WTF?: Monkey Business

Although there is quite a bit of debate about the potentially harmful effects of bisphenol-a, or BPA, on humans, some animal studies have suggested an increased risk of cancer and/or accelerated puberty.  As an intrinsically risk averse human being, I eliminated all plastic containers in our home and discontinued purchases of canned beans and, sadly, our beloved canned tomatoes.

After visiting a few local grocery stores, I managed to find Lucini, a brand that sells organic canned tomatoes (whole or diced) in a jar. Fantastic.

As I leaned into the shelf to grab a jar (or two), I glanced down at the price tag.  WTF?!  $7.99 for a jar of tomatoes!  How could this jar of tomatoes cost almost $4.00 more than the canned version I used to buy!   Moreover, how could Lucini sell their own brand of marinara sauces for less (okay, $.30 less, but whatever) than their jarred tomatoes!   Was I a dummy for making my own marinara sauce?

As much as I would like to argue that the jacked up pricing  is the work of monkeys, I am afraid that the $7.99 is the result of a basic economic concept:  supply and demand.  Without getting into too much technical detail, greater demand for glass jarred tomatoes might create greater supply of glass jarred tomatoes, which could possibly lower the price.

To (selfishly) encourage more demand for jarred tomatoes, I offer below my makeshift recipe for a no-cook marinara sauce that we normally use for pizza.

Ingredients:

1 27 oz glass jar of organic whole plum tomatoes (doesn’t have to be Lucini!)
2 cloves of minced organic garlic
1-½ tablespoons of dried organic basil
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
pinch of chili pepper flakes (optional)
1-½ teaspoon of organic cane sugar (optional)

Directions:

Pour  jarred tomatoes in a large bowl.  Squish the tomatoes between your fingers until sauce has a chunky/mushy consistency.  Add the garlic, salt, pepper and chili pepper and basil.  Leave at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.  Use as pizza sauce!

Tags: accelerated puberty, Bisphenol-a, BPA, cancer, canned tomatoes, early puberty, glass jar tomatoes, health-diet-nutrition, health-recipes, Lucini, no cook pasta pizza sauce, pizza, recipe, Recipe Vault, sauce

Category: Featured Articles: Food Politics, Featured Articles: Health & Nutrition, Food Politics, Health & Nutrition, Main Dish - Vegetarian, Recipe Vault, Sides, Sauces, and Breads