x 14½-ounce can tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are preserved tomatoes packed in their own juice or a light tomato sauce, typically from the Solanum lycopersicum plant. Standard 14.5-ounce cans represent a common North American portion size, containing whole, diced, crushed, or puréed tomatoes. The canning process—which involves washing, cutting, packing, and heat-sterilization—preserves the tomato's nutritional content and extends shelf life to 18-24 months. Most commercial canned tomatoes are processed from paste or sauce varieties, which have higher solids content and lower water content than fresh market tomatoes, making them ideal for concentrated flavor in cooked applications.

Canned tomatoes form the foundation of countless dishes across Mediterranean, Latin American, and global cuisines. They are essential for pasta sauces, soups, stews, chilis, curries, and braises where their concentrated flavor and uniform texture are advantages over fresh tomatoes. The standard can serves as a basic unit in recipes, particularly in North American cooking. Diced canned tomatoes work well in salsas and quick preparations, while whole and crushed varieties suit long-simmered dishes where structural breakdown is desired. Canned tomatoes provide reliable acidity and umami year-round, regardless of fresh tomato seasonality.