Who doesn’t appreciate having access to fresh produce? Just wash them and they are ready to cook. You’ll have organic and healthy meals to serve yourself and your loved ones. This is why the closest that we could get is to make sure that we know how to pick a tomato.
Selecting the right kind of juicy and ripe tomato can make all the difference. So, if you’re ready to go shopping for fresh produce, then we have easy tips for you to try out.
Choose large tomatoes that have deep coloring
According to Kitchn, when shopping for large tomatoes, remember that the most important thing you’ll want to look for is tomatoes that have deep coloring.
This color should be even throughout the entire tomato. This means they are ready and ripe.
Avoid red tomatoes with yellow or green patches that haven’t been fully ripened on the vine.
Have you ever seen small yellow tomatoes with yellow or green patches over them? Then, you’d ask yourself, are these ripe or not?
The reason is sometimes, farmers will prematurely pick green tomatoes because they are easier to pack but this will greatly compromise the flavor.
Your tomato should have some weight to it and feel firm and dense.
Next, you’ll want to remember that a good quality tomato is dense and firm. Just take a tomato and hold it in the palm of your hand without squeezing.
Make sure your tomato smells sweet and earthy
If your tomato is lacking a sweet and earthy smell, then it’s likely that it will also lack flavor.
To get red ripe tomatoes, make sure to get one that is more pungent. This means your tomato is tastier than it should be.
How to pick a tomato: Small tomatoes should be plump and smooth
Your cherry or grape tomatoes should also have intense and consistent coloring. Make sure they aren’t wrinkled or wilted looking.
You’ll also want to do a sniff test on these small tomatoes as well to make sure they haven’t spoiled. We don’t want to spoil our recipe by getting spoiled tomatoes right?
The best tomatoes usually come from closer to where you live
Did you know that foreign tomatoes are picked while they are unripe and shipped long distance? Yikes!
Local tomatoes don’t have to be shipped long distance, so they are ripened on the vine which means more flavor. Not only will they taste better, but more likely than not, they’ll be cheaper too!
Now, how to tell tomatoes are ripe? Well, pick ones that are harvested closer to you.
Since you have chosen the best tomatoes from your grocer or farmer’s market, you’ll want to store them to ensure that they stay tasty and ripe.
The number one rule for storing tomatoes is to never refrigerate your tomatoes
According to Rodale’s OrganicLife, putting your tomatoes in the refrigerator will damage the membranes on the inside of your tomato.
So it’s better not to do it. This stops the ripening process and loses its fresh flavor.
So, how to tell if a tomato is ripe? Just leave them out on the counter where they will fully ripen.
Takeaway
Learning how to pick a tomato can make a huge difference, not just in buying the freshest tomatoes, but also in the quality of your recipes.
Fresh and organic tomatoes do taste different. Try these steps and see or should we say, taste it for yourself.