[ContainerTed]

This subject has been discussed and cussed and dissed and beaten up unmercifully. It depends on your tastebuds on your tongue. Many folks here make up sauces and salsa and other tomato based products and a lot of that gets canned.

Personally, I agree with a couple of the comments above. I think most paste type tomatoes are blandish and overrated. I also think the tomato to use is the one you are growing that tastes really good. If I want that "commercial" flavor to my spaghetti sauce, I'll go buy a can. I can get a large can for $1.00, and have a selection of several flavors. But if I want that flavor that only can come when harvest is at its peak, I have to do something different.

I make tomato juice from any and all tomatoes that are on the counter. I remove the seed gel and seeds (for seed saving) and then put the remains thru my food mill to remove the skins and any missed seeds. This goes into the big pot for slow reduction of the liquid. I generally spend an entire day from early to late for each batch. With this thick tomato juice (about the consistency of tomato sauce from a can), I can then make all the other things at my leisure or whim fresh each time. Sauces, salsas, etc. taste like they were made in mid season.

I do tend to limit the number of tart tomatoes in my juice. With those, I make a special batch of Tomato Preserves (Jam).

I basically don't like to use only paste types for one main reason. If I want that kind of flavor, it only costs $1.00 for a 25 oz (+,-) can. Even then from time to time, I've added some of my juice and then cooked it down a bit and it tastes so much better.

I say it all the time. My homemade tomato juice tastes like drinking an heirloom tomato.

Take care