Email to Mand      

Recipe Categories: gijane's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS BABYFOOD BAKING BBQ BEAUTYMAKEUP BEVERAGES BOOZE BREAD BREAKFAST BRITISH CAKESandPIES CANDY CASSEROLES CELEBRITY CHILI2 CHILLI COOKIES COOKINGTIPS COPYCAT CROCKPOT DESSERTS EGGLESS EGGS ETHNIC FISHandSEAFOOD FOODHISTORY FRUIT GAME HISTORICAL HOLIDAYS HOUSEHOLD Humor ITALIAN JAMSandJELLIES KIDS LowCarb4Sean LOWFAT MAFIARECIPES MARINADES MEATS MICROWAVE PASTA PASTRIES PETS PICKLES PIZZA POULTRY RAMEN-NOODLES RICE ROCCODISPIRITO SALADandDRESSING SALSA SANDWICHES SAUCES SideDishes SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS TAILGATE VEGAN VEGETABLES VEGETARIAN WINGS

Tomato Tips




Source of Recipe


What Cooking America
Storing & Ripening Tomatoes
NEVER REFRIGERATE FRESH TOMATOES! Cold temperatures make the flesh of a tomato pulpy and destroys the flavor.

To ripen, place green or unripened tomatoes in a brown paper bag and place in a dark spot for three or four days, depending on the degree of greenness. Do not put tomatoes in the sun to ripen - this softens them.

********

Preserving Tomatoes
The simplest way to preserve tomatoes is to freeze them whole. Just rinse them, spread them out on a cookie sheet, and freeze overnight. When frozen, put them in a freezer bag and return to the freezer. To use, remove from bag and thaw. When thawed, slip the skins off, and use in your favorite recipes.

OR

Peel the tomatoes, puree them in a blender, and then strain them through cheesecloth or a coffee filer to drain off the excess tomato water (this can be used in soups). Freeze the pulp in ice cube trays. When frozen, store the frozen cubes in a freezer bag.

********

Add a pinch of sugar to tomatoes when cooking them. It enhances the flavor.
To keep baked or stuffed tomatoes from collapsing, bake in greased muffin tins. The tins will give them some support as they cook.
Tomato "water" - the clearish liquid that dribbles out of a sliced tomato, can be used as a low-acidity stand-in for lemon juice. This can be used in marinating raw fish.

********

How To Peel Fresh Tomatoes:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a paring knife, cut an "X" through the skin on bottom of each tomato. Drop tomatoes, a few at a time, into water for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl or sink filled with ice water to cool them down. The skin will easily slip off each tomato.