Round, juicy, pulpy, synonymous with summer heat and sun: the tomato , delicacy of Italian cuisine, is one of the most popular vegetables ... but it is actually a fruit! Ah yes, the tomato is much more mysterious than it seems ... There are many varieties, shapes and colors. Ways propararlo, then, are innumerable ...
Here are our tips to choose them well, store them in the best possible way, and prepare them as do the chef!
The tomato, the fruit of the sun
Of course, we usually speak of "vegetable" in the sun ... on the other hand, we know that the tomato originates Central and, in particular, Mexico. Landed in Italy in the 16th century, there has remained to this day, rapidly conquering the rest of Europe.
Needing heat and sun to ripen and become a tasty, its season runs from August to September , when the fruits have fully taken advantage of the summer heat. Of course, now is now grown in the greenhouse most of the year, but it is unlikely that tomatoes off-season have the wealth and taste of the natural ones ...
The Did you know? The leaves and branches of the tomatoes are toxic : Do not eat and let them sprout!
A concentration of vitamins
Tomato is composed of 90% water, why has a rate of calories very low (18 kcal per 100 g). Despite this, it is still a real toccasano to health, it is very rich in minerals and vitamins: potassium, lycopene (an antioxidant pigment, excellent combat aging), vitamin A, C and E.
To take advantage of all these advantages, you can eat it raw (for the vitamins), but also cooked! As lycopene is much more present in cooked tomatoes than in raw: off with sauce, then!
How to choose:
How to be sure that a tomato is tasty? There are no absolute rules, but there are two rules to follow to limit the damage:
- Buy them in season! No tomatoes in November so ...
- Choose it mature. Few fruits continue to ripen once picked. A ripe tomato pulp was soft but not too much (in this case is too ripe). The skin should be smooth, unblemished, and should be complete without a crack. For vine tomatoes, be sure that all the fruits are attached to the branch, which should be green and fresh.
The tomatoes can also be yellow, green, orange ...
There are many varieties of tomatoes, and red ... not necessarily less round!
| cherry tomatoes (Pachino) | mini-tomatoes! Well known and much appreciated as an aperitif. They can be red, yellow or orange, oval-shaped or pear ! It is also used as an appetizer, bruschetta, or to season pasta cold. |
| The San Marzano | easy to recognize because of their elongated shape. They have a very fleshy pulp, and thus are ideal for preparing the sauce. |
| Green Tomatoes | Very popular in the United States, can be used to make pancakes and jam ! |
| The Heart of Ox | It 'an old variety, long unavailable on the shelves of our markets, now back in vogue! Are very large, thin-skinned, and are seedless. They are perfect for salads, then! |
How to keep
We can not stress this enough: tomatoes love the heat ... not the cold! Do not put them in the fridge, they would lose their flavor. Keep them at room temperature for 3 or 4 days. Of course, not much, but at least you'll have the security to eat a ripe tomato, tasty and intense flavor.
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