This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy tomatoes and there are so many great ideas, it’s hard to know where to start. Try some new recipes for a different spin on tomatoes that your family will enjoy. Top homemade pizza or flat bread with fresh tomatoes, oregano and ricotta cheese for an amazing change to your regular pizza and it’s much cheaper.
Choose between Beefsteaks, Roma’s, Heirlooms, Cherry, Grape or Hothouse tomatoes, but when selecting them, make sure they are heavy in size and have an intense color. Stay away from tomatoes that are rock hard and always smell your tomatoes. They should have an earthy and fresh tomato smell at the blossom. Never refrigerate your tomatoes because it makes them mealy, but they should last at room temperature for a good 2 to 3 days. To ripen sooner, place it in a paper bag for a day or so making sure not to over ripen.
It’s easy to make your own tomato sauce in as little as 15 minutes by using a skillet instead of a pot. The sauce reduces quicker and the best tomatoes to use are Roma’s or Cherry. They hold up better under heat and have fewer seeds, which can develop an unpleasant taste if cooked too long. A food mill is ideal for making sauces because it removes the seeds and skins and creates a more textured sauce. Combine with tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes or roasted cherry tomatoes for a more enhanced flavor.
Tomatoes are so versatile it’s hard not to take advantage of them this time of year. Add them to salads, sandwiches, soups, sauces, pastas, or salsa for added freshness to your meals and nutrition to your diet.
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