Here come the tomatoes

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I am envious.  This has been an abysmal tomato season in New Jersey where I live.  I have about three or four more almost ripe tomatoes on the vines.  Eight more fruits in the kitchen.

 

The basil though is the best summer I have ever had.

[LizD518]

I thought it was just me.  I'm in Wilmington, DE and my tomatoes were sad.  I had a good crop of Sungolds though.  In fact, I cut back the vines about a month ago because they were all withered, and got some new growth that has produced a few ripe tomatoes the last few days.  But my Black Krims were rotting before I could pick them, and my Golden Jubilees would rot within just a few days.  I had all new varieties and this is only my second year growing tomatoes, so I'm not sure if it was me or them.  Last year, my first time growing, I had an enormous harvest and they were coming in well into October.

 

I am envious.  This has been an abysmal tomato season in New Jersey where I live.  I have about three or four more almost ripe tomatoes on the vines.  Eight more fruits in the kitchen.

 

The basil though is the best summer I have ever had.

[huiray]

From my experience, the key is the '5 to ten seconds'.  Any longer and they start to cook, which translates to the softness.

 

And yes, straight into ice water to stop them cooking.  I haven't tried 'pre-chilling' mine.

 

When I make sauce or soup, I let them sit/float in the hot water (I actually bring it back to a simmer) until the skin "cracks". (I also add some salt into the water)  Then they go into cold water, yes - but now the skin just slides off... and the seeds & "jelly" from the warm insides are easy to push out (from the halved tomatoes) and strain through a fine mesh sieve.  The flesh is also easier to break up in the pot without having to wait till they cook a while. (I do everything after the cold water dunk over and into a couple of big bowls to capture all subsequent juices). That's what I do, anyway.

 

(I rarely eat uncooked tomatoes.  My "green" salads at home usually do not include tomatoes (restaurant salads would tend to have them, yes), I don't make BLTs and other tomato-containing sandwiches at home and rarely eat them outside.  The main thing I do with raw tomatoes are Caprese salads and I haven't even made one lately. :-) )

Edited September 21, 2014 by huiray (log)

[lesliec]

When I make sauce or soup, I let them sit/float in the hot water (I actually bring it back to a simmer) until the skin "cracks".

That's one part of the technique I forgot to mention - before they go into the water, I cut a small cross in the non-stalk end. The skin just slides off from there.

[Okanagancook]

If I just need a couple of peeled tomatoes I use my blow torch. A quick wipe with a paper towel and all the skin is gone and the flesh nice and firm.

[dcarch]

After many tomato salads, may be I should try cooking the tomatoes.

 

dcarch

 

Sungold makes a wonderful sauce for shrimps

 

 

Sungold pizza. They pop in your mouth like caviar

 

 

Baked

 

Another baked

[Martin Fisher]

Looks great, Sungold jam is good too.

[dcarch]

I like roasted tomatoes, but roasted tomatoes always ended up watery and with annoying skin on them. 

 

This is my new way to roast tomatoes. I first peel them, then I dehydrate them.

 

The dehydrated tomatoes roasted beautifully. they get caramelized without becoming watery. The dehydration also made them intensely more flavorful.

 

What are your tips/methods for roasting tomatoes?

 

dcarch

------------------------------------

Roasted tomatoes, pork chops on pearl barley.

 

 

 

Borrowing a still life painting (Cezanne) for a backdrop. (Ha!)

 

[Paul Bacino]

Looks cool !!!

[Smithy]

I like roasted tomatoes, but roasted tomatoes always ended up watery and with annoying skin on them.

This is my new way to roast tomatoes. I first peel them, then I dehydrate them.

The dehydrated tomatoes roasted beautifully. they get caramelized without becoming watery. The dehydration also made them intensely more flavorful.

What are your tips/methods for roasting tomatoes?

dcarch

Those are fun photos, dcarch. I have to take your word for it that those tomatoes are caramelized, however; I don't see any change in color. Is that a trick of the photo, or does dehydration change the browning reactions without affecting flavor appreciably?

I just toss tomatoes in oil and roast them until they collapse and start to turn brown, and the puddle of escaped juice has dried somewhat. The skins don't bother me. I usually do this with whole cherry tomatoes. (Thinking back on it, I recall that the results weren't as good with large tomatoes even when I'd sliced them in half...getting them to NOT be watery took a long, long time.) This is one of my favorite condiments for pasta and for meat mixtures to go into stuffed roasted vegetables.

[Deryn]

Absolutely love that picture of the peeled dehydrated tomatoes (by themselves). How dehydrated did you get them - completely 'crisp' or just on the outside or somewhere in between?

[Paul Bacino]

Carch

 

Kinda playing with the slow dessication.. Tomato dehydro effect..  these I cooked @ 175F for about 2 hrs.. did a last minute 275F Bump

 

The ooze on the tomatoes  Known as " Old German"  its an Orange with red strips  Mater  -- did brown and caramelize a bit.

