Note: Off-Season Tomatoes

The Tomato. Lycopersicum. The Wolf-peach.
Although tomatoes are among the top three vegetables consumed in the U.S. (sources vary), their growing season is painfully short. Furthermore, interstate import of tomatoes is inhibited by the impracticably rapid rate at which they decay. Here's a few observations that will help you get the most out of what the Chinese call "foreign eggplant".

1) Don't Refrigerate Tomatoes that aren't Fully Ripe
When tomatoes are kept below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the further maturation of the fruit is inhibited. The color and flavor of the tomato will stagnate. This means, unless your tomato is already perfectly ripened, you want to keep it on the counter. Unfortunately, even if you leave your tomatoes out, they may remain somewhat under-ripe. This is because:

2) Tomatoes Don't Really Continue to Ripen Once They're Off the Vine
The really bad news is, tomatoes don't continue to undergo all the same, delicious, strucutral trasnformations off the vine as they do on. And, if you pick them ripe off the vine, the window during which they will remain edible is prohibitively short. Thus, the tomatoes that are available at supermarkets are picked while they're still green and are exposed to artificial "ripening agents" subsequent to transport. Typically, they are exposed to ethylene (the chemical which causes tomatoes to ripen naturally) in the form of a gas. However, the ethylene doesn't effectively penetrate to the interior of the fruit. Therefore, ripening agents may only redden tomatoes rather than truly ripening them. Sadly, most of us are left with only one option for ripe tomatoes, year-round:

3) Buy Canned Tomatoes
For many cooks, the idea that canned food trumps fresh food in terms of quality may seem anathema. But for canned tomatoes, the emphasis on quality over durability makes the difference. Canned tomatoes are often of varieties that are sweet and flavorful, but which have little shelf-life. They're picked off the vine right at the height of ripeness and immediately canned. Therefore, if you're cooking with tomatoes (rather than using them in their unadulterated state), canned is the better option. You can further add to their complexity if you:

4) Roast Your Canned Tomatoes
Two of my favorite cooking gurus, Mark Bittman and Alton Brown, both recommend this technique. I used it making a tomato soup the other night and the results were fantastic. I put the tomatoes in a 375 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes, until they were browning and caramelized. It was both easier and tastier than preparing them on top of the stove. OK, one more tip:

5) Add Alchohol to Tomato Sauces and Soups
Tomatoes contain chemical compounds that only release their flavor in the presence of alcohol. A little bit of wine or vodka can go a long way toward enhancing the complexity of ordinary tomato dishes.