Cooking Tips

Work Down the Vine

When choosing your tomato from the vine, start with the tomato at the top (closest to where the vine is cut) and work your way down. That way, you can enjoy the ripest of the ripe first.

The Way You Slice It

A good serrated knife is far superior to a flat-edged knife when it comes to slicing tomatoes. If you use a flat-edged knife, make sure it’s very sharp, or you’ll squash and bruise the tomato when slicing.

Aluminum Is a No-No

Tomatoes and aluminum don’t play nice. The acid in the tomato reacts unfavorably to aluminum pots, pans or utensils. Using aluminum makes the cooked tomatoes bitter and fades the color. The acid in the tomatoes may also discolor the aluminum cookware. You’re best off using a nonreactive pan, such as stainless steel, enamel coated or glass.

Flavor Saviors

When making tomato sauce, a quarter teaspoon of baking soda per gallon will help alleviate acidity as well.

Herbs, a Tomato’s Best Friend

There are a lot of great herbs out there that complement tomatoes, but so far these are our favorites: basil, oregano, cilantro, marjoram, pepper, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, sesame seed, tarragon, chives and parsley.

Yeah, we know that’s a long list. But herbs and tomatoes are just that good together.