 

But this created a wonderful sweet flavor--all I did was add salt and pepper.. these had good acidity and sweetness from the roast.. added a bit of Wright Apple smoked bacon and Carrot tops

 

" OLD German Tomato Soup "

 

Edited September 28, 2014 by Paul Bacino (log)

[dcarch]

“Those are fun photos, dcarch. I have to take your word for it that those tomatoes are caramelized, however; I don't see any change in color.”

 

Thanks Smithy.

 

Are you talking about the second photo? The second photo only shows what happens right after they came out from the dehydrator. In the oven, they got caramelized very quickly because they were dry and because of the higher sugar content from the concentration.

 

 

Thanks Deryn.

 

The degree of dehydration depends on what I try to make and the size of the tomatoes. For general roasting, I do 8 hours at 130F.

 

Thank you Paul. Lovely " OLD German Tomato Soup ".  I have made that a few times. Tomato soup made with semi-dehydrated tomatoes has a much richer tomato taste.

 

dcarch

[manjudhanda]

Wow, I am totally enjoying this for basically on this thread its look like cookery decoration. Its looking so great i like it most.

 

Thanks for share it.

[dcarch]

Thank you for your kind words, Manjudhanda. 

 

 

dcarch

[heidih]

My dad went low key (hey he is 93) and just did 3 big pots. First harvest today.  I have friends who should be kicking in soon. We had June gloom for the first time in a number of years so the season is just beginning. These will just be sliced and eaten as is or maybe a few on toast w/ mayo.

 

Edited July 5, 2015 by heidih (log)

[Jaymes]

I like roasted tomatoes, but roasted tomatoes always ended up watery and with annoying skin on them. 

 

This is my new way to roast tomatoes. I first peel them, then I dehydrate them.

 

The dehydrated tomatoes roasted beautifully. they get caramelized without becoming watery. The dehydration also made them intensely more flavorful.

Wow, impressive.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

They've started popping up at Bay Area markets as early as Memorial Day weekend.

 

We held off on buying any until a couple of weeks ago, particularly after I spied some Early Girl tomatoes at one of my favorite vendors at the Ferry Building market.

 

 

 

They weren't as good as they were last year.  Word on the street is that peak season starts around August, which is pretty similar back to when I was living in NYC.  Oh well. maybe I can force myself to wait a few more weeks....

 

Edited July 8, 2016 by ProfessionalHobbit (log)

[kayb]

It appears it's going to be a banner year for tomatoes here. I'll soon be buying a couple of boxes to process, as I don't think my hybrids and Bradleys will produce enough for me to can the quantity I want. I may wind up with enough Romas that I can make tomato sauce and paste; that is, if I can get them to ripen at something approximating the same time.

 

[ElainaA]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

 that is, if I can get them to ripen at something approximating the same time.

 

If you figure out how to do that please let me know! 

Edited July 8, 2016 by ElainaA (log)

[Kerry Beal]

My egg lady didn't have eggs (apparently the hens don't like the heat) - but she did have some tomatoes. 

 

 

Tomatoes provencal. They cook 45 minutes cut side down, then another 45 cut side up - garlic, salt, a bit of sugar, herbs. The house smells pretty amazing right now. I'll pop them in the freezer for addition to pasta in the winter.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Tomatoes provencal. They cook 45 minutes cut side down, then another 45 cut side up - garlic, salt, a bit of sugar, herbs. The house smells pretty amazing right now. I'll pop them in the freezer for addition to pasta in the winter.

 

What temperature?

 

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

What temperature?

 

Typically as low as the grunt element on my gas stove will go. They give off a lot of liquid when they are face down - I collect that and add it back when they are face up - it reduces into a sticky sweet syrup which I add to the freezer bags.

[Toliver]

Interesting NY Times article on tomatoes and why you shouldn't refrigerate them:

"In Refrigerators, Tomatoes Lose Flavor at the Genetic Level"

Quote

...when tomatoes are stored at the temperature kept in most refrigerators, irreversible genetic changes take place that erase some of their flavors forever.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, Toliver said:

Interesting NY Times article on tomatoes and why you shouldn't refrigerate them:

"In Refrigerators, Tomatoes Lose Flavor at the Genetic Level"

 

 

I read this article today at work.  Read it rather quickly.  My first take was the author was saying the seeds of such a cold exposed tomato would not breed true and the germ line would forever be defiled.  Probably this is not what was meant.

 

Doubtless most every tomato lover on eGullet knows cold ruins tomatoes.  Perhaps gene expression in cold exposed tomatoes is turned off.  I would not call this "Tomatoes Lose Flavor at the Genetic Level".

 

Further, the NY Times article did not address the question of what happens to the flavor of tomatoes still on the vine after the temperature goes close to freezing and then rebounds to the 80's.  My guess is that it does not matter much whether the tomatoes are still on the vine or not,

 

Poorly written piece.