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Tasting a perfect tomato can be transcendent experience. It’s a bite filled with sweetness and sunshine, where thin skin melts into the flesh. The gel surrounding the seeds holds a brief, perfect viscosity before giving way to a gush of fresh juice, bursting refreshingly across your palate.
I can remember three distinct times it’s happened to me: a sun-sweet special batch of cherry tomatoes from my mom’s garden, an appetizer plate at a restaurant off the coast of Naples, and a dish at one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta that I call “the stupid tomato” for being unreasonably, almost infuriatingly delicious.
Once you taste a flawless tomato, it’s hard to settle for mediocrity again; you’ll spend your life chasing that vine-ripened flavor and feeling. So how do you increase the odds of recapturing the sensations of bliss during your weekly grocery shop? I asked farmers from across the country, and the chef responsible for the aforementioned “stupid tomato,” for advice on how to pick the perfect tomato.
But First, the Biggest Mistake Shoppers Make When Picking Grocery Store Tomatoes
When it comes to tomatoes, experts unanimously agree that there’s one thing you want to avoid at all costs: a refrigerated tomato. Kept cool, like on a produce display, can be fine — but cold and fully refrigerated? No matter how nice it may look, it’s practically guaranteed to be mealy.
“Flavor develops while the fruit matures,” explains Amanda Orr, communications manager for Mastronardi Produce, parent company of SUNSET produce brand, “which is why ripeness at harvest matters so much.” But unlike bananas, avocados, and peaches, which can be picked prior to ripening and kept in cold storage, these low temperatures “break down the cell walls of tomatoes, leaving the flesh grainy and dry.” Or, in one word, mealy.
“Refrigeration changes a tomato’s texture as much as irregular watering or extreme weather swings disrupt the ripening process,” says Kikki Tucker of Tucker Farms in Georgia. Marc Mansour, chef-owner of BEY Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar in Georgia, even called it “the enemy of a good tomato,” adding “it kills the texture and dulls the flavor.” Orr also agrees with this death knell: “Once a tomato has been chilled, no amount of counter time can fully bring back its texture.”
It’s also why she recommends you “store them on the counter out of direct sunlight, stem-side down to slow moisture loss and to prevent bruising. Don’t stack them!”
So, What’s the Best Way to Pick a Grocery Store Tomato?
When it comes to tomatoes, looks are one of the least important elements. Tucker, an avid grower of heirloom varieties, shares, “We always say ‘the uglier the better,’ and tend to steer clear of perfectly round and uniform tomatoes.”
It should smell like … something. Mansour confesses, “Honestly, the first thing I do is I smell it! If I pick up a tomato and it doesn’t smell like anything, I put it back. People spend too much time looking for the prettiest tomato, but I’d rather have the ugly one that smells incredible.”
It should have some heft. Another great giveaway that you’ve got a winner in your hands? It should also feel heavy for its size, according to Mansour, and “have a little give when you squeeze it very, very gently.” According to Orr, this means “it’s holding onto its juices and sugars, and hasn’t dried out yet.”
Look for vibrant colors and green in the right places. At the same time, appearance isn’t nothing. Tucker and Orr both note that vibrant color is another crucial indicator. “Whether you’re looking at a red, yellow, or orange tomato variety, the color should be deep and even across the whole fruit with no green shoulders,” Orr says, and its skin should be glossy. If attached, the vine, branch, or stem should look green and fresh, not overly dry and brittle, she adds. “A fresh, ripe stem will also have that unmistakable tomato aroma.” It’s another giveaway that the fruit is at its prime.
Consider the variety. “Choosing the right tomato for the right job goes a long way,” says Orr. “A cherry tomato, like Flavor Bombs, are great for snacking straight from the package, while something like Campari brand tomatoes bring a perfectly balanced sweetness and acidity that works well on a sandwich or in a sauce.” Don’t be afraid to ask the produce staff or growers at the farmers market which one (or more!) will fit your needs best. Growers “may have pre-sorted their harvest based on ripeness,” Tucker reveals, which means they can make recommendations based on when you plan to eat it or how you plan to use it.
Credit: Catherine Toth Fox
What to Avoid When Picking a Grocery Store Tomato
Bigger isn’t always better. If she’s not picking from a farm or farm stand, Tucker usually opts for organic, which are naturally smaller, and cherry or cocktail varieties. In her experience, they have better flavor.
But smaller distances are. Tomatoes are so temperature-sensitive, so you’re more likely to get a juicy one if you buy locally or regionally. “This offers an opportunity to buy the freshest tomatoes and try unique varieties that wouldn’t hold up to long-distance commercial transport,” Tucker says. Plus, it reduces the time spent in a chilled truck. This advice also applies out of season, when your best bet is a tomato grown in a nearby greenhouse, not thousands of miles away.
“Pass on tomatoes that have soft, sunken spots or bruising.” As Orr explains, “a wrinkled tomato means the fruit is past its prime and drying out. Skip anything that’s cracked too. Cracks speed up water loss and make tomatoes dry and mealy faster.”
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Debbie Wee
The Best Ways to Enjoy a Fresh Tomato
“If you have a really good tomato, you don’t need to do much. Growing up in Lebanon, every summer we’d go up to the mountains, pick tomatoes from the garden, slice them, drizzle them with olive oil, add a little salt and za’atar, and sit outside for 10 minutes while we ate them,” laughs Mansour. “Nobody cared if they were perfectly round. Some were cracked, some were lopsided, but all tasted like summer.”
In fact, these childhood memories are the base of his “stupid tomato” I can’t get enough of: a thick heirloom tomato slice between layers of garlicky toum, then topped with sautéed dandelion greens and crowned with crispy onions.
Because, as Tucker brings up, sometimes the best way to enjoy a prime tomato is at the hands of a chef. “Don’t forget to support local restaurants who buy directly from local farms. You’ll find delicious heirloom tomatoes on their menus this season.”
Most importantly, “Enjoy your tomatoes before they go soft or dry out!” Orr says. The season is short, and they’re best fresh.
Got a smart tip for buying fruit and vegetables at the grocery store? Tell us about it in the comments.
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