# Who DOES like tomatoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847 "2016-04-22T23:57:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/1 "2016-04-22T23:57:54Z")
We need to add some Yin to the Yang of the poor misguided souls who are posting in the thread about how they don’t like tomatoes. I’m pretty sure that since the local groceries have sections in produce with several different varieties as well as about a quarter of an isle with different canned varieties, and pasta sauces, etc. that the people who don’t like tomatoes are in the minority. I grew up in the Midwest and if I was granted one last thing to eat before I died it would be a big beefsteak tomato fresh off of the vine from my back yard. Cherry or Grape in my salad, or just as a treat are wonderful. On any sandwich it makes it better without exception. Which brings me to the T in a BLT which is the best sandwich ever. Just raw and with a sprinkle of salt makes me smile just thinking about it. Sauces, Stews, Chili, and pretty much anything I can think of would not be the same without them. Help me out here folks… I don’t want the aliens who come here after the apocalypse to think that the hate for tomatoes is normal. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/2 "2016-04-23T00:05:38Z")
Gotta be from my garden or a local stand. I give them up during the off-season. Slice thick, a little salt, good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/3 "2016-04-23T00:12:11Z")
I do. I’ll eat any tomato like it’s an apple. though I prefer ones like Roma tomatoes for that; less stuff to spritz out when I bite it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/4 "2016-04-23T00:14:31Z")
I absolutely love tomatoes and don’t get comments in that other thread: Acidic? Texture? Pulp? Nah, tomatoes are an absolute staple for me. They go on sandwiches, in pasta sauce, on pizza, in grilled cheese, in curries, fried with breakfast, and just plain good to eat on their own (with a little salt and pepper and hot sauce!). Et fucking cetera! Tomatoes rule. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/5 "2016-04-23T00:15:46Z")
Yep. Love almost every tomato, except those poor unfortunates that have spent time in the refrigerator and gotten all mealy and gross. Chunked with some red onions, salt and pepper is probably by favorite. Oh, so, the one with tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and balsamic. Wait, fried green tomatoes are the bestest. Mmm…except maybe for gazpacho. Or fresh salsa or pico… Forget it, this is taking too long. I’ll just grab a handful of cherry tomatoes and nosh. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/6 "2016-04-23T00:15:48Z")
I like every kind of tomatoes except the fresh ones. Before you tell me I need to try one from your garden, been there and done that, with every conceivable variety, freshness date, and multiple soil types. I’ve tried so hard to like the taste of fresh tomatoes, because I love them every other way. But fresh just has an off-putting taste. I’ll celebrate consuming them sun-dried, roasted, juiced, marinated in vinegar or citrus juice, stewed, as a paste, sauce, steamed, turned into jam or jelly, grilled, fried, as a salsa (as long as it’s had time to blend with the other ingredients), etc. etc. etc. Love love love tomatoes. Except the fresh ones. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/7 "2016-04-23T00:19:05Z")
I like 'em. Just not the cherry variety. And ketchup isn’t really my bag. I prefer anything fresh to processed actually. When we make homemade pizza, I forgo the jarred sauce for my own creation of a diced tomato soaked in olive oil, salt and spices. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/8 "2016-04-23T00:35:05Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Before you tell me I need to try one from your garden, been there and done that, with every conceivable variety, freshness date, and multiple soil types. I’ve tried so hard to like the taste of fresh tomatoes, because I love them every other way. But you haven’t tried any from my garden. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/9 "2016-04-23T00:49:38Z")
Love 'em! And, while garden fresh 'mates are the best, I’m not particular. I’ll happily nosh supermarket toms. They’re all good. I adore cherry tomatoes as a dessert! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/10 "2016-04-23T00:59:34Z")
I love every type of tomato, especially if it’s fresh from the garden, especially if it’s an heirloom variety. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/11 "2016-04-23T01:18:50Z")
