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Tomato

Vegetables · Fruiting vegetables

Tomato

Juicy red (or yellow) fruit used as a vegetable, eaten raw in salads and cooked into sauces, curries and stews.

Also called: tomatoes, tamatar, domates, jitomate, cherry tomatoes

Around the world: domates (tr) · tamatar, टमाटर (hi) · tomate, jitomate (es) · pomodoro (it)

497 recipes with it

Photo: Softeis, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Tomatoes are the fleshy fruits of a nightshade plant, sold from tiny cherry types to large beefsteaks. Ripe tomatoes are glossy, give slightly when pressed and smell of the vine. Plum (roma) types have more flesh and fewer seeds and are preferred for sauces; round salad types are juicier.

Solanum lycopersicum

How it’s used

  • Sliced raw in salads and sandwiches
  • Cooked down into pasta sauces and salsas
  • Base of Indian masalas and curries
  • Grated or puréed into soups such as gazpacho
  • Roasted or grilled as a side

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet and acidic with savoury depth; underripe ones are sharp and bland.
Aroma
Fresh, green and slightly herbal, especially near the stem.
Texture
Juicy flesh with soft seed pockets; breaks down into sauce when cooked.
When cooked
Collapses and thickens as it cooks; its acidity brightens sauces and can slow the softening of beans.
Sold as
fresh, canned, paste, dried
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling

Varieties

  • Cherry
  • Plum / Roma
  • Beefsteak
  • Vine
  • Heirloom

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

At room temperature. Keep ripe tomatoes at room temperature out of direct sun for the best flavour; refrigerate only once very ripe or cut, and bring back to room temperature before eating.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
18 kcal
Protein
0.88 g
Carbohydrate
3.89 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
1.2 g
Sugars
2.63 g

USDA FoodData Central: Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Canned tomatoes — Better than out-of-season fresh tomatoes in any cooked sauce; not for salads.

Related ingredients

Recipes with tomato

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