Nothing says summer quite like a juicy ripe tomato. Popular types include beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, roma tomatoes, pear tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
Tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, should be bought organic when possible. Moreover, buying tomatoes from your local farmers' market when they are in season (around June-October in the US depending on your location) is going to make your dish much, much tastier, not to mention more eco-friendly.
In fact, we recommend using canned—or better yet, jarred—tomato products when tomatoes aren't in season instead of buying imported or greenhouse-grown tomatoes.
When buying fresh tomatoes, look for deep colored, firm tomatoes that give a little when you squeeze them1. Give them a sniff too, the best tomatoes will give off an earthy smell. Store your tomatoes at room temperature, refrigerating tomatoes makes them lose their flavor and texture.
Nutrition DNA
The nutrition DNA of tomatoes. For example, you can see that 1 tomato covers 21% of your daily need of Vitamin A and 21% of the recommended Vitamin C intake. Hover over the bars to see which nutrient is covered.
