Questions around preparing or cooking with tomatoes, along with selecting appropriate varieties
4
votes
1answer
214 views
what makes red tomato sauce turn orange in colour?
I have noticed that tomato sauce (having started with deep red tomatoes) can turn orange.
The colour change isn't from mixing in an ingredient of different colour such as cream. It seems to occur in ...
16
votes
4answers
777 views
What is the alternative to a vine ripened tomato?
Having just had a lovely sandwich of Aberdeen Angus beef, vine ripened tomato and horseradish I was wondering if anyone could explain to me exactly what a vine ripened tomato is?
Since all tomatoes ...
2
votes
3answers
162 views
how to get rid of the raw tomato smell from tomato sauce
Im making marinara sauce with crushed tomatoes, and no matter how much seasoning I add or however long I cook it down, the smell of raw tomato is still in the sauce. Does anyone know how to get rid of ...
13
votes
2answers
575 views
Why does tomato sauce spatter more than other sauces?
Of all the (thick) sauces and creams I prepare in a hot pot, tomato sauce is the most jumpy.
When it's hot, it's impossible to cook properly without having it jump everywhere and repaint the walls, ...
1
vote
3answers
232 views
Will I never be able to cook anything needing tomatoes in a seasoned cast iron Kadhai?
http://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/5863/6168
If you put any acid in cast-iron, you are harming your seasoning, and leeching iron into your food. This will affect the taste of your sauces, I find ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Enhancing garlic and tomatoes on toast [closed]
I often make the following vegan breakfast toast. I start by finely chopped onions and garlic and heat the combination on a non-stick pan till the onions are brown. Then I add a tomato chopped into ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Tomato sauce - tomatoes, then juice vs tomatoes & juice
Recently I made a simple tomato sauce using canned tomatoes. In the recipe it said to first put the tomatoes in the pan, then the juice. I followed this advice and the sauce was great, but will the ...
3
votes
1answer
136 views
I'm making tomato sauce which never thickens
I tried the following recipe.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5211/amatriciana-pasta
The result is tasty, but the sauce looks nowhere near the image. It is some red paste, yes, but with onions ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
Canning tomato sauce
I am asking for advice on canning a tomato pasta sauce. It consists of canned tomatoes, butter, and some onions.
I already did a Google search, but the results are contradicting. Some people claim ...
7
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the difference between tomato puree, paste and sauce?
I was looking for a recipe for an Italian tomato sauce when I came across an old cookbook from an American Creole Chef I like, but I'm really confused about the terminology he uses for some of the ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Can tomato paste be substituted for tomato purée?
A recipe for meat loaf from an Australian book (apparently terminology differs from country to country) calls for 1 cup (250 mL/8 fl oz) of tomato purée, and 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
...
1
vote
5answers
542 views
How to create thick, hearty garlic marinara sauce?
I've been searching online for a recipe for a robust garlic marinara sauce to no avail. Does anyone have any tips on how to make this kind of thick, hearty sauce from scratch?
This is what I've tried ...
5
votes
2answers
116 views
pressure cooking THEN water bath canning
I wanted to make and can my grandma's tomato soup but it calls for carrots and I don't have a pressure canner. I made the soup in a 15 PSI pressure cooker and then poured it into sterilized jars and ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
What does it mean when a recipe calls for coring a tomato?
When I was making gazpacho, I looked up a video, and found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDt0L1-SaRg
In this video, almost the entire interior of the tomato is removed. I followed this video, ...
1
vote
2answers
765 views
Make tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes? [closed]
I'm quite new to cooking, but nonetheless I have been experimenting in the kitchen for a while to try and make some sauce from tomatoes. But all my attempts failed: I usually get just a bunch of fried ...
1
vote
1answer
127 views
Cored tomatoes measured before or after coring?
If a recipe calls for 3 pounds of tomatoes, cored, should you start with three pounds of tomatoes and core them, or should you have 3 pounds after coring? I would have thought that you start with 3 ...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
Why does oil change the color of salmorejo?
We did a few experiments last year with salmorejo, a cold soup made of very ripe tomatoes and bread, very similar to gazpacho.
