A tomato is a tomato… right?
Not quite!
Walk through a supermarket and you’ll probably find everything from tiny cherry tomatoes to large beef tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine and beautifully sweet speciality varieties.
Although they all belong to the tomato family, different varieties can offer very different flavours, textures and uses.
Understanding those differences can help you choose the right tomato for your next meal.
Cherry Tomatoes
Small, sweet and incredibly versatile, cherry tomatoes are ideal when you want plenty of flavour without much preparation.
They’re fantastic eaten raw in salads, added to lunchboxes or roasted whole. Their small size also means they work particularly well on skewers or as part of sharing dishes.
Plum Tomatoes
Plum tomatoes tend to have an oval shape and a firm, fleshy texture.
Because they generally contain plenty of flesh, they’re particularly useful for cooking. Try them in sauces, casseroles and slow-cooked dishes where you want a rich tomato flavour.
Beef Tomatoes
As their name suggests, beef tomatoes are the larger members of the tomato family.
Their generous size makes them perfect for slicing. Add them to burgers and sandwiches or serve thick slices as part of a salad.
They’re also ideal when the tomato itself needs to be the centrepiece of a dish.
Vine Tomatoes
Vine tomatoes are sold while still attached to their vine and are popular for their aroma, colour and versatility.
They’re a great all-rounder and can be enjoyed raw, roasted or cooked into your favourite recipes.
Speciality Tomatoes
There’s also a whole world of speciality tomatoes to discover.
Varieties such as Piccolo tomatoes are prized for their sweetness and flavour. Their smaller size makes them ideal for snacking, salads and dishes where you really want the natural tomato flavour to shine.
Which Tomato Should You Choose?
Ultimately, there’s no wrong answer.
Some tomatoes are better suited to cooking, while others are fantastic eaten exactly as they are. Experimenting with different varieties can completely change the flavour and texture of familiar recipes.
At R & L Holt, understanding individual varieties is an important part of growing tomatoes. Different plants can have different requirements throughout the growing process, which is why knowledge, experience and careful crop management are so important.
Next time you’re shopping for tomatoes, why not pick up a variety you haven’t tried before?
You might just discover a new favourite.
