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Tomato sauce is by far one of the most commonly used food items all around the globe. But have you ever noticed that when you go to some other country, they have their own terminology for it?
Especially in a country like the US, you will find their tomato sauce different from most of the country’s recipes. So what does tomato sauce mean in US recipes? What is that major difference and how to prepare it? Let us talk about it in detail.
What does tomato sauce mean in US recipes?
In the US, tomato sauce refers to the sweeter, smoother and thicker version of tomato puree. If we talk about most of the tomato sauces recipe, they may or may not contain sugar however in the US, if you prepare a tomato sauce with a recipe, you are more likely to add some sugar to it.
Difference between tomato sauce and tomato puree
Many people tend to confuse tomato sauce and tomato puree. Although there’s a significant difference available, many aren’t aware of the same. The main difference between these two is the thickness, making process and sweetness of it. Here’s a table explaining each of them.
| Facts | Tomato Sauce | Tomato Puree |
| Made from | Boiled tomatoes | Boiled/raw tomatoes |
| Comes with | sugar | No sugar |
| Thick or Thin | It is comparatively thicker | It comes in liquid form |
How to prepare tomato sauce in the US?
If you’re looking forward to make tomato sauce in the US, then here’s a quick recipe for the same-
- First, chop some tomatoes and peel them off.
- Now boil them in some boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
- Now cool them in some cold water and grind them into a paste.
- Heat up your pan, add some garlic cloves, basil, salt, pepper and some sugar.
- Add your tomato pulp to it.
- Boil it until it becomes half of the quantity. Or wait until you find some thickness in it.
- Add a tablespoon of cornflour or starch for thickness.
- Cook it properly and it’s ready.
Wrapping up,
So that’s it. It was all about all that you need to know about tomato sauce and how one can prepare it. Although we have shared all the required information needed, if you still want to know about something that we couldn’t cover here, please comment below and let us know.
FAQ
1- What is tomato sauce in American cooking?
In American cooking, tomato sauce is more like a tomato passata or puree that has some flavour like salt and sugar in it and the consistency is also thicker.
2- Are ketchup and tomato sauce the same thing?
No, tomato ketchup and tomato sauce are two different things that look and taste similar. However, the major difference is their ingredients. In tomato sauce, you will find tomato, vegetable stock, sugar and a bit of spice whereas, in tomato ketchup, you will always find vinegar or some acetic acid.
3- What do Americans mean by tomato paste?
In America, if you want to prepare tomato paste, then it clearly means to prepare a solid form of concentrated tomato with some sugar and salt in it. It is different from tomato puree as there’s no such liquid form in it.
