I like a slice of tomato in a grilled cheese sandwich. In the off season how do I accomplish this?

...Freeze whole tomatoes? Can I slice them when frozen? Wait a little while and then slice?

...Slice them before freezing? Will the slices stick together when frozen?

...Slice them before freezing and place them in a dehydrator for a little while to remove some moisture and then freeze?

...Other options?

I don't know about the dehydrated ones but the rest will turn to mush.

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 2:25 am I like a slice of tomato in a grilled cheese sandwich. In the off season how do I accomplish this?

...Freeze whole tomatoes? Can I slice them when frozen? Wait a little while and then slice?

...Slice them before freezing? Will the slices stick together when frozen?

...Slice them before freezing and place them in a dehydrator for a little while to remove some moisture and then freeze?

...Other options?

Suck it up, and get a store bought. A very, very thin coating of ketchup will improve the flavor.

What happens if someone vacuum packs or seals a tomato slice and freezes it?

karstopography wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:09 am What happens if someone vacuum packs or seals a tomato slice and freezes it?

The vacuum will suck the moisture out and it will still be mush.
Ice crystals break uo the cell wall and the fresh tomato is history.
A person would think with all the technology they have today they would have done it
As of yet I haven't seen it on the market.
The only way I think they might survive a freeze is to flash freeze them at an extremely cold temperature.
Like in liquid nitrogen or something.

A growing indoor tent with special lights, etc., like for growing mary jane. Then you could have a fresh tomato in the winter, but at a cost.

Danny wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:16 am A growing indoor tent with special lights, etc., like for growing mary jane. Then you could have a fresh tomato in the winter, but at a cost.

A huge cost, as mary jane would leave you for another man.

I dehydrate half-inch slices, and that makes them easy to store. Soaking a few slices in a pan of water until they're soft makes them usable, though mushy in texture, but they do retain the flavor of a fresh, ripe, uncooked tomato. I've used these on burgers successfully, but my favorite use has been on pizzas.

@worth1 They turn to mush when they are cooked in the sandwich so that may not be a big deal.

@FarmerShawn Do you leave the skins on when dehydrating?

@Tormato Perhaps I could make and use tomato paste in lieu of ketchup? But I do like ketchup and I should give that a try.

@Danny I tried a micro project this past winter. It didn't work out well for me. Fungus gnats were a big problem. Also I ran into problems with real estate. The micros dominated the space I needed for my tomato starts and my electric bill went way up.

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:29 pm @worth1 They turn to mush when they are cooked in the sandwich so that may not be a big deal.

@FarmerShawn Do you leave the skins on when dehydrating?

@Tormato Perhaps I could make and use tomato paste in lieu of ketchup? But I do like ketchup and I should give that a try.

@Danny I tried a micro project this past winter. It didn't work out well for me. Fungus gnats were a big problem. Also I ran into problems with real estate. The micros dominated the space I needed for my tomato starts and my electric bill went way up.

You're on your own with experimenting with tomato paste. And as I mentioned, the smallest amount of ketchup on the first try with a store bought tomato.

I'll look for a video recipe that I saw many years ago. It was an elaborate way to try to bring flavor to near tasteless store tomatoes. Slices were first set on paper towels, and then flipped, to absorb most of the moisture, several herbs/spices were sprinkled on both sides, and then the slices were given a rest for the flavors to sink in. Too much for me.

I've found that the best tasting off-season store bought tomatoes are the plum types. While it may not be saying a lot, they taste almost as good as many fresh from the garden plum tomatoes. I don't even bother with the ketchup trick with those. It does usually take three slices to cover a piece of bread.

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:29 pm @FarmerShawn Do you leave the skins on when dehydrating?

Yes, I do leave the skins on, but I'm dehydrating tons of tomatoes, which I sell. If I found them offensive (which I don't), and was just doing enough for home use, it wouldn't be that hard to remove the skins, using the same process my wife uses for canning them.
Shawn

Tormato wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 1:45 pm

Danny wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:16 am A growing indoor tent with special lights, etc., like for growing mary jane. Then you could have a fresh tomato in the winter, but at a cost.

A huge cost, as mary jane would leave you for another man.

Mary Jane was often a party girl. An equal opportunity sort. Quite, mmmm, friendly to all.

For fungus gnats, the simple solution (pun is there) is breaking up a skeeter dunk and using a bit in the water as a drench on the "soil". Pretty quick, no gnats.

Tormato wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:32 am Suck it up, and get a store bought.

I purchased a 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes for $1.50. I took a couple and sliced them and added them to a grilled cheese sandwich...delicious and easy. Ezekiel sprouted bread with Tillamook natural sharp cheddar and tomato is better than pizza and healthier too

I rediscovered my like of grilled cheese a few years ago after a watching a tomato soup commercial featuring grilled cheese.

Also my better half likes the canned tomatoes and she prepares the meals. She likes to add them to a salad.

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 2:30 am

Tormato wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:32 am Suck it up, and get a store bought.

I purchased a 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes for $1.50. I took a couple and sliced them and added them to a grilled cheese sandwich...delicious and easy. Ezekiel sprouted bread with Tillamook natural sharp cheddar and tomato is better than pizza and healthier too

I rediscovered my like of grilled cheese a few years ago after a watching a tomato soup commercial featuring grilled cheese.

Also my better half likes the canned tomatoes and she prepares the meals. She likes to add them to a salad.

As someone who's tried it in a tuna melt and a BLT, I do not recommend SunGold in a sandwich

I dip green tomato slices in milk/egg and then dredge in flour or breadcrumbs. I spread these raw slices spread out on a plate to freeze and then combine the frozen slices into a freezer bag. Do not thaw before frying.

Sometimes a fried green tomato slice on a sandwich is a nice treat

In the winter, I buy Campari tomatoes in the US, Flavor Bombs or Cherto varieties in Canada. They are really pretty good for winter tomatoes, especially when cooked .

Linda