A juicy fruit used as a vegetable, roughly ninety-five percent water, with acidity and glutamates that do most of the savoury work in a sauce.
What it does in a recipe: A source of acidity, umami, sweetness and a large volume of liquid that reduces down into body. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Tomatoes, Vine tomato
4substitutes
2close matches
Producecategory
Quick answer
Canned diced tomatoes
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 3 medium, or 2 cups chopped) = one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace fresh tomato
Canned diced tomatoes
Closest match
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 3 medium, or 2 cups chopped) = one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice
Canned tomatoes are picked ripe and heat-processed, which concentrates the glutamates, so they often taste more of tomato than a supermarket fresh one does.
MethodIf the dish is meant to be dry, such as a topping or a salsa, drain them first - the packing juice is a lot of extra liquid.
Trade-offSofter, with no skin structure and a slightly cooked, metallic edge. Useless anywhere the tomato was meant to be raw.
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped) = one 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
Whole peeled tomatoes are usually the better fruit in the cannery and are packed without the calcium chloride that keeps diced tomatoes stubbornly firm.
MethodCrush them with your hands in the bowl rather than blending - a blender aerates the sauce and turns it pale orange.
Trade-offWetter than fresh tomatoes and needs longer reduction to reach the same consistency.
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped) = 1/3 cup tomato paste + 1 1/2 cups water
Paste is tomato reduced to about a quarter of its volume, so adding water back reconstitutes something close to a thin tomato purée.
MethodFry the paste in oil for a minute before adding the water - it deepens the flavour and removes the raw tinned taste.
Trade-offDarker, sweeter and more concentrated, with none of the fresh acidity. Add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to bring the brightness back.
Refrigeration destroys the aroma compounds in a fresh tomato and turns the flesh mealy. Keep them on the counter, stem side down.
At a glance
Fresh tomato in summary
Fresh tomato at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomato?
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 3 medium, or 2 cups chopped) = one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice. Canned tomatoes are picked ripe and heat-processed, which concentrates the glutamates, so they often taste more of tomato than a supermarket fresh one does. Softer, with no skin structure and a slightly cooked, metallic edge. Useless anywhere the tomato was meant to be raw.
Can I use canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand instead of fresh tomato?
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped) = one 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed. Whole peeled tomatoes are usually the better fruit in the cannery and are packed without the calcium chloride that keeps diced tomatoes stubbornly firm. Wetter than fresh tomatoes and needs longer reduction to reach the same consistency.
Can I use passata instead of fresh tomato?
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped) = 1 3/4 cups passata. Passata is simply uncooked tomatoes sieved to remove skin and seed, so the flavour is close and the volume works out about even. Completely smooth, so there are no pieces of tomato left in the finished dish.
Can I use tomato paste + water instead of fresh tomato?
1 lb fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups chopped) = 1/3 cup tomato paste + 1 1/2 cups water. Paste is tomato reduced to about a quarter of its volume, so adding water back reconstitutes something close to a thin tomato purée. Darker, sweeter and more concentrated, with none of the fresh acidity. Add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to bring the brightness back.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.