Questions around preparing or cooking with tomatoes, along with selecting appropriate varieties
6
votes
7answers
18k views
Making Tomato Sauce from Tomato Paste
I've been trying, on-and-off when I have time, to make tomato sauce from a 5 1/2 oz can of tomato paste, but haven't figured out the right proportions of ingredients.
I've been combining a can of ...
12
votes
1answer
6k views
Does ketchup belong in the fridge, or the cupboard?
I'm hoping this will solve a biiig long-running debate I have with my friends. Heinz Tomato Ketchup (The UK version contains sugar from beets, rather than HFCS like the US version)
I tend to think ...
16
votes
6answers
2k views
How do you make tomato paste?
I have a garden every year and would prefer to use my own tomatoes for all my cooking. I can them and make sauces, but haven't found a good recipe that describes the technique for tomato paste. I ...
6
votes
6answers
2k views
How to get a thicker soup from watery tomatoes?
I want to make a tomato soup, but my girlfriend tells me that, from the tomato we have, the soup will be too watery. Now I've read that one could use tomato paste/puree as a thickener, and still keep ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What kind of knife should I use to slice tomatoes?
Is it better to use a serrated knife, or a regular chef's knife that is really sharp?
2
votes
4answers
615 views
Fruit salad with tomatoes
In a recent trip to my local supermarket with the intention of purchasing items for a fruit salad, I picked up some oranges, bananas, lemons, grapefruit, and a few other select fruits. This got me ...
3
votes
2answers
591 views
5
votes
2answers
3k views
Why use chopped tomatoes and tomato paste/puree?
I have seen a number of recipes that call for a tin of chopped tomatoes and some quantity (usually a tablespoon or two) of tomato puree (USA: tomato paste). What is the reasoning behind using tomato ...
5
votes
5answers
593 views
What is the name of the middle eastern salad containing Tomato and Cucumber?
Not sure if there is an proper name, had it in Israel but have seen it (or similar variations) in Moroccan restaurants (in the US). Comprised of primarily diced cucumbers and tomatoes, that have been ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How does one soften sun dried tomatoes?
Some packs of sun dried tomatoes come a bit too hard to chew. How do I soften them for use in a salad? Should I toss them?
16
votes
9answers
10k views
How do I make homemade Salsa thicker?
I have been playing with homemade salsa for a few weeks now and I can't seem to figure out how to get that thicker tomato texture that a lot of southern Mexican restaurants have.
Right now I play ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Why peel tomatoes?
Everyone seems to think it is necessary to peel tomatoes before canning or freezing them. Since I do not peel tomatoes when I'm cooking with them (soups, salsa, etc.), I'm wondering if I can freeze ...
4
votes
9answers
7k views
What alternatives are there to tomato based pizza sauces?
I know someone that can't eat citrus foods or foods with high acidity so when it comes to pizza this means having it with no tomato based sauces. So far this means having ranch or an Alfredo-type ...
5
votes
3answers
7k views
How can I replace canned tomatoes with fresh?
I have a tomato sauce recipe that calls for 1 can (28oz) of diced tomatoes (including the liquid). How can I replace the can with fresh tomatoes? I'm not sure if there is a particular type of tomato I ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
What do you do with left over tomato paste?
I sometimes make sauces that use tomato paste. The problem is that usually I need only one or two tablespoons and I don't know what to do with the rest of the can. The smallest can I could find is 6 ...
7
votes
4answers
404 views
I would like to make homemade Ketchup, how do I prepare the tomato?
I've got the rest of the recipe, sugar, vinegar and a few other spices that I was going to experiment with,but I wanted to know what do you need to do to the tomato in order to get it to look like ...
34
votes
3answers
3k views
Why do tomatoes get so hot?
Ever noticed how certain foods seem to get a lot hotter than others? I almost never burn my tongue or mouth... except on tomatoes; Pizza sauce, tomatoes in panini sandwiches or spaghetti sauce.
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11
votes
3answers
179 views
Sun Drying Tomatoes
Sorry if this seems obvious, but is there a method to making your own sun-dried tomatoes or is it really as simple as leaving them out in the sun? How long should it take to reach the proper ...
5
votes
6answers
3k views
Keeping pizza crust from getting soggy from fresh tomatoes
Whenever I make a pizza with fresh tomatoes on it, the juice from the tomatoes turns the crust to mush.
I think I must be doing something wrong - do I need to pre-cook the tomatoes to get rid of ...
3
votes
3answers
7k views
Crushed tomatoes - sub with diced or whole?
I have a barbecue sauce recipe that calls for 1 can of crushed tomatoes. I have cans of whole & cans of diced. Could I just run one of those through the food processor and deem it "crushed"?
...
3
votes
4answers
435 views
Is it possible to turn old tomatoes into flour?
I saw a recipe that employed Tomato Flour - how do you turn tomatoes into flour?
1
vote
4answers
573 views
Is it possible to make french fries out of potatoes and tomatoes?
In the same way that they make tomato tortillas, is it possible to create french fries with a homemade recipe that is made from potatoes and tomatoes both? My idea is to create something that does not ...
12
votes
4answers
718 views
How to dice tomatoes?
I like to make pico de gallo which calls for alot of diced tomato. This is always the most time consuming part of this recipe. What are some tips to make dicing a tomato a little easier? I finally got ...
4
votes
3answers
132 views
Heirloom tomatoes
What makes a tomato "heirloom" and what is the difference to conventional tomatoes?
Edited: heritage -> heirloom, makes more sense that way.
17
votes
10answers
10k views
Should tomatoes be stored in the fridge?
Storing tomatoes in the fridge tends to make them last a bit longer, but I've heard that the flavor is negatively affected. What is the best way to store them?
16
votes
10answers
558 views
How to use tomatoes from your garden?
Our garden is starting to yield the first of our tomatoes for the year. We are always looking for new ways to use them. Generally we have made salsa and pasta sauces (some for eating right away, and ...
8
votes
6answers
191 views
Peeling tomatoes
I have a recipe that calls for peeling tomatoes. I've found elsewhere that this is often done by boiling them and letting the skin lift away during that process.
Is there anything else that can make ...
10
votes
4answers
588 views
How to make - succulent - Bruschetta?
What ingredients do you need, and what steps to perform to make Bruschetta?
While on honeymoon in Tuscany we got bruschetta with chopped tomato and herb topping, on crusty bread (I think there was ...
41
votes
25answers
37k views
In a tomato sauce recipe, how can I cut the acidity?
It seems that every time I make a tomato sauce for pasta, the sauce is a little bit too acid for my taste. I've tried using sugar or sodium bicarbonate, but I'm not satisfied with the results.
