador Dhali]

How rude is that?! You're implying that Lidl stuff is low quality,

No, I am suggesting that it is not top quality, unlike (e.g., Waitrose); that does not necessarily make it low quality, any more than not being upper class necessarily makes someone lower class.  But when an allegedly free-range Irish chicken spontaneously separates at the joints while being cooked, as happened to me with a Lidl chicken, I for one gain severe doubts as to their sourcing and quality control.  Some of their products (particularly their German pre-cured meats such as Black Forest ham) are not bad at all, but never again will I ever buy fresh meat from them.


** Phil.

Hmm... Irish separatist chickens, eh? Must admit I've not tried any flesh or fowl from Lidl, but do pop in from time to time to grab a few veg and booze bargains - and some of that genius single clove garlic they sell.

As to the quality issue, no doubt the debate will run and run, but when it comes to certain products (such as meat) I think there's some truth to the old adage, 'you get what you pay for'.

The interpretation of what consititutes 'free range' these days seems to be very elastic, and the supermarkets seem to have different boundaries. How 'free range' is a bird costing

[StoneCut]

Coming from Germany I'd be careful with vegetables and meat from discount super markets. ALDI's tomatoes, for example, stay firm and fresh for literally months (!) at home. That just can't be right ! The same goes for poultry. LIDL and ALDI both only recently banned poultry from one of Germany's largest producers, but only after a pretty bad TV show about their poor lives got aired and after all other stores had already pulled out of their supply chain.