Take your pick: It’s OK to pick tomatoes when they’re just blushing or pink. Let them sit at room temperature to ripen and develop full color and flavor. If you refrigerate them, they will will never ripen. Cold temperatures destroy the flavor enzyme in the tomato, according to the California Tomato Commission.
How much? Three to four medium tomatoes weigh about 1 pound. One pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, will produce about 1 1/2 cups pulp.
Peeling and slicing: Peeling fresh tomatoes is not usually necessary. Heat causes skins to slip away from the flesh, so it is best to peel a tomato before adding it to a heated dish. To peel fresh tomatoes, submerge them in a bowl of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Transfer to cold water and the skins will slip off.
Seeds: Scrape seeds away from the tomato flesh with a pointed utensil, such as a grapefruit spoon, being careful not to puncture the skin. Or you can cut the tomato in half, grasp it in your hand cut-side down and squeeze out the seeds.
Yes, you can! But you should follow a reliable home canning guide from such organizations as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Utah State University Extension or Ball Blue Book of Preserving. Tomatoes have barely enough acidity to qualify them for water-bath canning, so the USDA recommends adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to each jar of tomatoes.
The secret’s in the sauce: If you have an overabundance of tomatoes, make them into a sauce that you can freeze for later use. To simplify things, don’t bother peeling or seeding the tomatoes. Afterward, you can strain the cooked pulp through a sieve to get rid of the skin and seeds.
Dry it, you’ll like it. Drying gives tomatoes a sweeter, more intense flavor. Place slices on a baking sheet lightly coated with olive oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle on a little garlic salt or chopped basil and rosemary from your herb garden.
Due to concerns about bacteria, such as E. coli surviving the drying process, the USDA now recommends heating fruits or vegetables to 160 degrees before drying. So put the cookie sheet in your oven at 160-170 degrees (usually the lowest setting), for at least half an hour. You can continue the drying process in the oven, leaving the door open about 2 inches for moisture to escape. (Don’t get impatient and turn up the heat; the tomatoes will burn.)
If it’s a hot, breezy day, cover the cookie sheets with nylon net to keep out insects and set them in the sun. Drying can take 6-8 hours, depending on the moisture in the tomatoes and the thickness of the slices. Make sure they’re quite leathery before storing them in plastic bags in the refrigerator or freezer, because moisture can grow mold.
Flash in the pan: Sauteed cherry tomatoes are a good accompaniment for steaks. Cut them in half, and mix one or two teaspoons of sugar with the tomatoes before cooking them, to keep them from getting bitter, according to “Perfect Vegetables,” by Cook’s Illustrated ($29.95). Then saute them for a few minutes with a little olive oil.
Roast ‘n’ toast: Roasting caramelizes the sugars in tomatoes, giving them a sweeter flavor. The California Tomato Commission advises cutting tomatoes in half crosswise. Dot with butter, season as desired — a sprinkling of Parmesan is always nice — and bake in a hot oven (425 degrees) 10-15 minutes.
Sandwich stackers: Sandwiches are almost always improved with a tomato slice, but just a plain tomato sandwich is good, too.
Stew about it: Make a hearty minestrone or creamy tomato soup.
Skinny dip: Chunky tomato salsa is a lot more healthy than the usual sour cream- or mayonnaise-based chip dip.
The right stuff: Scoop out the seeds of a pepper, tomato or squash, and stuff with your favorite fillings before baking. Fillings can include bread crumbs, cheese, chopped chicken, seafood, spicy rice or even chili. To keep peppers and tomatoes upright during baking, place them in the cups of a muffin tin.