Most of the stew or sauce recipes you find that call for tomatoes specifically use canned tomatoes, instead of fresh tomatoes. If you have a garden full of tomatoes, however (or you’re trying to avoid cans lined with BPA plastic film), you may wonder if you can substitute fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes — and, if so, how?
Proportions for Fresh Tomatoes:
- 14.5-ounce can undrained diced tomatoes = 1.25 cups of diced fresh tomatoes and 1 cup of liquid
- 28-ounce can undrained diced tomatoes = 2.5 cups of diced fresh tomatoes and 1 cup of liquid
Use any liquid that seems appropriate for your recipe, such as water, broth or tomato juice.