OMG - Seeding Tomatoes - How Could I Have Been Such a Dunce??

16 years ago

OK, I am over 50, and I have canned tomatoes, frozen tomatoes and seeded lots of tomatoes in my time. But tonight, I discovered that I've been doing it ALL wrong ALL these years!

I used to cut the tomato vertically into halves, then fourths. Sometimes, even fourths wasn't enough - grrrrr - and I would cut it into eighths. Tonight, I accidentally cut one horizontally - oops - and OMG - you only need to cut a tomato in half horizontally and you can thumb out ALL of the seeds!!!

I can't believe all the tomatoes I've vertically cut all of these years. It's almost enough to want me to make another 17 pints of Annie's salsa, just to see how much faster the process could go . . .

Am I the only one here who wasn't cutting horizontally? anyone?? else???

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Comments (10)

vicki_lv_nv
16 years ago
I have been doing it all wrong too. I don't eat a lot of tomatoes, but I have always cut the stem part out and used my little finger to get the seeds out. Thanks for the tip!!!
msafirstein
16 years ago
You should have posted in the "It only took me 30 years" thread. LOL!

Michelle
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tammyct
16 years ago
It is funny that you posted this because I just read this somewhere else and just shook my head. I was doing it wrong too!
dgkritch
16 years ago
Me too. I think I need to leave work RIGHT NOW and go try it!
kayskats
16 years ago
... I don't remember when I learned this trick (probably from one of the PBS Chefs ...
but, until that time I just left the seeds in and cooked 'em longer. The texture wasn't so hot and the seeds got between my teeth.
Sure do like these new-fangled ideas.
wizardnm
16 years ago
We learn things a certain way and take so much for granted. I was lucky, my GM taught me to cut tomatoes horizontally (after peeling) and then just give 'em a quick squeeze, with the cut side aimed towards where you want the seeds to go. Then if you want the tomatoes chopped up a bit...keep squeezing, but over the pot...the pieces will fall.

Her philosophy was.. there's no point in canning tomato seeds and extra water...

Nancy
User
16 years ago
Well I'll be go to he!! I have been cutting them in 1/4's lengthwise forever. Why didn't the light ever go on! Maybe becasue I rarely have to seed a tomato and when I do it's one or two max.

Thankfully I have one of those super, duper Italian Nona machines for seeding and peeling tomatoes when I can them.
fenworth
16 years ago
Another longitudinal cutter here. Who knew. Thanks!
dlynn2
16 years ago
Me too!
kayskats
16 years ago
now the definitive question ...
after you have cut them in half crossway, do you
1. squeeze out the seeds?
2. spoon out the seeds?
3. thumb out the seeds?
I'm of the thumb school.

OMG - Seeding Tomatoes - How Could I Have Been Such a Dunce??

Comments (10)

vicki_lv_nv

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