Jacques and Claudine Pépin make Tall Greek Tomato Salad at the 2009 F&W F&W Classic in Aspen.
Video Rating: 3 / 5
Question by MILF IN TRAINING: How do you pick a good tomato?
I have a talent for picking out mealy, bland tasting tomatoes. I don’t know why, I just really suck at picking out a decent tomato. I look for firm, clean, uni-color tomatoes and I think I’ve got a good one but they always disappoint me. How do you pick a good one without cutting it open in the store?
Best answer:
Answer by Charles
Here are the three F’s you should look for:
– Freshness. If they look old and, ahem, wrinkled, they are. Pass them by.
– Firm, soft skin. A good tomato will feel solid in your hand and not cower to your touch.
– Free of spots, holes, or bruises. These small blemishes can quickly turn into a big ole rotting tomato, so steer clear.
Note that you do want to get tomatoes that are fairly ripe, but even ones that are a little under-ripe will do just fine so long as you have a nice spot ready for them. Some recommend putting them in paper bags or wrapping them in newspaper while others say a windowsill works just fine.
Add your own answer in the comments!
She’s also doing the part of the viewing crowd, asking questions. Trying to
find the videos of where Claudine was in college and her father came by and
showed her what to do with the stuff she has in her cupboards and
refridgerator (the orginal version of “Chopped”)
Shelly hun, it’s part of the act. Claudine is Watson to his Sherlock. She’s
his foil.
Perhaps I am wrong, and Claudine is a good person, but I just can’t see it
in any footage! She is always making stupid comments and challenging
Jacques, and she clearly knows much less that him about cooking. I wish she
was more like her father!
make sure that they are ripe
Most mass grown tomatoes these days are tasteless. That is why roma (egg shaped) tomatoes became popular a few years ago, unfortunately, those have now gone the same way too. This is due to a few things, GM, so tomatoes are large & disease resistant & also that they get picked green & ripened in gas chambers.
Look for vine ripened tomatoes (still have the stalk attached), or exotic cherry tomatoes such as bells, grape tomatoes, cocktail & my personal favourite, black cherry tomatoes.
If you can find the brand “heirloom tomatoes” I know that they grow tomatoes with FANTASTIC flavour.
If your town has a Farmers Market, that’s the place to get them.
They will be fresher, and not shipped in from somewhere. They
will usually have a wonderful flavor. I happen to like mine peeled,
so I run boiling water over them briefly and then take your paring
knife and the skin will slip right off. Then slice and serve. Try not
to store them in the refrigerator.
ALL tomatoes in the market are greenhouse grown, some are field grown, picked green and sprayed with a chemical to make them ripen faster so they ship better without bruising. I think they all taste like cardboard and as you say, mealy!! Yes, they are beautiful to look at, but not as nice taste or texture.
try to get your tomatoes at a Farmers Market or one of the Pick Your Own farms.
http://www.pickyourown.org/
There is little you can do about the taste as it is based on the type, but you can judge the fruit by selecting firm clean unicloured ones and when they are hope let them ripen up in a basket on the counter for a few days
If you can get vine tomatoes or tomato’s that still have their green bit attached, buy them.
Watch for the prices as generally the more expensive the KG the better they are.
At the price we are paying at the moment I only buy one or two at a time.
Haman
It may sound funny but I smell them . A hot house matter will not have a smell to it . It won’t have a taste either . For burgers and sandwiches I like them firm but with a little give for salads I want them ripe so I give a gentle squeeze and if the have a nice give but still not totally soft they are mine