Tomatoes

FastTrack on learning to cook

and Cooking Reference

Also Known As FTLtCaCR

Examples of the Common Varieties

Description

A note on descriptions and classification

Tomatoes range in size, color, shape and use. Red is the most common color.

A few of the Tomato varieties Cherry, Sungold, Cherry Grape, Jubilee, Tiny Tiger, Early Girl, Lemon Boy, Big Boy

Currant, Cosmonaut Volkove, Early Cascade, Daybreak, Cascade, Sunrise, Springset, Gold Dust, Taxi, Ultimate Giant, Ultra Sweet, Basket Vee, Better Boy, Big Beef, Harvest Vee, Celebrity, Jet Star, Supersonic, Sunbeam, Harris Olé, Sun Gem, Mt. Spring, Sunrise, Nova, Roma, Viva Italia, La Rossa, SanRemo, Del Oro, Classica, Plum Dandy, La Roma, Big Rainbow, Black Prince, Black from Tula, Box Car Willie, Golden Queen, Green Zebra, Fruity Orange, Striped Roman, Striped German, Brandywine, Moscovich and hundreds more

The varieties of tomatoes may seem overwhelming, but they can be summed up by several major types:

Generic Tomato Varieties	Examples	Common Uses
Dwarf, Midget, Patio (other than Cherry) are around 1-inch in diameter or less	Tiny Tim, Grape	Salads
Cherry tomatoes are around 1-inch diameter or less	Cherry, Tiny Tiger	Salads
Compact or determinate early-ripening tomatoes	Early Girl, Cluster
Beefsteak are usually 2 inches in diameter or larger	Beefsteak, Oxheart	Sandwiches
Paste are small oblong fruits with meaty interiors and few seeds	Plum, Roma	Tomato sauce
Green, Orange, Yellow, Pink	Green, Brandywine	Usage varies
Heirloom	Boxcar Willy, Green Zebra

Shopping

Tomatoes are available year-round, with the peak season from June through September. For the best flavor, its best to buy fresh seasonal produce. A fresh, ripe tomato is a wonderful thing.

Vine-ripened are usually the most flavorful.
Avoid bruised or cracked tomatoes.
Choose well shaped, firm and uniformly colorful tomatoes without blemishes.
A ripe tomato yields slightly to gentle pressure.
It is okay to purchase unripened fruit.
If tomatoes need to ripen, store them at room temperature in a brown paper bag (or in a fruit-ripening bowl).

Storing

Ripe tomatoes should be stored at room temperature.
A ripe tomato will keep for a few days.
Refrigerate only if you need to store them longer.

Canned Tomato Products

Canned tomatoes are available whole, peeled, crushed, pureed, stewed, diced, concentrated and with herbs. I use canned whole tomatoes for sauce and reserve vine-ripened ones to be eaten raw.

whole tomatoes	are usually best as they usually contains the fewest fillers and other additives.
stewed tomatoes	have been cooked with other vegetables and can contain other additives.
tomato puree	can be tomato paste mixed with water or tomatoes that have been cooked and strained.
tomato paste	are tomatoes that have been cooked, strained and reduced to a concentrate.
tomato sauce	is a generic term for any number of sauces that are tomato based. Read your ingredients carefully.
tomato juice	is usually tomatoes blended with other ingredients.
tomato soup	is a generic term for any number of soups that are tomato based.

Preparation

Core	use the tip of a sharp knife to make a shallow cut all around the stem end, and then pop out the core.
Slice	with a serrated knife, or prick the skin with the tip of a paring knife to get a slice going, then follow through with the blade. Cut lengthwise, from stem to blossom end, rather than widthwise to retain more juice.
Dice	Slice and put half of the slices on a cutting surface with a flat slice down, and cut them into strips. Cut crosswise into dice, and repeat with the other slices.
Peel	Make a small x opposite the stem end. Drop into boiling water for about 15 to 20 seconds. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes. Slip the skin off.
Seed	Cut in half horizontally, hold each half over a strainer sitting on a bowl and squeeze; the seeds will be trapped in the strainer. Only seed tomatoes if necessary for aesthetic reasons, because you will lose some of their nutritional value if you do.

Equivalences

Ingredient	Amount	Approximately Equal ≅
Canned Tomatoes	16 oz	2 cups pulp & juice
Canned Tomatoes	28 oz	2 cups drained
Tomato Paste	1 tablespoon	1 medium tomato
Diced Tomatoes	16 oz	2 cups pulp & juice
Cooked Tomatoes	2 lbs	1 1/2 cups
Fresh Tomatoes	1 large	1 cup chopped
	1 lb	2 large, 3 medium, 4 small
	1 lb	3/4 cup cooked
Cherry Tomatoes	1 lb	1 pint
Cherry Tomatoes	1 lb	25-35 tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes	1 oz	10 tomatoes
Tomato Juice	1 cup	2 - 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, blended in food processor with salt and lemon juice to taste
Tomato Juice	1 cup	1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water.
Tomato Paste	1 tablespoon	1/4 cup tomato sauce and eliminate some other liquid from the recipe
Tomato Puree	1 cup	1/3 cup tomato paste and 1/2 cup water
Tomato Puree	1 cup	1 cup tomato sauce
Tomato Sauce	2 cups	3/4 cup tomato paste and 1 cup water
Tomato Sauce	2 cups	2 cups tomato puree

Tools:

Can Size
Equivalents

Conversion
Charts

Conversion
Calculators

General Vegetable
and Fruit
Guidelines

Other
Resources

Use whole canned tomatoes for sauce
Use the small cherry and grape tomatoes in salads
Use beefsteak and clusters in salads and sandwiches
Try some of the Heirlooms, they can be delicious