Description
Learn how to dice a fresh tomato quickly and easily with this simple step-by-step guide. Perfect diced tomatoes add a fresh, juicy component to salads, salsas, or sandwiches, and mastering this basic kitchen skill will improve your prep efficiency.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 fresh tomato
Instructions
- Rinse and Dry: Rinse and scrub the tomato thoroughly under cold water, then pat it dry completely using a clean dish towel to ensure it’s clean and ready to cut.
- Initial Slicing: Place the tomato on a cutting board with the stem facing up. Using a well-sharpened chef’s knife, make your first vertical slice about ¼ to ½-inch to the right of the stem, cutting all the way down to the base.
- Removing Sides: Rotate the tomato 90 degrees, keeping the stem pointing up, and slice off this side. Continue slicing around the tomato until you have four tomato slabs and the central core remains with seeds attached. Discard the core as it is not needed.
- Seed Removal: Using the tip of a spoon or your knife, gently brush away any remaining seeds from the tomato slabs for cleaner diced pieces.
- Dicing: Place one tomato slab skin side down on the cutting board. Cut it into strips approximately ¼ to ½-inch apart. Then rotate the strips perpendicular and cut again at equal intervals to form evenly sized dice. Repeat with all tomato pieces.
Notes
- Use a sharp chef’s knife for clean cuts without crushing the tomato.
- Dicing size can be adjusted depending on your recipe needs.
- Discarding the core helps remove the bitter parts and excess seeds.
- This method works well for firm, ripe tomatoes.
