I really hate the word hack. Yet here I am using it because I can’t think of a more appropriate term for what I’m about to suggest you do to your canned or jarred pizza sauce. And because ‘why you should put your pizza sauce in a French press before spreading it onto your pizza crust’ is far too long a title.

But that’s what you should do.

I mean, it doesn’t have to be a French press. That’s what I use. You can use whatever straining mechanism you want–a cheesecloth, a coffee filter, a proper sieve (and if anyone wants to buy me a proper sieve, I’ll go ahead and stop using the French press.) I just happen to own this somewhat crappy French press which came with a rather puzzling tea insert. And I’ve long been using the tea insert as a fine-mesh strainer for mostly tomato products. Here’s why:

Super Science-y Reasons Why You Should Strain Your Store-Bought Pizza Sauce

Tomatoes are 94% water.

Water makes pizza crust mushy.

Mushy pizza is bad.

Bad pizza ruins Friday watch-tv-and-drink-beer-and-eat-pizza night.

See? Wasn’t that super science-y?

Further, good pizza sauce is typically uncooked. Which means if you’ve managed to find a quality canned or jarred pizza sauce that you enjoy, it was probably made properly, using as little heat as possible. Which also means that none of that water cooked out.

Personally, I like the Don Pepinos brand pizza sauce*. I don’t know if it is made properly, but I can tell you that it is really, really good. I’ve eaten it with a spoon, cold. And I don’t typically do things-in-a-can.  I used it un-strained quite happily for many years. Until one day, I tried straining it. I will never go back to un-strained sauce again. Here’s why:

This is my little French press tea insert with a can of Don Pepinos flipped upside down into it. At first, the sauce fills the insert.

This is how much water comes out right off the bat. (Note: you don’t have to throw this away! You can use it to flavor soups and stock and gravies. Just freeze into an ice cube tray for future use.)

And this is what the sauce looks like after sitting in the strainer for around ten minutes.

Mmm. Globby.

No seriously. Globby is good. Straining out the water concentrates the flavor. And, more, it prevents crust-sog. And who wants crust-sog? No one, that’s who.

Happy pizza hacking!

*I liked the Don Pepinos brand pizza sauce until I didn’t have any one day and needed to make my own. And then I made my own, and it was good too. Here’s how:

Insanely Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

1 large can whole or diced tomatoes (I bought ten for $10 store-brand cans, because I’m poor)

sugar, to taste (more than you’d think–I used maybe 2 tbsp)

salt, to taste (unless your cheap tomatoes came pre-salted–I used maybe 1 tbsp)

dried oregano, to taste (you can’t really use too much)

drizzle balsamic vinegar (optional but recommended)

Directions

Combine all in a food processor or blender.

Blend.

Strain as you would canned sauce. You know, in a French press tea insert?

Smear across pizza and enjoy.

Makes enough sauce for two pizzas, and a little extra to use to dunk the crust. Have I mentioned I really like pizza sauce? I really like pizza sauce.