on the hunt for the perfect cherry tomatoes

Andy From Sligo

Hello, im on the hunt for perfect cherry tomatoes to have in my cheese sandwiches and in my salads. Wife got some out of ALDI or LIDL and they were good texture but when I cut them open the pips and mush inside were green and yucky looking even though the outsiudes were red and ripe, she said they were fine to eat even though they green inside but it didnt look very appetising to me being green inside . so I asked is there any other cherry tomatoes she could get and she said there are 'on the vine' ones but they are more expensive, anyway she got me some to try. yes when cut open they look lovely and normal inside.... but the skins are really tough! - I like the tomatoe not to be mushy on the outside but not hard/crispy. So what am I looking for? - I know I am fussy

Also what are you supposed to do with toms when you buy them? - put them in the fridge and if so, do you put them in the crisper part at the bottom of the fridge? - or do you just leave them out or put them in a dark cupboard?

pwurple

Hiya,

I find supermarket tomatoes tricky. Have you space to grow some yourself? Maybe a porch or a sunny room?

About the colour, that is more about the variety of the tomato plant than the ripeness. They come in all sorts of colours.

Storage, i find the fridge makes them grainy.

RasTa

Never keep tomatoes in the fridge, it kills them.

the beer revolu

I find the Lidl, Oaklands, Fresh cherry vine tomatoes to be consistently good.
They're rather large to be called cherry tomatoes, imo but taste good.

During the summer months, I try to buy Irish tomatoes but these Dutch ones are great for year round tomatoes. Reasonably priced, too.

And late August, I have my own gardener's delight cherry tomatoes from the garden!

Speedwell

I buy cherry tomatoes and leave them out on the counter in their packaging for as many as three days past their expiration. They're just not at all ripe when you buy them. If they are green on the inside they were green when picked and then treated; tomatoes ripen from the inside. Being from the American South I have bought plenty of green tomatoes on purpose (if you are going to fry them in buttermilk and seasoned polenta breading, buy the ones that are just starting to turn pink). But if I buy ripe tomatoes, I want ripe tomatoes, dammit.

Alun

the beer revolu wrote: »

I find the Lidl, Oaklands, Fresh cherry vine tomatoes to be consistently good.
They're rather large to be called cherry tomatoes, imo but taste good.

I agree, they're very good, and are often more ripe than most other tomatoes for sale at the same time. One of the few things I'll go to Lidl for instead of Aldi. Aldi tomatoes are rubbish, especially the cherry tomatoes.

Melendez

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Markcheese

The sniff test helps, tomatoes can look great but not taste of anything... my dad swears by gardeners delight,

Andy From Sligo

Melendez wrote: »

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No M&S in Sligo - wish there were. Great quality food always to be had out of M&S.

Andy From Sligo

so im at the stage at the moment That tomatos bought that are 'on the vine' are good and seem to be the best at the moment, nice and ripe. But I am finding they are a bit hard/crunchy and give me a bit of indigestion - how would a person soften them up a bit? - i dont want them mushy but a little bit softer skin

Speedwell

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

so im at the stage at the moment That tomatos bought that are 'on the vine' are good and seem to be the best at the moment, nice and ripe. But I am finding they are a bit hard/crunchy and give me a bit of indigestion - how would a person soften them up a bit? - i dont want them mushy but a little bit softer skin

If they're nearly ripe to begin with, they will ripen and soften a bit more if left on the kitchen counter out of the way. I find mine are best a day or two after the "sell by" date.

vicwatson

+1 on the Lidl Cherry vine tomatoes - hard to beat

beer enigma

Melendez wrote: »

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Its actually the ONLY food product specifically go to M&S for. The stem of their Vine cherry tomatoes leave that lovely smell on your hands that you normally only get from grow your own.

miezekatze

I think the santini tomatoes tend to be the nicest. They tend to be a bit tastier than regular cherry tomatoes.

chuckles30

I love the baby plum tomatoes & would have to say these are my favourites - but they are normally dearer than the cherry tomatoes. Like someone else said, I do the sniff test before I buy them. Dunnes do a stand-up (smoothie cup shape) container of them normally during the summer and I could eat them all in one sitting - beautiful and sweet.

On storage, I used to always keep them in the fridge, but have recently started keeping them out as I prefer the taste at room temperature.

TheBeach

The 49c ones in aldi are the minute are surprisingly sweets and juicy.