This Salting Technique Will Make Your Tomatoes Taste Way Better
A perfect slice of tomato should be deep red, firm and juicy. Unfortunately, it’s far too common to slice into a terrible slice of tomato, which is watery, slimy and filled with seeds.
But did you know there’s a simple trick that can turn a sub-par tomato into a much better one? And the key is already in your pantry.
Whether you’re slicing up tomatoes for burgers, a Caprese salad or tomato sandwiches, give yourself about 10-15 minutes before mealtime to prep your tomatoes by lightly salting them. The salt does much more than make them taste better ― it’s more scientific than that. Rather, the salt actually draws out the unwanted liquid and creates a denser slice.
As J. Kenji Lopez-Alt from Serious Eats has explained, “salting draws liquid out of tomatoes through the process of osmosis — that is, the tendency of a liquid (tomato juice) to migrate across a membrane (the tomato’s cell walls) from an area of low solute concentration (within the cells) to an area of high solute concentration (outside of the cells).” And when you remove excess water from the tomato, it concentrates its flavor, making it taste more tomatoey.
Here’s how to do it:
Slice your tomatoes with a serrated knife.
Lay them flat on paper towels, or on a metal cooling rack over a baking tray (the latter is the more environmentally friendly option, and will also catch all the tomato juices if you want to reuse them later).
Lightly sprinkle the top of each slice with a pinch of salt. We recommend Kosher salt ― it’s easier to pinch with your fingers than super-fine table salt, and it’s finer than course sea salt, which can add an unwanted crunch.
Allow the tomatoes to rest for about 7-8 minutes. You should see beads of liquid rise to the surface, at which point you can dab the tops with a paper towel. (This is also a good chance to remove excess salt, especially if you’re watching your sodium levels.)
Flip the tomato slices and repeat the whole process on the opposite side, dabbing again after another 7-8 minutes.
If you’ve cut your tomatoes into wedges for a salad (as opposed to round slices), you can try an alternate method: Toss your wedges in a colander, lightly salt them, let them sit for 15-20 minutes and give them a shake to drain their excess liquid.
Now, if only you didn’t mangle your tomatoes when you sliced them! Lucky for you, we’ve founded up knives made just for slicing tomatoes.
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Amazon
Best for beginners
If you aren't comfortable wielding a long knife, the 4-inch Victorinox Swiss classic paring knife with serrated edge is a widely popular option that you'll feel safe handling. The serrated teeth are quite fine and the knife is lightweight, coming in four different color options that you'll reach for over and over again.
Amazon
Best for big tomatoes
Hacking through a giant tomato with a tiny paring knife just doesn't work, so when you've got large tomatoes, this Henckels 8-inch bread knife will do the trick.
Amazon
For perfectionists, a knife specifically designed for tomatoes
This Rada tomato-slicing knife has nearly 3,500 five-star reviews from Amazon customers. Made in the United States, this knife is 8 7/8 inches long, meaning it'll slice through big 'maters with ease.
Amazon
A set of affordable ceramic-coated knives that includes a good bread knife
I bought this very inexpensive six-piece kit of Cuisinart slicers to keep at my mom's house, because I got sick of cooking with her old, dull knives. The serrated bread knife in this set actually slices tomatoes like magic. (The other tools are all great, too.) The blades are made of stainless steel with a ceramic coating, so the only downside is that you can't really sharpen them.
