Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano

Canned tomatoes are a perfect winter food. As you'll know from our tomato episode, the beautiful fruits in fresh aisle of the supermarket are mostly flavorless outside of the summer season—but the tomatoes that get packed in a can are cheap, readily available, and, most importantly, delicious year-round. This episode, we have the stories of how turtle poop, full English fry-ups, and an Italian romance helped turn the canned tomato into a pantry hero. Plus, are San Marzanos really the best tasting option out there? We've got the juicy tips you need to score the ultimate tomato fix, no matter the season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can listen to Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano is an episode from Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley.

This episode is 50:16 long.

This episode was published on Jan 13, 2026.

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