How To Dice a Tomato: The thought of oozing seeds and a messy kitchen counter is scary when a recipe calls for diced tomatoes. Think of how great I would have been if there were a simpler way? By practicing a few simple techniques and sharpening your knife skills, you won’t have a problem dicing tomatoes for guacamole at your next backyard barbeque.
What Is Dice?
Similar to the French brunoise cut, a dice is a basic knife cut that involves cutting food into small cubes. In some cases, this is done for presentation purposes or to ensure uniform cooking. A dish with diced ingredients distributes flavors and textures evenly and cooks faster.
Dice is a technique used for chopping food into cubes. In tomato relish, for example, tiny dice cut into 1/4-inch pieces are used as toppings, sauces, and condiments. In chunky salsas and toppings, a medium dice of 1/2 inches is great. Salad, stews, and soups are best served with large dice cut into cubes of 3/4 inches.
How to pick tomatoes:
- Select tomatoes with thick, bright skin that is free of blemishes or bruising and that feel heavy in the hand.
- You can put cold water over them. Later, allow them to air dry.
- Remember to avoid any direct sunlight by storing them at room temperature.
- You should use them at the peak of ripeness.
3 Ways To Dice A Tomato
1. Chef’s Slicing Method
Firstly, start by removing any dirt and debris from the tomato by washing it thoroughly.
The next step is to core and then cut the tomato lengthwise across the top, using a serrated knife. On the inside, you should see the whole seed chamber.
To remove the seeds from the tomato, squeeze it with your hand as gently as you can. You can also remove seeds using your fingers or a small paring knife. Slice the tomato halves horizontally, holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, so the thin or thick slices you make are dependent on your preference.
The stack of tomato slices should be cut into strips for dicing, and the crosswise slices should be sliced with a knife.
2. Wide Strip Method
Remove any dirt and debris from the tomato by washing it in the sink with antibacterial dish soap.
The seeds of the tomato can be removed with a small table knife or your finger.
Slice the tomato into thin strips with your knife. Next, turn the tomato over and dice it, like you would an onion.
The next step is to create a flat surface on top of the tomato by cutting a thin slice off its bottom.
Slice down wide strips from the top of the tomato to the bottom, positioning your knife parallel to it. You should separate the flesh from the inner core of the tomato as you perform this step.
Remove the flesh from the tomato and discard the seedy section. All the strips should now be cut lengthwise or to the thickness, you want the dice, and then the slices should be turned 90° and cross-diced.
3. Small Cube Method
The tomatoes should first be washed and dried, and stickers should be removed from the skin.
You can use the chef’s knife or paring knife to cut out the tomato stem and core.
Using a swift motion, slice the tomato vertically so that it does not get squshed or dented.
After that, cut each tomato half in half. There should be eight tomato slices for you.
Then slice each piece into thirds.
Add the tomatoes to a salad or freeze them for a later date.
How to Seed a Tomato Before Dicing
Is seeding a tomato necessary? The extra liquid is found around tomato seeds and in their surrounding gel-like area, which can cause different textures in a recipe. Taking a few extra steps to seed tomatoes won’t harm them, as their flavor comes mostly from the red flesh, not the seeds.
First, cut your tomatoes in half so that you can easily seed them. By holding a tomato half over a bowl, gently squeeze out the seeds, scooping out any excess seed liquid with a finger or small knife. From here, you have everything you need to begin dicing tomatoes.
What’s the Best Knife for Cutting Tomatoes?
We typically use a serrated knife to cut bread, but it’s the best knife for cutting a tomato. Despite their tough exteriors, tomatoes and bread are soft inside. Because of this, sawing the tomato skin with a serrated knife is ideal for cutting through it without damaging its delicate interior.
FAQs
1. Can you use a food processor to chop tomatoes?
It is true, but you still need to chop them into quarters or bigger chunks beforehand. To make the tomatoes the size you want, pulse your food processor until it is running.
2. Are tomato seeds safe to eat?
They may be eaten as long as they have not sprouted, you are not allergic to them, and you don’t mind the texture. Sprouting tomato seeds are toxic; you must discard the whole tomato if the seeds have sprouted.