We noticed that while blending, the salmorejo would turn pink. This is ...
4
votes
3answers
380 views
What can I use to replace the tomato juice in gazpacho?
I'm trying to find cold alternatives to hot soup. A friend pointed me to gazpacho. I tried that, and we really liked it.
However, I will be cooking for someone who does not eat cooked tomatoes ...
12
votes
3answers
316 views
How can I use these new findings on tomatoes to my advantage?
A new study appears to suggest that the characteristics that make a tomato most appealing when choosing one at the store also make it the least appealing when biting into it. Apparently, it is the ...
2
votes
1answer
160 views
Thinning Tomato paste
I have been experimenting with making my own condiments over the paste few weeks and there is one thing I cannot get correct.
The tomato paste has a thicker grainy texture that is really not ...
3
votes
2answers
468 views
Tomato pasta sauce splits. Why?
I use fresh tomato puree to make my pasta sauce, other things in my sauce are olive oil, garlic, some herbs and salt, i don't let it boil but during the simmering & thickening process the sauce ...
4
votes
4answers
223 views
How do I prevent tomatoes from falling in a green salad?
When making a green salad, I have taken to grating carrots instead of dicing them so they will mix better with the leaves.
I can't grate tomatoes. No matter how small I dice them (short of pureeing) ...
2
votes
1answer
403 views
What's the source of the sweetness in tomato sauce that's simmered for at least four hours?
I was reading up on tomato sauce, and it seems important to simmer the sauce for at least a few hours. The “Frankies Spuntino” recipe is about as simple as it can get, it doesn't even contain onions. ...
1
vote
2answers
866 views
How do tomatillos differ in taste from under-ripe tomatoes?
I can't get access to tomatillos, but I would like to know what they taste like.
This helped me a bit, but it's not entirely clear to me what would be different between tomatillos and under-ripe ...
4
votes
3answers
377 views
Will tomatoes keep for longer if you keep the stalk in?
I know that avocados are supposed to keep longer with the stalks; I would like to know if it is also true for tomatoes?
3
votes
1answer
484 views
How do I get rid of that calcium chloride taste in my tomato sauce?
When making high-heat, quick tomato sauces using economical brands of tomatoes packed using calcium chloride (and citric acid typically), the metallic taste and fake-fresh texture are disturbing. ...
0
votes
1answer
992 views
How Long Does Tomato Juice Last?
We've been buying tomato juice in smaller containers and now decided to buy bigger ones. But, when we went to the store the tomato juice says that it only lasts two weeks in the fridge. Expiration ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I make Shepherd's Pie without tomatoes?
Shepherd's pie recipes usually involve cooking the lamb mince with tomato paste or chopped tomatoes from a can, for example in this BBC recipe, or this Good Food recipe.
How can I best approximate ...
6
votes
3answers
8k views
What is the difference between grape and cherry tomatoes?
What is the flavor difference between grape and cherry tomatoes? The store had both and they looked rather similar.
3
votes
2answers
251 views
Looks curdled, but it wasn't - my bad alfredo
I made some alfredo sauce (evoo, heavy cream, homemade pesto, Parmesan cheese) and decided to throw in some chopped tomato. Instantly, it separated. Was it the acidity of the tomato or the extra water ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Preparing Salsa with a Magic Bullet
I'm trying to make some salsa with a magic bullet using the given recipe from the cookbook that comes with it. Here's the recipe with a picture of how it turns out at best.
The final product comes ...
5
votes
2answers
362 views
Is it necessary to skim the scum off of fermenting pickles?
The sour (fermented) pickle recipe that I am following states:
Check the crock every day. Skim any mold from the surface, but don’t
worry if you can’t get it all. If there’s mold, be sure to ...
5
votes
3answers
905 views
What is the correct onion to tomato ratio for North Indian masala sauce?
What's the optimum — or, at least, the most widely used — tomato to onion ratio for making the tomato masala (sauce)? Masala is used as the base for a number of north Indian dishes. Onions are fried ...