Love them, and when people give me tomatoes from the vine, especially cherry tomatoes from their gardens, I eat them like the fruit they are. But even the ones from the store that are hydroponically grown and don’t have such a strong, full, sweet taste, I like for sandwiches. I also love them in sauces. I love Italian and Indian food that uses tomatoes in the sauces. About the only thing I don’t like them in is soup, because I like root vegetables in soup, and tomatoes tend to overpower them. I make a great matzah ball soup (and it’s that time of the year, and I shouldn’t be on the computer, but I had to see if SDMB was up). ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/12 "2016-04-23T01:28:58Z")
Every year I wait for dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes to come into season. I like most tomatoes, but I really love dry-farmed Early Girls. The flavor is intense, both sweet and tart, with a strong tomato taste. I use them for salads, and also for recipes where tomatoes are center-stage. I have a recipe for spaghetti with raw tomatoes and basil - it’s one of the first things I make when the Early Girls show up at my local produce market. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/13 "2016-04-23T01:34:42Z")
Thank you for starting this thread. I look forward to summer fresh tomatoes every year the way a 9-year-old counts down to his birthday. A good tomato is my single favorite food item. Better than ice cream. Better than chocolate. Better than Spam. Hand me a ripe tomato and a salt shaker and point me toward the nearest sink. mmm ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/14 "2016-04-23T02:03:11Z")
I have tomatoes 4-5 times a week in some form, but mostly the mediocre supermarket kind. I guess that what makes it such a treat when I have an “real” tomato from a farmer’s market or roadside produce stand. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/15 "2016-04-23T02:04:34Z")
A freshly plucked vine-ripened tomato is a revelation. Unfortunately it’s extremely difficult to grow tomatoes in the tropics (the plants do fine but won’t fruit) and I don’t have any garden space at the moment, so I don’t have any tomato plants. But I look forward to growing my own the minute I’m settled back in my own house in the US. Grocery stores here don’t have particularly great tomatoes, but they’re okay for sandwiches and the like. And I think about half of the foods I cook have tomatoes, sauce, salsa, and/or paste in them - chili, lasagna, enchiladas, and more. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/16 "2016-04-23T02:07:02Z")
Tomatoes are one of the fine delights of the garden, in all their varieties and the various forms of preservation and preparation. A sliced tomato with the slightest sprinkling of oil and salt is an ode to the virtues of simplicity. (and plenty of tomatos grow in my tropical hometown, but of course they are raised by professional farmers who know what they’re doing) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/17 "2016-04-23T03:19:28Z")
I never knew what the big deal was with a BLT until I had one with a garden tomato. I had to stop talking, stop thinking, close my eyes. I shuddered obscenely, maybe moaned a little. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/18 "2016-04-23T03:33:18Z")
I, like the OP, am from the midwest but I live in south Georgia. I love fresh tomatoes. Sadly, good ones are hard to obtain down here. I have had some luck growing my own, but I really travel too much to tend a garden. I have bought some from veggie stands that sell locally grown ones, and they really aren’t up to snuff. The ones in the grocery stores are as lousy as grocery store maters usually are or worse. They just don’t ripen right when the nights are so warm. ---
**Author:** ![CatastrophicFailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@CatastrophicFailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatastrophicFailure)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/19 "2016-04-23T04:11:59Z")
I love homegrown tomatoes. I eat [this tomato salad](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/the-mothership-tomato-salad-recipe.html) practically every day I have fresh tomatoes. (Which is sadly not nearly as long as I wish it was.) I also love canning tomatoes I buy directly from a small farm, can them whole, and use them in sauces, stews, and soups. Oh - and oven roasting them. [This recipe for Polmodori al Forno](http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pomodori-al-forno) is one of my favorite dishes ever. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847/20 "2016-04-23T04:23:26Z")
There are few things I look forward to more than tomato sandwiches in late summer when the garden tomatoes are ripe and ready to eat. Grocery store tomatoes are generally worthless. Even the “on the vine” ones aren’t even close to what tomatoes are supposed to taste like. Strawberries are similar in what you get at the supermarket is an insipid simulacrum of what you can grow in your garden. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-does-like-tomatoes/752847.md?page=2)