Sprinkle Sugar on Low-Quality Tomatoes to Improve Their Flavor
With the exception of cherry tomatoes , which are good almost all year round, I try not to buy tomatoes until at least July, as buying them earlier is usually disappointing. But I’m not perfect and I slipped the other day and bought (pretty) a few on the vine. As you would expect, they were a little lackluster in terms of taste.
Instead of throwing them away, I decided to tinker and see if I could make them taste a little closer to a real summer tomato. I cut one into slices, sprinkle with salt, and then put a few healthy pinches of table sugar on top of the slices. Then I put them on a wire wrap to take out some water for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle some more salt and sugar.
This process did not magically turn a tomato into an August tomato, but it has been greatly improved. Removing moisture helped to concentrate the aroma, and the addition of sugar added a much needed sweetness that made the taste more ripe and fruity. I put the slices on a cream cheese bagel and ate it happily. (Note: This trick improves the flavor of the tomatoes, but does not help with the food; the powdery tomatoes need to be mixed and filtered for the Bloody Marys .)