I have to be totally honest and biased when I say that nothing beats a vine ripened tomato. I realize that they are not always in season so they might be hard to get (and they are expensive), but when they are available they are soooo worth it, that is if you use them correctly.
What do I mean when I say vine ripen? This means that the tomato is left on the plants vine and is picked when the fruit is at its "peak" before being picked. The result if a uniformly red, sweet, juicy, and wonderful tomato.
Typically tomatoes are not vine ripened and are picked early because of the cost effectiveness of it all. Because they are picked sooner that means less time on the farm and quicker to be sold. Unfortunately this leads to tomatoes that are bland and the color is usually that pinkish hey, rather than that deep, dark, delicious red.
It is important to note that while I do prefer vine ripen toms, they have to be used correctly in order to justify paying double the amount. Here are some helpful hints.
1. When you first get them, store them in a dry cool place, the fridge is fine if they are going to be eaten right away. Do not wash them until they are going to be used, because moisture on tomatoes will lead to mold.
2 If you leave them out on the counter to get over ripe, or if they naturally are over ripe, use them to make sauce. Over ripe, vine ripened tomatoes are the best for pizza, marinara, and soups.
3. Do not squeeze them or stack them on one another, this will cause them to bruise and will make them dwindle much faster. Be gentle and give them space.
4. Keep track of them- Watch for mold and too much condensation on them. If one tomato goes bad, they all can get moldy rather quickly.
Hope you enjoy your vine ripen tomatoes, but if you don't have them, or can't afford them, here is a cool recipe from a chef that I used to work for in Seattle.
Chef Daisley Gordon's Confit Tomato Technique
Happy Eating!
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