Tomatoes

Tomatoes originate from South America and are members of the nightshade family of plants. Botanically they are classified as fruits as they develop from the fertilised ovary of a flower. However, in culinary terms, due to their savoury flavour are referred to as salad vegetables.

Juicy and flavoursome, tomatoes can be sweet or tangy depending of variety and are often shades of red, yellow, orange, purple and green. They are extremely versatile and are heavily used in most cuisines throughout the world, as they are great for many different dishes, both hot and cold.

During prime season in the UK – May to early October – we look to buy our tomato stock from local suppliers. Out of season, we source our tomatoes from overseas, specifically Holland, Spain and Morocco.

There are a vast number of tomato varieties as they are often crossbred much like apples to produce different variations. Uses of tomato varieties differ depending on the dish e.g. size required and raw or cooked etc.

Some of the popular varieties we stock include plum, cherry, heirloom, Inca and beef.

Although tomatoes are a savoury food, the sweeter varieties such as cherry and Inca tomatoes are often used in salads to contrast the overall savoury flavour of the dish.

Heirloom tomatoes are unique as unlike other varieties they are open-pollinated, so can be vastly different in appearance from shape to size and colour. The colour dictates its flavour and can be mild, tangy, sweet and lightly zesty.

Plum tomatoes are most commonly used in cooking for elements such as pasta sauces and tinned tomatoes as they have less water content than other varieties

Beef tomatoes are red in colour and some of the largest. They are flatter with a mild flavour and are great sliced for use on burgers and sandwiches.