A Guide to Tomatoes: Varieties, Choosing, Storing and Cooking With Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. Slice a ripe tomato for a salad and you get something juicy, fresh and slightly acidic.

Roast that same tomato and its flavor becomes sweeter and more concentrated. Cook tomatoes slowly in a stew or braise and they begin to break down, becoming part of the sauce surrounding the other ingredients.

Then there are the varieties themselves. Beefsteak, heirloom, Roma, cherry and grape tomatoes each bring something a little different to the kitchen.

Beyond fresh tomatoes, canned and sun-dried tomatoes give home cooks even more ways to add tomato flavor throughout the year.

Understanding those differences can help you choose the right tomato for what you’re cooking.

Are Tomatoes a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it develops from the flower of the tomato plant and contains seeds.

In the kitchen, however, tomatoes are generally treated as vegetables.

Their combination of acidity, sweetness and savory flavor makes them at home in salads, pasta dishes, sauces, soups, stews, casseroles and countless other savory dishes.

Whichever way you classify them, few ingredients can move between raw and cooked preparations quite as easily.

Common Types of Fresh Tomatoes

Most supermarkets carry several tomato varieties, and while there is plenty of overlap in how they can be used, some are better suited to particular preparations.

Beefsteak Tomatoes

Beefsteak tomatoes are large, juicy and meaty, with broad slices that make them especially good for sandwiches, burgers and salads.

When they’re ripe and flavorful, there’s no reason they have to be cooked. Their substantial texture makes them particularly good for serving raw, where the tomato itself can become one of the main ingredients.

Caprese Tomato Tower Salad

That’s exactly how I use a small beefsteak in my Caprese Tomato Tower Salad, slicing it and layering it with fresh mozzarella and basil.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes come in an assortment of shapes, colors and flavors, and a good ripe heirloom is another tomato that’s often best enjoyed without cooking.

Summer Panzanella: A Refreshing Italian Bread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

In my Summer Panzanella, they’re used raw so their fresh flavor and juices become part of the salad, soaking into the toasted bread along with the vinaigrette.

Using tomatoes raw takes advantage of the different characteristics of each variety: the firm, meaty slices of a beefsteak in one and the juicy flavor of heirlooms in the other.

Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are small, juicy and generally sweeter than many larger slicing tomatoes. Their size makes them convenient for salads and snacking, but they’re equally useful for roasting.

Heat does something particularly nice to cherry tomatoes. As they roast, their skins begin to blister, some of their moisture evaporates and their natural sweetness becomes more concentrated.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes With Garlic And Thyme

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes With Garlic And Thyme is a simple way to take advantage of that transformation. The tomatoes become a side dish on their own but can also be used with pasta, eggs, toasted bread and other dishes.

Cherry tomatoes don’t always need to be cooked, either. They can be halved and added directly to salads when you want small bursts of fresh tomato flavor.

Grape Tomatoes

Grape tomatoes resemble cherry tomatoes but are generally more oblong and somewhat firmer. They tend to hold their shape well, which makes them useful for salads and other dishes where you want small pieces of tomato without the moisture of a large slicing tomato.

Balsamic-Honey Glazed Chicken and Asparagus

My Balsamic-Honey Glazed Chicken and Asparagus uses halved grape tomatoes along with the vegetables. The tomatoes add freshness, acidity and color alongside the chicken and asparagus.

Cherry and grape tomatoes can often substitute for one another, but they aren’t identical.

Cherry tomatoes tend to be rounder and juicier, while grape tomatoes are usually firmer and a little less watery.

Plum Tomatoes

Plum tomatoes are oval or elongated rather than round, with thick, meaty flesh, fewer seeds and generally less juice than large slicing tomatoes.

That lower moisture content makes them particularly versatile because they can be cooked without releasing excessive liquid, but their firm flesh also holds up well when they’re used fresh or marinated.

They’re particularly useful for sauces, roasting and skillet dishes where you want the tomatoes to soften and become part of the sauce.

