Many people grow a few tomatoes in their backyard. They can be planted in the landscaping, in a container on your patio, or you may have enough space for a garden. If you are a home grower you may have more tomatoes than you know what to do with. Of course, you’re first thought might be to eat them fresh, but if you have grown tired of this here are some ideas to include them in dishes you make.
- If your recipe calls for peeled and/or seeded tomatoes, hold in boiling water for 30 seconds, plunge into cold water, drain, make a slit in the blossom end and peel skins back.
- Seed by cutting the tomato in half crosswise and remove seeds with the tip of a knife or spoon.
- Slice tomatoes the French way, from stem to blossom by doing so they lose less juice.
- Top with fresh or dried herbs, such as basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, or curry powder.
- Stuff large tomatoes with a variety of mixtures such as fish, poultry, egg salad, or cottage cheese.
- Stuff cherry tomatoes for bite-size appetizers. To prepare, slice off tops and a very thin slice off the bottom, so they will stand well. Remove seeds and juice with a melon scoop. Stuff with your favorite fillings—cream cheese and watercress; tuna and mayonnaise; pulverized peanuts, mayonnaise and curry powder; or avocado, minced onion, and lemon juice.
- For an elegant salad or appetizer, layer sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella cheese on lettuce. Dress lightly with olive oil.
- Tomatoes get better and better tasting as you cook them. They are great in entrees that cook a long time or require next day “reheating.”
A four-ounce tomato supplies about one-third of your daily nutrient needs for vitamin C, and a little beta carotene, potassium, folate, iron and fiber. They also contain lycopene an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of prostate and possibly other cancers. Lycopene is more easily absorbed in cooked than in raw tomatoes.
If you are interested in preserving some of your tomatoes check out the following fact sheets:
Canning Basics http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5338.pdf
Canning Tomatoes http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5336.pdf
Canning Tomato Products http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5337.pdf
Author: Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, Ohio State University Extension.
Reviewed by: Liz Smith, Extension Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.
Sources:
Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Tomatoes available at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hygfact/5000/pdf/5532.pdf
University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Made Easy
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