Frequently Asked Questions
Do these need refrigeration before opening?
No. Vacuum-sealed, shelf-stable, good for 2–3 years — that’s what proper preservation looks like. Once you open them, treat like freshly cooked food: seal it, refrigerate it, use within 4–5 days. The vacuum does the preservation work. That’s why there are no preservatives in the ingredient list.
What preserves these products if not additives?
Good technique and good ingredients. Heat-processing, vacuum sealing, natural acidity, quality salt. That’s it — exactly as it has been done for centuries. Everything in La Dispensa is certified organic: no synthetic pesticides, no glyphosate (used extensively in conventional tomato and vegetable farming as both a herbicide and a pre-harvest treatment), independently audited from farm to jar. A short ingredient list is not a limitation. It’s a sign that the starting material was good enough to stand alone.
What does “in propria acqua” mean on canned tomatoes?
The tomatoes are packed in their own juice — no added water, no concentrate. This is the traditional Italian standard and the difference between a serious canned tomato and a cheap one. Water-packed tomatoes run thin and flat in the pan and need forever to cook down. These start concentrated, reduce fast, and taste like the tomato was actually good to begin with. Read the label: if it says water in the ingredients, it’s telling you something.
Whole peeled, crushed, passata — which should I use?
Three different products for different purposes. Whole peeled: maximum control. Break them with your hands and build the sauce at your pace — best for long, slow-cooked sauces. Crushed: already broken down, good for a quicker, heartier result. Passata: smooth purée, fastest of the three — but the quality of the base tomato matters more here because there’s nowhere to hide. Start with great tomatoes and all three work beautifully. Start with mediocre ones and you’ll spend the whole cook trying to rescue something that was lost before you opened the jar.