Tomatoes, stewed

Tomatoes, stewed are fresh tomatoes which have been cooked with (or without) salt and  seasonings.  They can be heated and used as a side dish or added to sauces, soups or stews.  This is a common product found in most grocery stores.

To make the stewed tomatoes fresh tomatoes are peeled (sometimes chemically and other times flash-steamed) then simmered in their own liquid.

If you don't have stewed tomatoes, here are a couple of good substitutes:

• You can use Rotel, which are tomatoes cooked with diced chiles.  This is frequently used in salsa and dip recipes.
• OR  - You can cook canned whole tomatoes with 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper and 1/4 cup chopped onion.  This will produce a better, fresher flavor than canned stewed tomatoes.