Tomato season is here! Freshly harvested tomatoes, warmed by the sun and straight off the vine are incomparable when eaten fresh.
The tomato, a delicious fruit that is classified a vegetable is rich in vitamins, with only 32 calories in a medium tomato.
Tomato varieties are divided into several categories, based mostly on shape and size. Slicing or globes are used for canning and fresh eating, while beefsteak is used for sandwiches. Plum or sauce tomatoes such as Roma are used for canning; tomato sauce and paste due to lower water content. Cherry and grape tomatoes are eaten in salads and make a great snack.
Tomatoes come in a variety of colors with varying amounts of acidity, including red, yellow, green, orange, pink, black, brown, ivory and purple!
Choose vine-ripened tomatoes that are firm, glossy, smooth (heirlooms may be ribbed), plump and free of bruises. The riper tomatoes will have the deepest color and have an intense tomato smell at the stem end. Tomatoes will ripen after picking, so you can select some that are a little under-ripe and be able to enjoy them a few days later.
Store tomatoes at room temperature, stem end down — this will help the tomato last longer. Avoid putting them in sunlight on the window. Once tomatoes are fully ripe, store them at a cooler temperature (55 degrees). If you have an abundance of fully ripe tomatoes, store in the refrigerator to prevent further ripening. They will lose some flavor but still good for eating or canning.
To determine how many tomatoes you need for a recipe is difficult based on the size of the tomato, the variety, and the moisture content. In general 1 large 7-ounce tomato equals 1¼ cups, and 1 pound fresh equals 3 cups pureed tomatoes.
Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked, canned, dehydrated and frozen. Tomatoes are very versatile and are the base to many kinds of soups, sauces, casseroles, salads, appetizers and even smoothies. Most tomatoes are eaten ripe, but you can take unripe green tomatoes, bread and fry them or use them in salsa.
To slice tomatoes, use a serrated knife; it will slice through the skin easier. To seed a tomato, cut in half lengthwise, then use fingers to scoop out the seeds. Make fresh salsa by quartering tomatoes, removing seeds and chopping. Add coarsely chopped onion, cilantro, a splash of lime juice and a dash of Tabasco sauce.
There are many ways of preserving, the easiest being to freeze them whole. Rinse, spread on a cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Put into freezer bag and use at your convenience when making sauces or recipes of any kind. Roast tomato halves on a cookie sheet with your choice of herbs, garlic and olive at 375 degrees for an hour. Let cool slightly and puree in a blender, freeze in freezer safe containers (remember to leave at least an inch of headspace) and use as a base for soups, sauces and more.
Canning those extra tomatoes is easy and creates a staple food available during the winter. When canning tomatoes, you can process in a water bath but you must add bottled lemon juice to each jar to make them acid enough to process. Tomatoes have varying degrees of acidity. Be sure to use an updated recipe and canning procedure to be sure your canning process for tomatoes is safe.
For more information and downloadable how to publications on preserving, salsa making, pickling and dehydrating, visit the WSU website at clark.wsu.edu.
Vicki Ivy is a WSU Clark County Extension Master Food Preserver. For more information, contact the Master Food Preserver (MFP) Hotline at 360-697-6060 ext. 5366 or website at clark.wsu.edu.
