Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be yellow, orange, purple, stripped, red and green and can vary greatly in size and shape. In the last few years an increasing variety of tomatoes has become available in Australia including heirloom varieties.
Selection and Storage
Select tomatoes depending on when you intend to use them. Choose very ripe tomatoes to use soon after purchase and greener tomatoes for longer storage. Tomatoes should be firm with unmarked skin and no soft spots. Do not refrigerate tomatoes except for cherry or grape tomatoes. Our favourite varieties include grape kumato, russo bruno or black Russian and heirloom varieties.
Availability
Tomatoes are available all year round but are best in the summer months.
Using
Different varieties of tomatoes are good for different purposes. Round tomatoes are good sliced or grilled, roma or egg tomatoes are good for slow roasting or sauce making, cherry tomatoes are good raw or can be braised whole for a sauce. Recipes specify skin and seeds to be removed where a sauce is to be made as the seeds are bitter and the skin does not blend into the sauce. To remove the skin use a small sharp knife to make an x incision in the bottom of the tomato, place in boiling water removed from the heat for 30 seconds, remove and remove skin once slightly cooled. To remove seeds halve and scrape out seeds. Tomatoes are good with herbs, cheese, eggs, fish, cream, spices, and shellfish.
Nutrition Information
Tomatoes are low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. They are a good source of Vitamin E , Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.
