MARINARA SAUCES - CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated August 2024

Can you just imagine the delicious scent of homemade Marinara Sauce simmering on the stove? Secret family recipes abound in this category, hurray! Adding a touch of this and a dash of that to create a perfectly balanced + special sauce.

Historically, Marinara Sauce was only made when tomatoes were in season. Tomatoes are a fruit and are naturally sweet when ripe.

Homemade recipes for Marinara Sauce generally include the following ingredients:

RAGU PRODUCTS ARE THE MOST USED PASTA SAUCES IN THE U.S. (Source: Statista 2023)

All of the Ragú Old World Style sauces contain added Sugar. (Source: Mizkan Ragu Web site 8/23)

In addition to added Sugar, let's look at what's in the Japanese-owned Ragú Marinara Sauce (Source: Mizkan Ragu Web site 8/24):

WATER IS THE FIRST INGREDIENT IN RAGU MARINARA SAUCE: Ingredients are always listed in descending order of amount; there is the most amount of the ingredient listed first and the least amount of the ingredient listed last. So, we see water as the first ingredient in Ragú Marinara Sauce (within the tomato purée, which is more water than it is tomato paste).

RAGU MARINARA SAUCE CONTAINS FOUR INGREDIENTS NOT IN KITCHEN™: Ingredients which are Not In Kitchen are those ingredients we would not have in our kitchens if we were making Marinara Sauce at home. In Ragú Marinara Sauce these ingredients are: Calcium Chloride (a firming aid), Citric Acid which, — according to the FDA 2024 — is a Chemical Preservative, Water and Natural Flavor.

RAGU MARINARA SAUCE CONTAINS ADDED 'NATURAL FLAVOR': According to the Environmental Working Group, commercial 'natural flavor' contain anywhere from 50 to 100 ingredients. According to the EWG, 'natural flavor' is the fourth most common ingredient in packaged foods. The only ingredients that come before 'natural flavor' in popularity are salt, water and sugar. We are all cumulatively consuming a lot of this vague natural man-made flavor.

PREGO IS THE #2 MOST USED PASTA SAUCE IN THE U.S.: Prego is owned by The Campbell Soup Company. (Source for ranking: Statista 2024)

Similar to Ragu Marinara Sauce, Water is the first ingredient in Prego Marinara Sauce. (Source: Campbell’s Prego Web site 8/24)

CAMPBELL'S PREGO MARINARA SAUCE CONTAINS THREE INGREDIENTS NOT IN KITCHEN: Water, Canola Oil and the FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative - Citric Acid - would not be in our kitchens if we were making homemade Marinara Sauce. According to the FDA 2024, 95% of U.S. canola are from GMO seed.

Q: Would you add water to your homemade Marinara Sauce? Fresh tomatoes already contain plenty of water.

MANUFACTURED CITRIC ACID: In addition to Ragú and Prego Marinara Sauces, many other Marinara Sauces contain Citric Acid:

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE: The Closest To Homemade Marinara Sauces noted below have no Added Water, no Added Sugar or Sweeteners, no Chemical Preservatives and use only Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They are wildly delicious and spot-on with homemade.

Some of the Closest To Homemade Marinara Sauce brands include Carbone Marinara from famous Michelin-starred Chefs, Mr. Mario Carbone and Mr. Rich Torrisi; Mia Cucina from New Jersey; Non-GMO Project Verified and certified Vegan and Gluten-Free Mezzetta Marinara; Non-GMO Project Verified Cucina Antica; Non-GMO Project Verified and verified Gluten-free Michaels of Brooklyn, and Rao’s. (Sources: Brand Web sites 8/24)

*Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list*

Seen below, CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE ORGANIC MARINARA SAUCES: Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified Seggiano Marinara Garlic; Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified Organico Bello; Whole Foods 365 Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce; Organic and Kosher and Non-GMO Project Verified Lucini Tuscan Tomato Marinara with no added Oil, and Organic and Kosher Thrive Market Classic Marinara Sauce. (Sources: Brand Web sites 8/24)

MARINARA SAUCE COMPARISON: Let's compare one of the Closest To Homemade Marinara Sauces — Carbone Marinara — to Ragú and Prego. (Sources: Brand Web sites 8/24)

TOMATO PASTE VS. WHOLE TOMATOES: Ragú and Prego use a Tomato Paste which includes Water >> so Water is the first ingredient in these Marinara Sauces. Carbone Marinara has no added Water.

CANOLA OILS VS. OLIVE OIL: Prego contains Canola Oil, whereas traditional marinara recipes always use Olive Oil..

In the world of Marinara Sauces:

AVOID: All added sweeteners, preservatives, dehydrated ingredients, vegetable oils, soybean oil, canola oil, (table) salt, commercial 'natural flavor', plastic containers (the acid in the tomatoes can “eat” into the plastic).

SEEK: Fresh organic ingredients, Himalayan salt, organic spices, organic fresh herbs, olive oil (ideally extra virgin and organic), glass containers.

Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

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