From the Caprese salad (a salad made in the style of Capri, an Italian island), to the BLT sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato), to the deep-fried green tomatoes, the perfectly sliced tomatoes help to elevate the level from a simple dish to a masterpiece. tantalizing. Ripe, juicy tomatoes can be a little challenging to slice. The instructions in this article should make slicing tomatoes easier.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using a Knife
Step 1. Place the washed tomatoes on a cutting board
Make sure the stem is facing up. This will make the process of cleaning the stem easier.
Step 2. Remove the stem
If you are working with large roma tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes, you will need to remove the stems before slicing the tomatoes. If you are working small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, this step is not necessary and you can move on to the next step.
- Place your thumb just below the side of the blade, preferably using a small knife to cut fruit and vegetables.
- Use your free hand to grip the bottom of the tomato, and balance your hand on the cutting board.
- Place the tip of your knife slightly to the side of the stem.
- Press the knife into the tomato to a depth of about 1/2 cm-1 cm.
- Cut into small circles by turning your knife. Pull to remove the stem.
Step 3. Place the tomatoes on top
Once the stem is removed, the tomato will have a flat top. Turn the tomatoes over so that the flat side is facing the cutting board and provides a balanced base.
Step 4. Cut the tomatoes in half
Using a sharp chef's knife or a serrated knife, make lengthwise cuts from top to bottom so the tomatoes will split into two equal parts. This will make the slicing process easier, but if you want whole tomatoes, you can skip this step and move on to the slicing part.
Step 5. Take one of the halves of the tomato slice and position it
Place the flat side down, toward the cutting board.
Step 6. Slice the tomatoes
The following steps will help you cut evenly and safely along the length of the tomato. If you're slicing a whole tomato, you can still follow the same steps.
- Place your free hand on the left side of the tomato (if you're chopping with your right). Bend your fingers into claws and press the tips of your fingers gently over the tomatoes. This way of holding helps to balance the tomatoes and prevents cutting your fingers.
- Position the tip of the knife on the cutting board just behind the far right side of the tomato.
- Keeping the tip of the knife on the cutting board, lower the knife straight down and through the tomato. A sharp knife will make the cutting process easier.
- After touching the cutting board, lift your knife back up.
- Reposition the knife on top of the tomato, about 1/2 cm-1 cm to the left of the cut, depending on how thick you want the tomato slices to be.
- Repeat the same knife movement as before and continue along the tomato.
- Repeat the process for the second half of the tomato slice.
Step 7. Enjoy
Now you have tomatoes sliced perfectly to use on lettuce, sandwiches, or just to eat on the go.
Method 2 of 4: Using a Mandoline
Step 1. Prepare the mandoline
The mandoline is a tongs-like cutting tool used by expert chefs and home cooks alike and is very useful for making lots of equally large cuts quickly. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions so the mandoline can stand upright on your cutting board.
Step 2. Install the blade
This will determine the thickness of your tomato slices.
- You can attach or distance the blade from the body of the mandoline to make thicker or thinner cuts, depending on the make and model of your mandoline.
- Make sure the blade is sharp -- this will help you make really thin slices without snagging the tools or crushing the tomatoes.
Step 3. Add the tomatoes
Mandolines are almost always accompanied by protective gloves to help you hold the object to be cut.
- Some models have spikes in the holder to help hold slippery objects like tomatoes.
- Mandoline blades can be extremely sharp and can cut neatly through the tips of exposed fingers, so always wear hand guards to protect your hands!
Step 4. Cut the tomatoes
The Mandoline will do most of the cutting for you.
- Start at the top of the mandoline's body and slide the tomato and hand guard down over the blade.
- Try using a zigzag motion as you move past the blade; this will help the blade to cut through the skin of the tomato and not crush the tomato.
- Return to the top and move it back down to make another cut. Keep repeating this step until you reach the tip of the tomato.
Step 5. Enjoy
The tomato slices will be the same thickness, which is a good thing to cook at the same time and make sure everything is cooked through.
Method 3 of 4: Using the Tomato Cutter
Step 1. Take out the tomato cutter you have
One of the most popular manual models looks a bit like a fly swatter.
Step 2. Place the clean tomatoes on a cutting board
Use your non-dominant hand to hold it steady and steady.
Step 3. Cut the tomatoes
The cutlery will do the job quickly, slicing the whole tomato in one fell swoop!
- Grasp the handle of the tomato chopper with your dominant hand for cutting, with the sharp side facing the tomato. For added leverage and balance, place your index finger on the handle between the cutting frames.
- Use a sawing motion to make the blade of the cutting tool pierce the skin of the tomato.
- When the blade is halfway through the tomato, move your hand holding the tomato up so it's no longer in the path of the blade. You don't want to have your hand cut off!
- Continue to do movements such as sawing through the tomato until it reaches the surface of the cutting board.
Step 4. Done
Once the cutting tool reaches the surface of the cutting board, you should have a perfectly sliced tomato.
Method 4 of 4: Using an Egg or Apple Cutter
Step 1. Take out the egg or apple cutter you have
This is a fun alternative way of chopping tomatoes, and it's also especially helpful if you have a fear of knives and aren't comfortable with your ability to use a knife, or if you're just looking for other ways to use your egg or apple cutter. You are just filling the drawer. An egg slicer will work well on tomatoes that are smaller in size, while an apple slicer will work better on beefsteak tomatoes.
Step 2. Add the washed tomatoes
Simply place the tomato in the concave center of the cutlery, as you would a hard-boiled egg or an apple.
Step 3. Cut the tomatoes
Press the cutting edge to gently and quickly slice through the tomatoes.
Step 4. Done
Enjoy!
Tips
- Always wash the tomatoes before cutting.
- Make sure all tools you will use, especially knives, are sharp. A sharpened knife will cut through the tomatoes easily, without crushing or flattening them.
- Use the right knife. A small fruit knife is perfect for removing stems, or cutting small cherry tomatoes. A very sharp chef's knife or a serrated knife is the best knife for slicing. Any serrated knife, such as a bread knife or even a steak knife, is a good choice because it has sharp teeth to be able to pierce and slice through the thin skin of a tomato without crushing it.
- If you are chopping cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, a very useful trick is to place the washed tomatoes on a plate. Place a second plate with the top facing down just above the tomatoes. Gently press down on the second plate and run the knife through the gap between the plates, slightly away from yourself. This method will cut the entire tomato in half in one stroke of the knife!
