Questions around preparing or cooking with tomatoes, along with selecting appropriate varieties
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 ...
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 ...
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.
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 ...
16
votes
5answers
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 ...
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?
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 ...
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
405 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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.
...
3
votes
2answers
209 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?
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
4answers
526 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
125 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 ...
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 ...
