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Got fresh tomatoes? We’ve got recipes. As cookbook authors who love to cook with seasonal ingredients, here are our top fresh tomato recipes to take advantage of those juicy, ripe beauties.

Tomato recipes
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Tomato season is one of our favorite times of year. With their sweet savory nuanced flavor, all you need is a few simple ingredients to make them taste extraordinary. When it’s tomato season, we make all the fresh tomato recipes!

Because it’s only a period of months, Alex and I take every opportunity we get, making tomato salads, caprese salad, BLTs, pasta, pico de gallo, salsa: everything we can think to enjoy all that summer has to offer. Here we’ve collected our best fresh tomato recipes for the season: and we know you’re going to love them!

Looking for cherry tomatoes? Go to Cherry Tomato Recipes instead.

And now, our top tomato recipes for the season!

How to find the best tomatoes

For all of these recipes, you’ll need the following: ripe, in season tomatoes! Do not even think about using off-season, mealy pink tomatoes. The flavor here is 100% dependent on the quality of your tomato! Here are a few pointers on finding the best tomatoes.

  • Buy local tomatoes if possible. Bonus points if if you grew them yourself! Buying local tomatoes helps support your local farmers.
  • Look for heirloom tomatoes. Try using heirloom tomatoes if you can find them. Heirloom tomatoes are a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family by saving the seeds. You’ll notice that their color and shape are much more varied than the typical round red tomato. They can vary from chartreuse to gold to purple to orange, from small and round to large and squat.
  • Hydroponic greenhouse tomatoes have good flavor. If you can’t find local tomatoes, look at your grocery for hydroponic tomatoes grown in a greenhouse. They usually have good flavor.

How to tell if a tomato is ripe

How can you tell if a tomato is ripe? There is actually some contention around the right way of how to tell if a tomato is ripe. According to The Washington Post, squeezing tomatoes can actually damage them! To avoid damaging the tomato, especially ones from your local small farmers at the farmers market, do the following:

  • Smell it. The tomato should give off a sweet, earthy smell.
  • Hold it. Hold it in your hand: a ripe tomato should feel heavy for its size.

Frequently asked questions

How do I store fresh tomatoes?

Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature, stem-side down, away from direct sunlight. Avoid refrigerating them, as it can affect their flavor and texture.

How can I use up leftover tomatoes?

Leftover tomatoes can be used in various ways. You can make a quick tomato salad, add them to scrambled eggs or omelets, or blend them into a refreshing gazpacho.

How do I choose ripe tomatoes?

Look for tomatoes that are vibrant in color, slightly soft to the touch, and have a fragrant aroma. Avoid tomatoes with blemishes or bruises.

Need more fresh tomato recipes?

That wasn’t enough? Here are a few more where that came from:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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