One Skillet Tortellini With Pizza Sauce & Fontina

In my One Skillet Tortellini With Pizza Sauce & Fontina, plum tomatoes work alongside the other ingredients to bring fresh tomato flavor to a rich, cheesy pasta dish without making it unnecessarily watery.

Cheese Ravioli With Pesto & Marinated Tomatoes

Plum tomatoes don’t always have to be cooked. In my Cheese Ravioli With Pesto & Marinated Tomatoes, they’re marinated rather than cooked into a sauce.

Their firm, meaty texture holds up well while the tomatoes absorb the seasonings and release some of their juices, bringing fresh tomato flavor to the ravioli and pesto.

Tomatoes on the Vine

Tomatoes on the vine are sold with portions of their stems still attached and are a useful general-purpose supermarket tomato.

They can be sliced for sandwiches and salads, chopped into cooked dishes, roasted, or used fresh as a topping for omelets and Eggs Benedict.

Leave the tomatoes attached to the vine until you’re ready to use them rather than pulling them all off when you get home.

Keeping them attached helps protect the area around the stem from unnecessary handling and damage, which can create an opening for moisture loss and spoilage.

The vine itself isn’t necessarily an indication that the tomato will taste better. When choosing them, pay more attention to the condition, ripeness, aroma and texture of the tomatoes themselves.

Southwest Eggs Benedict with Avocado and Chipotle Hollandaise

In my Southwest Eggs Benedict with Avocado and Chipotle Hollandaise, vine tomatoes are sliced and used fresh as part of the Benedict, adding juicy tomato flavor alongside the avocado, eggs and smoky chipotle Hollandaise.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Unlike Roma, San Marzano or Beefsteak, sun-dried tomatoes aren’t one particular variety of tomato.

The name describes tomatoes that have been dried to remove most of their moisture, concentrating their natural sweetness, acidity and tomato flavor.

Small, meaty tomatoes with relatively low water content and smaller seed cavities are particularly well suited to drying.

Varieties traditionally used or well suited for drying include Principe Borghese, an Italian heirloom known for drying, along with Roma, San Marzano, Martino’s Roma, Juliet and other small plum-shaped tomatoes.

Instead of indicating a variety name on the package, you’ll usually find information describing how the tomatoes have been prepared and packaged.

The cut: Whole, halves, strips or julienne.

The style: Dry-packed, often sold in a pouch or bag, or oil-packed and sold in a jar.

The origin: Depending on the product, the package may identify where the tomatoes were grown or processed, such as Product of Italy or California Grown.

Sun-dried tomatoes are commonly sold either dry-packed or packed in oil.

Oil-packed tomatoes are generally softer and can often be drained, chopped and added directly to a recipe.

Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes have a firmer, chewier texture and, depending on the product and how they’ll be used, may benefit from being softened before adding them to a dish.

Some packaged sun-dried tomatoes also contain preservatives, so check the ingredient label if that is something you prefer to avoid.

In the recipes on Cook Plate Fork, I use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

One-Skillet Creamy Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Gnocchi

My One-Skillet Creamy Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Gnocchi is a good example. The sun-dried tomatoes bring concentrated tomato flavor to the creamy skillet without becoming the base of the sauce.

Linguine With Sun-Dried Tomatoes And Artichoke Hearts

They also work well outside creamy dishes. In my Linguine With Sun-Dried Tomatoes And Artichoke Hearts, their concentrated sweet-tart flavor stands up well alongside the artichokes and other assertive ingredients in the pasta.

Cooking Tomatoes in Pasta, Braises and Stews

When tomatoes cook for longer periods, their role changes.

Instead of remaining a separate component, they soften and release their juices into the surrounding ingredients. Given enough time, they can become part of the cooking liquid itself.

Georgian-Style Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Herbs

Georgian-Style Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Herbs uses tomatoes as part of a braised chicken dish, where they cook alongside the meat and herbs.

Instant Pot pinto bean stew with Mexican chorizo served in a ceramic bowl with tortilla chips and Instant Pot in background.

