There’s never a wrong way to eat a tomato—either sliced on a burger or drenched in salt and olive oil. To extract maximum flavor from tomatoes, select those with a strong scent and firm texture; steer clear of those with bruises or blemishes. Don’t peel the skin if you want to optimize lycopene and other antioxidants. Skin removal reduces lycopene levels by 65–80%.
Fresh
A fresh tomato that is ripe and cultivated locally is the best kind of tomato, regardless of whether it is cooked or eaten raw. Nutrient-dense tomatoes include potassium, vitamin C, and lycopene, which may reduce the incidence of heart disease, cancer, and age-related macular degeneration. Choose tomatoes with unwrinkled skins and a weight that seems substantial for their size. Their meat should smell earthy and be a rich crimson color. A tomato that is overripe will have soft or mushy flesh and a foul scent. The god of tomatoes, Harold McGee, claims that chilling ripe tomatoes will “decrease flavor and retard the action of enzymes that make it change from raw to cooked.” He does, however, also note that if you place underripe tomatoes in a paper bag and let them sit at room temperature for a few days, they will eventually develop taste in the refrigerator.
Canned
A consistent tomato experience that tastes exactly like summer can be found in a can of juicy, ripe tomatoes. You can chop them up to add to salads or just pop a few in your mouth as a snack (my kids adore this). They are incredibly high in vitamin C and brimming with polyphenols that prevent cancer and promote heart health. Many pasta meals, chili, soup, and salsa recipes are built around tomato sauce, which is a smooth, cooked sauce. It may enhance the taste of boring dishes like meatloaf or canned baked beans and is simple to keep on hand for pantry stockpiling. Crushed tomatoes are the next best thing after whole peeled tomatoes; they have a consistency that is in between chopped and tomato sauce. To ensure the pieces maintain their shape during cooking, look for brands that don’t include additives like calcium chloride. These will decompose more readily.
Dehydrated
It’s an excellent idea to keep dehydrated tomatoes on hand, particularly in the winter. They are a delicious addition to pizzas, casseroles, stews, and soups. They work well as an addition to burgers and sandwiches. You may make them in an oven or dehydrator. Making sure the tomatoes are dry before beginning is essential for success because moisture has a tendency to ruin the finished result. In order to extract as much moisture as possible, wash your tomatoes and pat them down with a cloth. Heart-healthy potassium, vitamin C, and cancer-fighting lycopene are all abundant in tomatoes. In addition, they are a strong source of B vitamins and a great source of the phytochemicals kaempferol and quercetin. Tomatoes are minimal in fat, calories, and salt and among the foods with the lowest glycemic index. They even provide a healthy amount of fiber. As members of the nightshade family, tomatoes can be toxic to pets due to the presence of alkaloids, just like peppers and eggplants.
Dried
Fresh from your garden and right from the vine, tomatoes are the tastiest. They are incredibly high in vitamin C and brimming with polyphenols that combat cancer. They’re also a good source of ferulic acid, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage, and potassium, which reduces blood pressure. Tomatoes are most enjoyed when paired with fat (such as cheese, avocado, or olive oil). This facilitates increased absorption of the carotenoids that give tomatoes their vivid red color, like lycopene. Additionally, boiling tomatoes raises their lycopene concentration, and pureeing or crushing them breaks down their cell walls so you may absorb more of it. To increase your lycopene intake, consider incorporating oil-rich sun-dried tomatoes into soups and salad dressings. Alternatively, consider drying tomatoes at home. Using an oven dehydrator makes it simple. To ensure that the tomatoes dry at the same rate, just make sure to use a clean, sharp knife and keep the tomatoes in identical sizes.
