Cooking With Tomatoes: Kitchen Q&A

Slices Of Fresh Tomato Are A Delicious Addition To Many Dishes

This week’s Kitchen Questions & Answers is all about tomatoes: Do you know how to substitute tomato sauce for tomato paste? Or vice versa? Or how to easily skin a tomato? These questions and more are answered below…

Tomatoes: Kitchen Q&A

1. What’s the difference between grape and cherry tomatoes? While both are tiny tomatoes perfect for salads and other dishes, grape tomatoes have a thicker skin and are sweeter while cherry tomatoes are juicier.
2. Is there some way I can substitute tomato sauce for tomato paste? Sure! Cook tomato sauce down until it’s reduced by half then use as tomato paste.
3. Can I make tomato sauce from tomato paste? A quick and easy recipe is to use three parts of tomato paste with four parts of water (ie. 3/4 cups of tomato paste, 1 cup of water). Add seasonings to taste.
4. What’s the difference between tomato paste, tomato sauce and tomato puree? Tomato paste has been reduced into a thicker consistency than tomato puree or tomato sauce and is strong in flavor. Tomato puree is the juice from strained, cooked tomatoes and is not as thick as tomato paste. Tomato sauce has the thinnest consistency of the three.
5. How do you peel or skin a tomato? Tomatoes don’t have thick rinds like citrus fruits and aren’t firm like apples that make them easy to peel, so the process of skinning a tomato is a little more work–but still so easy to do. First dip fresh tomatoes in boiling water then plunge into ice cold water–the skins will slide off effortlessly. Step by step instructions can be found here: How To Skin Tomatoes.
6. Can tomatoes be dried? You bet! Sun dried (or oven dried tomatoes) taste delicious and are an easy way to preserve tomatoes. See How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes to learn how to make them.
7. Can tomatoes be frozen? Select firm, ripe & deep red tomatoes. Wash then blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and peel. To be used in cooked dishes only, tomatoes will not be solid. Also a tip from Norma: Whole tomatoes can be washed and frozen in containers or plastic bags. When you are ready to use simply thaw and the skin will slip right off and they are ready to be used in cooking. Can also freeze as stewed tomatoes (using your favorite recipe) or as tomato juice: Quarter and core tomatoes. Place in covered pan, crushing slightly to cover bottom of pan with juice. Heat rapidly to just below boiling. Put through food press and cool quickly by setting pan in iced water. Add 1 tsp. salt per quart of juice. Pack and seal tightly. How To Freeze Vegetables.
8. Any tips for ripening tomatoes? Ripen tomatoes in a brown paper lunch bag and fold over the top to close, this will help keep the ethylene gas the tomatoes produce inside the bag to speed up ripening. Lots more tips found here: How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks.
9. Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable? Tomatoes are technically a fruit (classified as a berry) but considered a vegetable in cookery.
10. Is it normal for home-canned tomatoes to spurt when the jar is opened? No, spurting contents are a sign of spoilage in home canning and the contents should be discarded safely so children and pets can’t get at it. See Home Canning: Signs of Spoilage for more signs you should watch for.
11. What are good canning tomatoes? Good canning tomatoes are those of the “determinate” variety. These are a bushier tomato plant that produces most of their tomatoes within six weeks before tapering off production and typically ripen early in the season. Source: Growing Tomatoes: {Tip Sheet}.
12. What’s an easy way to core cherry tomatoes for stuffing? Use a melon baller to hollow out cherry tomatoes quickly (from Go Go Gadgets: 30 Handy Kitchen Gadget Tips).

There are so many different ways you can cook with tomatoes! Try making homemade pizza sauce or canning salsa and making batches of tomato jam. There are lots of ways for cooking with green tomatoes too!

Don't Miss These Tips:

• How To Skin Tomatoes
• Growing Tomatoes: {Tip Sheet}
• How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks