We know how annoying it feels like when we squish tomatoes while trying to dice or slice them. that’s why we made you this handy step-by-step tutorial to show you how to slice a tomato like a pro!
But before we start you need to make sure that you are using the right tools for cutting tomatoes as a sharp serrated knife, chef’s knife, or paring knife.
How to cut tomato slices?
Required tools
- Serrated knife
- Cutting board
- Tomato corer or spoon
Steps
- Place tomatoes on the cutting board faced up. and cut around the stem end at the top until you feel the release of the top of a tomato from the skin.
- Pull out the core with a scooping spoon or a tomato corer.
- Place tomatoes on their side with their cored top facing left or right on the cutting board.
- Hold down with the tip of your fingers. According to the thickness you desire for your tomato cut.
- With the serrated knife cut through the skin with a slow parallel motion downwards.
How to dice tomatoes?
Required tools
- Serrated knife or chef’s knife
- Cutting board
Steps
- Place it on the cutting board facing up and cut around the stem at the top end to release. Then scoop out the core with a scooping spoon.
- Put it on the cutting board with the cored top of a tomato facing right or left.
- Decide how large the chunks of tomato dice you need for your dish. And adjust your fingers then with the serrated knife, start slicing tomatoes accordingly.
- Put every sliced tomato over each other on their side. and start slicing tomatoes into thin strips in the same direction.
- Turn around the thin strips to the other direction. And start dicing tomatoes to create dice out of the strips.
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How to cut a tomato into wedges?
Required tools
- Serrated knife.
- Cutting board.
Steps
1: Clean the tomato
- When you want to slice tomato wedges, you do not need to core the tomato’s top stem. Pulling the green leaves at the top of the tomato with your hands is enough.
- Put it with the pulled stem part facing the cutting board. then Cut it through the center with the tomato knife in half, then cut into quarters.
- Hold each quarter and cut them in half again. By doing that, you should have eight smaller wedges of tomatoes, depending on how large the tomato is.
Watch this video to know how to wedge tomatoes for your salad.
How to deseed tomatoes?
Well, there are two easy ways to deseed your tomatoes. But first, you need to understand that the core is where the stem at the top of the tomato keeps the wedges intact.
Keeping the seeds and the pulp inside the fluid pocket. Cut tomatoes into parallel slices will cause this pocket to open bursting the seed and fluid to fall out.
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First Way: Wedging
Start by cutting the tomato into six or eight wedges according to its size without pulling out the core.
Then hold the wedges down against the cutting board by the core. And start slicing with care to remove the entire seed pocket without opening it.
Second Way: Cut the tomato in half
Hold it on the side of a cutting board, cut it in half, then start cutting around its core with the paring knife.
To release all the seeds and fluid from the skin. Use a scooping or slotted spoon
tomato skin may be undesirable in some recipes like pasta with tomato sauce. And as we all know, peeling with a peeling knife can be quite a hustle. And may end up ruining the entire tomato because it is thin. so here is the right way to get a perfectly peeled tomato
How to peel a tomato?
Required tools
- Boiling water.
- Peeling Knife or chef’s knife
- Bowl and plate.
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Steps
- Start by using a sharp knife to mark the tomatoes with x cuts on the bottom and place them in a bowl.
- Boil some water, pour it over them, and cover it with a plate for a couple of seconds. the boiling water will loosen the tomato skin.
- With the paring knife to start peeling at the x cuts side you made on the bottom.
How to store green tomatoes at room temperature?
-You need to start by choosing the right kind. Such as long keeper tomatoes or go for various large green ones that will get ripped by storing.
–Do not wash them and make sure they are dry before storing them. There are two ways to place your tomatoes. One uses an apple box with separated paper wrappers to place or wrap each one in a newspaper.
Or you can set them in a plastic container with a thin layer of newspaper between each one. Then make sure to close the box entirely to keep any light out.
-You can put the wrapped ones in the bottom of your kitchen cabinet or your basement. Making sure they are in a cool place with no direct sunlight.
-Make a regular weekly checkup for any signs of rotting or mold, turning them on the side while examining. Since they will start ripping first at the part touching the box, also, you need to remove the rotten ones, so do not infect the good ones.
-Bring them out from the basket and put them on the kitchen countertop. In a sunny and warm spot for a couple of days until they ripe up.
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FAQs about How to Slice a Tomato Like a Pro
What are the types of tomatoes?
Amazingly not all kinds fit for all dishes, as many people believe. There are a large of varieties of tomatoes available in the market. Let us a look at some of them:
- Cherry Tomato: used in vegetable salads since they taste tangy and sweet. They come in different colors yellow, red, orange and purple. They are entirely used in skewers due to their small size and round shape.
- Grape Tomato: commonly confused as cherry tomato. Since they both are small, but the grape is not round, it is more like an oval shape. They have a thick skin holding on to more texture when they are cooked.
- Red Beefsteak: are the most traditional ones. Familiar to use it in everything from cooking sauces to salsas. They taste mild, juicy, and meaty. Perfect for burgers and sandwiches.
- Green Beefsteak: are tangy, crunchy, and tart perfect for pickling. And they are often used in artisan sandwiches. They make the best substitute ingredient for granny smith apples and baking pies and different desserts.
- Roma: is commonly used in salads and bruschetta. They have an odd shape with a tangy and flavorful taste. That is perfect for sandwiches as it does not overpower the rest of the sandwich. Italians are also used heavily in recipes, as an ingredient in Sunday’s gravy and sauces recipe for their real garden taste.
- Cocktail: have a taste like the traditional ones, with soft skin and meaty structure. They are the perfect ingredients in sauces recipe and barbecue, for their almost sweet and fruit like after taste.
- Heirloom: have a rich flavour, which is the best ingredients in classic dishes, recipes, sandwiches, and salads. They come in different colors and shapes.
Why refrigerating tomatoes after slicing is essential?
It would be best if you put cut raw tomatoes in the fridge for the following reasons:
- If they are very ripe and you bought them ahead of using time. It is good to store them in the fridge to preserve their fresh taste and life expectancy.
- Suppose you decided to cut them before using. It must store the slices in the fridge until you are ready to serve or use.
- Freshly cut tomatoes are classified under TCS food. Which means time and temperature control for safety. Time and temperature at which the food needs to be monitored carefully. As they have more chance to attract harmful bacteria faster than other food.
- Store sliced cuts in a plastic box or a zip bag in the fridge and try using it as soon as possible with three days of storing.
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What are the ways to cut cherry tomatoes?
- Using two plastic lids: put a bunch of cherry tomatoes between the two plastic lids. Then hold firmly with your dominant hand. And with a sharp serrated knife cut through the cherry centre to cut them in half.
- Put the whole tomato into an egg slicer and press down. To get equal slices quickly and easily.
- Place a whole tomato on a cutting board, with the stem at the top of the tomato facing upwards. Get an apple slicer and press it down to cut equal wedges.
- Put a bunch of cherry tomatoes on a baking tray. And hold them down with the bottom of another baking tray. And cut along the centre with a sharp serrated knife.
