This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
The taste of raw tomatoes
Let's take a look at tomatoes, which are still in full bloom at the end of summer (as I write these lines), and which make for delicious salads.
I had already talked to you about the interest of peeling tomatoes, which gives them an extraordinary sweetness in the mouth, but let's talk about the taste this time. Of course, we are talking about seasonal tomatoes, which have grown in the area, and are both tasty and juicy.
I had already talked to you about the interest of peeling tomatoes, which gives them an extraordinary sweetness in the mouth, but let's talk about the taste this time. Of course, we are talking about seasonal tomatoes, which have grown in the area, and are both tasty and juicy.
16 K 4.9/5 (14 reviews)
Keywords for this post:TomatoesTasteSummerSeasonSaltJuiceExtractionLast modified on: September 8th 2018
The taste of raw tomatoes
Let's say you were going to make a salad with tomato slices, you might have peeled them (if not, try it as soon as possible!) and sliced them before putting them in your salad bowl. It's natural to do this, but it will have an unpleasant effect: when in contact with the dressing and the salt it contains, the tomato slices will give off a lot of juice, vegetation water in fact, and this juice will dilute the sauce in question. This means that if you prepare your tomato salad in advance, it is likely to be bathed in a very liquid juice-sauce mixture, which is not very pleasant.
Can this be avoided? Yes, there is a way to correct this problem, as in this recipe for example:
- You peel your tomatoes (if possible)
- You cut them into slices
- You lightly salt the tomato slices on each side with fine salt (very important)
- You put these salted slices on a grid, and you let them rest for 1 hour if possible, 30 minutes minimum
Doing it this way will have 2 effects:
1) The fine salt in contact with the tomato slices, will pump some of the water that will fall under the grill, which will "dry" the tomatoes a little, and all this water will not go into your salad afterwards.
2) The salt will enhance the taste of your tomatoes
After the resting time, drain carefully the slices, continue your tomato salad as you were used to, but think about reducing or removing the salt from your sauce, since you bring it with the tomatoes, and we must always be careful with salt in our diet.
This way of proceeding can also be applied for stuffed tomatoes for example: once hollowed out, salt the inside and put them upside down on a grid for 1 hour. Then use as usual.
To sum up: Before using tomatoes in a recipe, especially raw, it is always better to salt them with fine salt, and let them rest for a good hour so that the excess vegetation water escapes, and then use them normally.
What to do with the tomato water recovered in this way? Put it in a closed jar in the fridge, and pour it into a sauce or the cooking of your next recipe based on cooked tomatoes. Or... make yourself an amazing, clear Bloody-Mary!
Can this be avoided? Yes, there is a way to correct this problem, as in this recipe for example:
- You peel your tomatoes (if possible)
- You cut them into slices
- You lightly salt the tomato slices on each side with fine salt (very important)
- You put these salted slices on a grid, and you let them rest for 1 hour if possible, 30 minutes minimum
Doing it this way will have 2 effects:
1) The fine salt in contact with the tomato slices, will pump some of the water that will fall under the grill, which will "dry" the tomatoes a little, and all this water will not go into your salad afterwards.
2) The salt will enhance the taste of your tomatoes
After the resting time, drain carefully the slices, continue your tomato salad as you were used to, but think about reducing or removing the salt from your sauce, since you bring it with the tomatoes, and we must always be careful with salt in our diet.
This way of proceeding can also be applied for stuffed tomatoes for example: once hollowed out, salt the inside and put them upside down on a grid for 1 hour. Then use as usual.
To sum up: Before using tomatoes in a recipe, especially raw, it is always better to salt them with fine salt, and let them rest for a good hour so that the excess vegetation water escapes, and then use them normally.
What to do with the tomato water recovered in this way? Put it in a closed jar in the fridge, and pour it into a sauce or the cooking of your next recipe based on cooked tomatoes. Or... make yourself an amazing, clear Bloody-Mary!
Lasts posts
XO Cognac Explained: Meaning, Aging, and Flavor Profile
XO Cognac always goes beyond the labels on the bottle: it is often associated with tradition and quality. You get to appreciate the artistry, character and ageing process when you understand what defines this smooth Cognac. The section below tackles everything about XO Cognac, from complex flavour...January 28th 202654 Sponsored article
Butter vs. grease
We often read in a recipe where a pastry is put into a mould that, just before pouring, the mould should be buttered or greased. But what's the difference between these 2 terms?December 1st 20252,2675
Getting out of the fridge early
Very often when you're cooking, you need to take food or preparations out of the fridge, to use them in the recipe in progress. There's nothing tricky about this: you just take them out of the fridge and use them, usually immediately, in the recipe. But is this really a good method?November 24th 20251,4935
Who's making the croissants?
When you look at a bakery from the outside, you naturally think that in the bakery, the bakers make the bread, and in the laboratory, the pastry chefs make the cakes. It's very often like that, with each of these professions having quite different ways of working, but sometimes there's also one...November 23th 20251,362
Oven height
When we put a dish or cake in the oven, we naturally tend to put it on the middle shelf, and that's what we usually do. But in some cases, this position and height can be a little tricky, so let's find out why.October 8th 20254,2505
Other pages you may also like
Baking cakes
Where we see that to put a cake in the oven, once the dough is finished and in its mould, there is no hurry and that the cold is your friend.June 28th 201946 K4.1
The super powers of cornstarch
I start this new year by evoking an old product, that you most probably have in your cupboards, a white powder, often in a small cardboard package with a slightly outdated look, only the "gluten free" is relatively recent, it is simply cornstarch, hence its name of maïzena. It's used for a lot...January 14th 202215 K
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021148 K4.5
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.June 21th 201769 K 24.2
Using stretch food film effectively
Maybe you use food film in your own kitchen. You know, the very thin, clear plastic stuff that you can stretch, often used to cover food and protect it from the air. It’s become so widely used that it’s now an essential item for pros. They even have a verb for it in French: “filmer”: to...May 12th 201823 K 14.9
Post a comment or question
Follow this page (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.