Instant Pot Pinto Bean And Pork Stew With Tomatoes And Citrus

Tomatoes perform a similar job in Instant Pot Pinto Bean And Pork Stew With Tomatoes And Citrus, contributing flavor and acidity to the liquid surrounding the beans and pork.

Basil Pesto Linguine With Chicken Andouille Sausage And Tomatoes

For a quicker preparation, Basil Pesto Linguine With Chicken Andouille Sausage And Tomatoes shows how tomatoes can be incorporated into a pasta dish without becoming a long-cooked tomato sauce.

How to Choose a Good Tomato

Regardless of variety, start by looking at the tomato’s overall condition.

The skin should be intact without deep bruises, leaking areas or large splits. The tomato should feel heavy for its size and have a little give when gently pressed without feeling mushy.

Smell can also tell you something. A ripe tomato will often have a noticeable tomato aroma around the stem end.

Color is useful but shouldn’t be your only guide. Not every ripe tomato is red. Heirloom and specialty varieties may naturally be yellow, orange, green, purple or striped.

Choose according to the characteristics of the particular tomato rather than waiting for every tomato to turn bright red.

How to Store Fresh Tomatoes

Tomatoes that still need to ripen are best kept at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

Once they’re ripe, use them while their texture and flavor are at their best. If a fully ripe tomato needs to be held longer, refrigeration can slow further ripening and spoilage.

If you’ve refrigerated a whole ripe tomato that you plan to eat raw, take it out ahead of time and allow it to lose some of its refrigerator chill before serving.

Once a tomato has been cut, cover and refrigerate the unused portion.

Canned Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes aren’t always the best tomatoes for the job.

Canned tomatoes are convenient, consistent and available throughout the year. They’re particularly useful when the tomatoes are going to be cooked into a soup, stew, braise or sauce anyway.

The supermarket shelf usually offers several choices.

Whole peeled tomatoes are versatile because you control how much they’re broken down.

Diced tomatoes are convenient when you want recognizable tomato pieces.

Crushed tomatoes provide a more uniform texture for sauces and soups.

Tomato purée is smoother and can provide body to sauces and other cooked dishes.

Rather than automatically reaching for fresh tomatoes, think about the finished dish. If the tomatoes will simmer for a long time and eventually become part of the sauce, canned tomatoes may be the more practical choice.

What About Tomato Paste?

Tomato paste isn’t simply tomato sauce in a smaller can.

It’s made by cooking tomatoes down until much of their water has evaporated, leaving a highly concentrated tomato product.

Because it’s so concentrated, a tablespoon or two can add considerable depth to soups, stews, sauces and braises.

Tomato paste can also be cooked briefly in oil before liquid is added to a recipe. This removes some of its raw canned character and develops a deeper flavor before the other ingredients are incorporated.

Cooking With Tomato Paste

For more ways to use it, including techniques for getting the most flavor from this concentrated ingredient, see my Cooking With Tomato Paste guide.

Choosing the Right Tomato for What You’re Cooking

There isn’t one tomato that’s best for everything.

If you’re making a sandwich, burger or a salad built around thick tomato slices, a beefsteak is an excellent place to start.

For a summer salad where tomato flavor is the main attraction, look for ripe heirlooms.

For roasting or adding small tomatoes to salads and sheet-pan meals, cherry and grape tomatoes are convenient choices.

For salsa, sauces and preparations where you want plenty of tomato flesh without as much watery pulp, Roma and other plum tomatoes are particularly useful.

For soups, sauces and long-cooked dishes, canned tomatoes provide consistency and convenience.

And when you want concentrated tomato flavor without adding much moisture, sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste can do a job fresh tomatoes simply can’t.

Learning those differences makes shopping for tomatoes easier, but more importantly, it gives you more control over what happens once you bring them into the kitchen.

Still hungry? These recent recipes are ready when you are.

A Guide to Tomatoes: Varieties, Choosing, Storing and Cooking With Tomatoes

Are Tomatoes a Fruit or a Vegetable?