For most people, August is all about delicious shakes, yummy ice creams, mouth-watering popsicles, and pool-side parties. But do you know there's one more thing you can do in this sunny month? No, we aren't talking about attending music festivals or fashion shows. We’re talking about picking some delicious tomatoes right from the farms!
Davor Denkovski/Unsplash | Tomatoes are used in several different ways, but contrary to what you may think, choosing the best tomatoes is not very easy
Tomatoes are used in numerous ways around the world. The Middle Easterns add them to their salads, Italians throw them in their sauces, and the French use them for making ratatouille.
Given the popularity, you might think it's easy to get good tomatoes anywhere, but that's not true. Choosing good-quality tomatoes is an art, and today, we’re giving away the tricks to it. So take a pen and paper and get ready to jot down a few points.
First, let's see how good tomatoes are for our bodies!
Nutritionist and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes, Vandana Sheth, says any kind of tomatoes, whether brought from a local market or a grocery store, provide vitamin K, C, potassium, folate, and plant compounds like beta carotene and lycopene. They lower the risk of heart diseases and cancers and promote skin health. Plus, cooking or steaming them increases the amount of plant-based compounds, so there's no way you’re going to regret eating them.
Avin CP/Unsplash | Tomatoes provide our bodies with vitamin K, C, potassium, folate, and plant compounds
How to choose the best tomatoes?
You don't need tutorials or fancy gadgets to identify and pick the best tomatoes. All you have to do is trust your senses and do as your mind says. However, you can use these farmers' tips to get the most out of your picks.
#Tip 1 - Always Check
Like many fruits, tomatoes don't have a definite color. They can come in hues like red, pink, white, purple, yellow, brown, green, and even black. Most of the time, they’re an ombré of red, yellow, and green. With so many types and colors, how's one supposed to choose the perfect tomato? It's simple, don't go after the color. Rather, check for any issues like cracks, blemishes, or tears on the skin.
#Tip 2 - Don't forget to touch
Many sellers allow shoppers to touch and select the fruits themselves. If you get a chance like that, press a tomato and see if it's firm. It shouldn’t be too hard, but at the same time, it shouldn't be too soft. Make sure it can take the pressure of other light-weight veggies in the shopping bag. If you're buying tomatoes for quick use, follow this norm, but if you’re going to keep them for some days, avoid the soft ones.
Shelley Pauls/Unsplash | When buying tomatoes, press them to see if they're perfect. They shouldn't be too hard or too soft
#Tip 3 - Try to smell
Usually, tomatoes don't have a strong smell, but when you take them closer to your nose, you can easily differentiate a ripe tomato from the bundle.
Wrapping it up
By now, we hope you would know how to pick these tangy fruits, but before you head to the market or farm, make sure you know how to store them. After all, you wouldn't want your efforts to go in vain.
