How to Dice Tomatoes for Cooking: Dicing tomatoes is one of the last pieces of the culinary process that we do before serving our dish. Dicing tomatoes provide the necessary texture for many dishes — whether it’s chopped or diced, they are an important part of your recipe. The key to properly dicing tomatoes is in the technique you use to cut them.
There are several different methods that can be used when cutting tomatoes into dice. Some people prefer using a knife, while others prefer to use a food processor. Here are three different ways that you can cut tomatoes into delicious pieces.
Using a Knife
A knife is probably the most common way to cut tomatoes into desired pieces. It allows you to get nice uniform slices with minimal waste. You want to make sure that you have a sharp knife so that you don’t cut yourself.
To remove the tomato skin, make a small slice at the bottom of the tomato. Then gently pull off the skin.
Next, place the tomato on its side and cut across the top of the tomato until it reaches a nice flat surface.
Now start making slices from one end to the other. This will allow you to easily separate each piece from the tomato.
This may take some practice, but once you get the hang of how to cut tomatoes, this method should become second nature.
Using a Food Processor
Using a food processor allows you to chop your tomatoes into perfect cubes without any waste. Just follow these simple steps to turn your tomatoes into tasty little cubes.
First, wash all of your ingredients and set up your food processor. Put all of your ingredients into the bowl of the food processor, except for the salt and pepper.
Start out by adding 1/4 cup of water to help soften your tomatoes. Then add the remaining ingredients (except the salt and pepper) to your bowl. Blend everything together until your mixture looks like pureed soup. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
Once you’ve added the salt and pepper, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Now use your hands to mix the vegetables and sauce together.
After mixing, put your diced tomatoes into another bowl and refrigerate your mixture overnight. In the morning, drain your mixture and use your fingers to break down any pieces that are stuck together. Then you should have a great-tasting vegetable sauce.
Using a Tomato Slicer
If you would rather not spend time chopping your tomatoes, then a slicer might just be what you need. Tomato slicers come in handy when you need to prepare a lot of tomatoes at one time for your recipes. They also allow you to slice tomatoes exactly as thickly as you desire.
You should be careful when buying a slicer because there are two types of slicers available. There are those that require you to push down on the tomatoes to force them through the holes, and there are those that press the tomatoes down naturally. Make sure that you know which type you need to buy before purchasing.
For example, if you want to buy a tomato slicer that requires you to push the tomatoes through the holes, you will need a tomato pusher tool. If you choose a slicer that presses the tomatoes naturally into the holes, you only need a slicer. A slicer is ideal when you need to slice a lot of tomatoes quickly because you won’t have to worry about pushing the tomatoes through the holes.
Once you have chosen a slicer, then you only need to decide which hole size you want. This will determine how thinly you slice your tomatoes. To cut tomatoes into thin slices, make sure that you hold the tomatoes firmly against the blade of the slicer. When slicing tomatoes, avoid using too much pressure because you could bruise your tomatoes.
Conclusion
After you’ve sliced your tomatoes, store them in a container in the refrigerator. This will keep them fresh and ready for use. Make sure that you always slice your tomatoes the same way; otherwise, your results will vary. For extra security, wrap each tomato individually with plastic wrap to prevent bruising.
Now that you know how to dice tomatoes properly, you should have no problem preparing a wide variety of delicious soups, stews, and sauces. Once you master the art of dicing tomatoes, you will find that you can create countless dishes that you never thought possible.
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