2
votes
9answers
341 views
Looking to add some texture to my tomato soup recipe
I have been working on perfecting a tomato soup recipe for the past month or so and I've reached the point where the soup itself is to my liking.
I am now trying to figure out the garnish and so far ...
4
votes
1answer
899 views
Did tomato paste come in only one size of can in the 1950s?
I found an old cookery book while on holiday at the german coast, it was published by Peter Pauper press, Mt. Vernon, New York in 1959.
All recipes that use tomato paste just say "1/2 can tomato ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the “standard” salsa tomato?
I make a lot of fresh salsa (pico de gallo style) in the summer, but I don't usually think much about the type of tomatoes I'm usuing. Usually I just buy whatever looks best (fresh & ripe) at the ...
1
vote
1answer
425 views
Tomato skin in roasted tomato soup?
In preparing roasted tomato soup, which includes tomatoes that I roast in the oven at 200 °C (392 °F) for 30 minutes, and then simmer for a long time, I am having an issue with tomato skins. I find ...
-2
votes
3answers
223 views
Red tomato sauce recipe [closed]
As of late, I have found myself incredibly interested in perfecting a red sauce recipe.
While I don't have the recipe in front of me, I know most of what I put in it off the top of my head. I would ...
1
vote
3answers
229 views
Freezing Tomatoes for Winter?
Local farmers are currently dumping tomatoes with about 0.5EUR per kg. It is a very low price. I know how to branch small things but tomatoes are large. The video here mentioned to use C-vitamin ...
2
votes
4answers
323 views
What vegetable for sauteed zucchini could I use instead of tomatoes?
I like to fry or sautee onions, garlic, chilis, spices (for flavor) and zucchini (the main ingredient); then stir them in a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. The tomatoes are a way ...
3
votes
2answers
210 views
Why do gazpacho recipes have you put garlic and salt together, then mash with an egg?
Why do gazpacho recipes have you put garlic and salt together, then mash with an egg?
What is the purpose?
3
votes
3answers
2k views
American recipe using 'a can of tomato sauce'
I have an American recipe which lists a 'can of tomato sauce' as an ingredient. Does anyone know if this just means chopped tomatoes or is an actual sauce maybe onion, garlic, tomato, seasoning? Do ...
7
votes
4answers
12k views
What causes a tomato sauce to have a bitterness and getting rid of it?
My tomato sauce is coming out great, lots of flavor, especially after I was able to reduce it following the tips here
However, it is still slightly bitter.
What causes a tomato sauce to have a (in ...
6
votes
3answers
4k views
My tomato sauce is very watery
It has flavor, but its consistency is too thin.
Will letting sit over medium low heat evaporate enough to increase its density or is this useless?
Would bringing it to a boil help more. I don't want ...
4
votes
4answers
840 views
How can I cut lots of cherry tomatoes in half quickly and evenly?
Is there a tool to cut cherry tomatoes in half? Since they are so regular it should be possible to build such a machine.
Alternately, what can I do to improve my speed and accuracy when halving them ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the conversion rate between plum tomatoes and “regular” tomatoes?
I have a recipe that calls for 12 plum tomatoes (seeded, skinned, and pureed). Can I substitute regular tomatoes, and if so, in what ratio should I substitute them?
Here is a picture of what I mean ...
4
votes
2answers
407 views
Thicker tomato sauce on the pizza makes the cheese more slippery
After reading the advice about tomato sauce in this answer, I decided to try straining the sauce to remove water and see what it did to the crust.
I let the water drain out of a jar of tomato sauce ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Why did my tomato soup turn thick and brownish?
I tried to improvise a tomato soup following these steps:
Slice tomatoes, briefly stir-fry for aroma, together with some onions, garlic pepper, salt, and a bit of sugar.
While still hot, purée all ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I use up my canned tomato paste? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What do you do with left over tomato paste?
I have many cans of tomato paste, and I just want to get some ideas about how to use them up.
6
votes
3answers
1k views
How can I add meat into a completed tomato sauce?
Yesterday I was cooking for someone and was planning on making a bolognese sauce, but when it came to start cooking (ie. after doing my mise en place), she asked if I could leave the meat out of it, ...
