A good tomato seems to hold the summer sun inside. The problem is finding a good one.
The best strategy is to scope out supermarkets that offer local produce or head to the nearest farmers market, where the selection of tomatoes is likely to be fresher and more flavorful than the year-round grocer variety.
That's because most supermarket tomatoes have traveled cross country or from overseas and have been bred to withstand the journey, not to taste good when they arrive.
"Everybody has their own feeling about what a tomato should be, and it's usually about their own garden variety," says Mark Toigo, a grower and chief tomato evangelist for Toigo Orchards in Shippensburg, Pa. "We really like to put our memory bank into that world."
Americans consume roughly 20 pounds of tomatoes each per year, most of that during the summer. And if you care about flavor, hope for a hot, mostly dry summer, which produces the sweetest tomatoes.
When selecting tomatoes, opt for those that are slightly soft, but not mushy. They should be free of cracks or hard, green spots.
"They should have a nice delicate feel, kind of like a baby's skin," says Lawrence Davis-Hollander, author of "Tomato: A Fresh-From-the-Vine Cookbook" to be released in February.
A perfectly ripe tomato will last for up to six days without spoiling, says Davis-Hollander. Others suggest buying under-ripe tomatoes for later in the week. Place them in a paper bag, where the tomatoes' natural emission of ethylene, a ripening hormone, will turn them red.
And don't forget the cardinal rule of all tomatoes: never, never, ever, ever store them in the refrigerator. The cold will dull the flavor, destroy the sugars and give the fruit a mealy texture.
The great beauty of a great tomato is that it can straddle both sweet and savory dishes. It is as tasty in salsas, salads, pizzas and pastas as it is in sorbet, chilly summer soups or even frozen pops (in Korea, tomato pops are a summer treat).
There are thousands of tomato varieties, each with a different flavor profile and different set of culinary talents. Decide how you're going to use your tomato — on a burger or for a sauce — then pick the variety that best suits it.
FRESH RAINBOW SALSA
A rainbow array of height-of-the-season tomatoes makes an incomparably beautiful salsa. The precise amounts of tomatoes, tomatillos and hot peppers can vary. Other produce also can be added, such as cooked sweet corn or scallions.
Try a combination of Aunt Ruby's German green, Indian moon, Limmony, black Aisberg and any of the red tomatoes, such as the Ponderosa and Livingston varieties. Use the salsa as a dip or as a topping for tortillas or omelets.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Makes about 4 cups
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (about 6) ripe tomatillos
2 to 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (a blend of sizes and colors)
1 medium-hot chili, such as serrano or jalapeno, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
In a small bowl, mix the onion and salt. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Peel and rinse the tomatillos. If desired, they can be roasted on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 350 F, then cooled. This is especially good if the tomatillos are not fully ripe (they should be yellow-green or purplish when ripe).
Roughly chop the tomatillos. Dice all the larger tomatoes. Cut any small cherry or grape tomatoes in half and large ones into 4 to 8 pieces. Currant-sized tomatoes should be used whole.
In a medium bowl, combine all the tomatoes and tomatillos.
Dice the chili. If you do not want a hot salsa, carefully remove the seeds and the membranes from the pepper before dicing. Gently stir the chili, cilantro, garlic and salted onion into the tomatoes. Add additional salt to taste.
Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. The salsa is best the day it is made, but it will keep refrigerated for about a week.
— Recipe from Lawrence Davis-Hollander, author of "Tomato: A Fresh-From-the-Vine Cookbook"