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This article was reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs. Marrow Private Chefs are based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It is a chefs’ collective comprised of an ever-growing number of chefs and culinary professionals. Though regionally influenced primarily by coastal, traditional southern, cajun, and creole styles and flavors, the chefs at Marrow have a solid background in all types of cuisine with over 75 years of combined cooking experience.
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Preparing tomatoes for a recipe may require you to seed, core, slice or peel them. Coring a whole tomato is useful when you want to cut fresh tomatoes or slice them thinly. Seeding and coring the tomato is better when you want to avoid absorbing the moisture of the tomato into a dish.
Coring a Tomato: Quick Steps
- Wash your tomato under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Pluck the stem from the top of the tomato.
- Place the tomato on your cutting board with the top side facing up.
- Insert a sharp paring knife into the top of the tomato so its tip is at the center.
- Hold the tomato firmly while cutting in a circular motion around the core.
- Pick up the core and throw it away.
Steps
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Wash your tomato under cool running water.[1] -
Pat it dry with a towel. Water on the skin’s surface can cause your grip to slip.Advertisement -
Remove the stem from the top of the tomato.
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Set the tomato on a cutting board, with the top section facing up. If you are coring a tomato that has a pointy tip, you can tilt it to one side and core it at an angle. -
Insert a very sharp paring knife into the top of the tomato. Insert the knife tip at an angle of approximately 25 degrees from a vertical axis. Push the knife down approximately ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) at this angle.[2]- Stop inserting the knife when you think the tip of your knife is at the center point of your tomato.
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Hold the tomato firmly and cut in a circular motion while turning the fruit. When you reach your starting point, you can pick up the tomato core and dispose of it.
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Place your washed tomato on a cutting board. Place it stem side up. -
Slice the tomato in half vertically from the top. Hold the tomato together with your other hand and slice it into fourths.
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Let the 4 tomato slices open onto the cutting board. -
Use your knife to slice from the top of the tomato toward the bottom. Cut the white core away from the sides of the tomato. The knife blade should scrape lightly against the inside wall of the tomato.
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Repeat with the 3 remaining sections. Discard the seeds and white core. Slice the cored tomato or cut it into smaller pieces. [3]
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you correctly cut a tomato?
Jennifer LevasseurChef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College.
Personal ChefUse a separated knife and cut with a sawing motion, letting the blade all the work (rather than forcing the blade down).
Video
Tips
Warnings
- Be careful when working with sharp knives. Knives that are sharp enough to cut tomatoes are a safety risk to people working hastily or without proper knife skills.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Tomatoes
- Sharp paring knife
References
About This Article
To core a whole tomato, rinse it under cool water and pat it dry. Pull off the stem and set the tomato on a flat surface with the top facing up. Insert the tip of a sharp paring knife into the top of the tomato next to the spot where the stem used to be attached. Hold the knife at a slight angle and cut around the core in a circular motion. Once you’ve cut all the way around, pull the core out or pry it out with the tip of the knife. For more tips, including how to seed tomatoes, read on!
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