Tomato Recipes

To harvest the best tomatoes, the skin of the tomato gives to pressure slightly. If you half to harvest Tomatoes that haven't ripened yet, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer upon layers of newspaper in a cold, unheated room. Keep them in the dark, do not ripen in the sun. Check the tomatoes for often to see if any have ripened. You should continue to have fresh tomatoes from your garden for another 4 weeks or so.

For most recipes, washing, coring, then slicing or cutting the tomatoes into chunks is all you need to do to prepare them. Peeling isn't necessary if you are going to use the tomatoes raw in salads or salsa. To peel tomatoes, drop them into a pot of boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl of ice water and let cool for about 1 minute. The slotted spoon allows the water to drain while you are lifting the Tomatoes out. Remove the skin with a pairing knife. To seed a Tomato, cut it in half horizontally. Then gently squeeze each half to push the seeds out. Don't worry if a few seeds remain. If you freeze tomatoes, tomato sauces, or salsa, defrost the frozen product in a colander set over a bowl to collect the excess liquid. Save the juice until you know your done with it, you may need some for your recipe (like soups).

1 pound fresh tomatoes