1) Locally grown tomatoes taste better because they were picked ripe, whereas remotely-grown tomatoes had to be picked pre-ripe because of the time and distance bringing them to market.
2) Another reason locally grown
tomatoes have more flavor is because commercial, mass-harvested tomatoes are
designed to be durable and sturdy, eliminating much of the “jelly and seeds”
that give tomatoes much of their taste.
3) Weirdly-shaped tomatoes are
fine. Only commercial, mass-produced tomatoes are engineered to a near perfect
shape.
4) The Cook’s
Illustrated top kitchen tested canned brands:
Whole: Muir
Glen Organic;
Crushed: Tuttorosso;
Diced: Hunt’s;
Puree: Muir
Glen Organic;
Juice: Campbell’s;
Paste: Goya.
5) Avoid refrigeration. The
cold “damages the enzymes that produce flavor.”
6) Given the choice between
canning and freezing, freezing maintains the flavor better.
7) Best tomatoes for sauces and
stews: Meaty plum or Roma contain less moisture.
8) Avoid
cooking tomatoes in uncoated copper, aluminum, or cast iron. The tomatoes’ acid
does not mix well with these metals and you end up with a metallic taste.
Dannette St. Onge, “All About Tomatoes”, Cook’s Illustrated,
July / August 2012
Photo: urbanmkr (flickr CC)
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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