Del Monte Original Sloppy Joe Sauce Review

Del Monte Original Sloppy Joe Sauce is truly the helpful and convenient hamburger spicer-upper.  I’ve used it on my sloppy Joes for months, and very much enjoy the spicy tomato flavor.

Here are my thoughts on this perhaps-a-trifle-sweet yet still good tasting sandwich sauce, that’s an abundant staple in the kitchen; I make sloppy Joes about once per week.

 

Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features

  • The mild yet unmistakable flavor of this sandwich sauce is hearty!  It’s a very thick sauce and offers an abundance of spicy flavor, but not to excess.  It tastes very much like other national brands like Manwich.
  • This sloppy Joe sauce is virtually non perishable while sealed in its can. I’ve kept unopened cans around for months without noticeable change of taste or color.
  • It includes no artificial flavors or preservatives, and is a great source of vitamin A.
  • It is mildly spicy; I’ve tasted other much spicier sloppy Joe sauces. This makes it acceptable to a diverse pool of guests at those back-yard parties and celebrations, where sloppy Joes work so well.  Virtually no one will deem this sauce too hot.
  • I like the pull-top can.  You do not need a can opener to get at the product inside; just a long index fingernail for getting underneath the pull-ring while opening.
  • The label offers a couple interesting variations of the traditional Sloppy Joe, including the Chili Joe, the Submarine Joe, and the Taco Joe.
  • Del Monte is a well-established brand for this sort of product.  So you typically need not look very far to find some.

 

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, Concerns, and Suggested Improvements

  • They could make this sauce a bit thinner.  As it is, I must use a spoon to get all of it out of the can.  You can’t easily just dump this sauce out of the can.
  • Curious that this sloppy Joe sauce lists no fiber in its Nutrition Facts label.  Other brands (Great Value in particular) offer 2 grams of fiber.
  • They provide can-style packaging for this sauce product.  While this protects the contents from the deteriorating effects of exposure to bright light, it also subjects the sauce to the leeching of chemicals from the inside coatings of can itself, which are undesirable for consumption.  However, you can minimize this chemical-impartation from can to sauce by keeping the unopened can in a cool place. I wish they still used glass jars for items like this.
  • This sloppy Joe sauce contains significant amounts of sodium, at 440 MG per serving. This means that us folks over the age of 51 should not eat more than a cup and a half in a day; lest we exceed the recommended intake sodium amount of 1500 MG per day for our age group. I hope Del Monte makes a low-sodium version of this same sauce product sometime. I’ll look for one and review it, should I find one.
  • This sloppy Joe sauce contains added sugar (in the form of corn syrup and molasses) and salt. Again, they’d do well to make a product without these additives.
  • Del Monte sloppy Joe sandwich sauce should be sealed in a separate container and refrigerated after opening.  Better yet, eat it all up in one sitting.

 

Serving Instructions

For the Stove

  1. Brown 1 pound of ground beef or 3/4 pound of ground turkey in a skillet.
  2. Drain off the fat.
  3. Fold in 1 can of Del Monte Original Sloppy Joe Sauce.
  4. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated enough.
  5. Serve on hamburger buns or other desired breads.

For the Microwave Oven

  1. Crumble 1 pound of ground beef or 3/4 pound of ground turkey into a microwave dish.
  2. Microwave on HIGH for 4 to 6 minutes or until all pinkness has left the meat.
  3. Break up the meat with a spoon or fork.
  4. Stir in one can of Del Monte Original Sloppy Joe Sauce.
  5. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until sufficiently heated.
  6. Serve on your favorite breads or hamburger buns, kaiser rolls, et al.

 

Ingredients

Tomato puree (water, tomato paste), corn syrup, distilled vinegar, red and green bell peppers, salt, Worcestershire sauce (water, vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, anchovies, natural flavor, tamarinds, onions, salt, garlic shallots, cloves, chili peppers), modified food starch, spices, dried onions, dried garlic, natural flavor.

Contains fish (anchovy).

 

Nutrition Facts

  • Serving size: 1/4 cup, or 67 grams.  Servings per container: 6.
  • Calories: 50.  Calories from fat: 0.
  • Total fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
  • Saturated fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
  • Trans fat: 0 grams.
  • Polyunsaturated fat: 0 grams.
  • Monounsaturated fat: 0 grams.
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
  • Sodium: 440 milligrams, 18% DV.
  • Total carbohydrate: 11 grams, 4% DV.
  • Dietary fiber: 0 grams, 0% DV.
  • Sugars: 9 grams.
  • Protein: 1 gram.
  • Vitamin A: 20% DV.
  • Calcium: 2% DV.
  • Vitamin C: 2% DV.
  • Iron: 6% DV.

 

Product Rating

All-in-all, this tomato-based sauce for ground meat is an otherwise-busy cook’s dream for spicing up sloppy Joe with a taste of an expert hand but with virtually no effort, that people will generally recognize and request more of. Del Monte’s signature blend of tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, and spices makes this product a top hitter in the sloppy Joe sauce market. In moderation, it’s a healthy sauce, as the sugar content is not terribly high (9 grams per serving). So though it’s a little sweet for my taste, I still like it, and would recommend this product for any active chef’s kitchen.  I’d rate it at 90 out of 100.

 

Where To Buy Del Monte Original Sloppy Joe Sauce

Look for this Sloppy Joe Sandwich Sauce in the dark chocolate-brown 15-ounce can with the white lettering and the picture of a big sloppy Joe sandwich on the front, at any larger grocery store.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • 2015-01-25: Added whitespace, rearranged tag and category assignments, adjusted ad placement, and fixed a few typos.
  • 2012-06-13: Originally published.