A Drizzle Of Honey Elevates The Sweet Acidity Of Tomato Sandwiches

While often celebrated for its simplicity as a staple, tomato sandwiches can benefit from an upgrade. You can elevate the sweet acidity of tomato sandwiches and balance their savory flavors with just one unexpected pantry staple: honey.

Why does honey work so well in tomato sandwiches? Tangy and juicy tomatoes can be overwhelmingly sour sometimes, with their sweetness hidden. A drizzle of honey softens the tomato's acidity while bringing out that subtle sweetness. As a result, your tomato sandwich will taste more balanced and well, not just tomatoey. This may sound counterintuitive, as acid is often the balancing component in a dish. However, in the case of a tomato sandwich, the tomatoes often lack a strong-flavored component to balance out. Thus, honey works well here, its flavors harmonizing with those of tomatoes.

If you want to add even more flavor to your tomato sandwiches, consider drizzling hot honey over the tomatoes. Not only will you level the acidity with sweetness, but you also bring the heat. The tomato sandwich becomes unforgettable; now sweet, savory, acidic, and spicy, it will make your tastebuds dance with every bite. 

Ready to add honey or hot honey to your tomato sandwiches? All you have to do is make your favorite tomato sandwich as usual and be sure to drizzle honey or hot honey over the tomatoes. To customize your tomato sandwiches further, consider this trick by Tasting Table's recipe developer, Michelle McGlinn, who elevates a classic tomato sandwich, the BLT, with homemade hot honey.

McGlinn advises mixing honey with a dash of ground cayenne to make hot honey, which invigorates with the right amount of heat. And instead of drizzling this mixture over the tomatoes directly, McGlinn brushes the bacon with her hot honey before baking them. Once out of the oven, the bacon is crispy, sweet, and spicy. Feel free to drizzle even more hot honey on top of the ingredients before adding lettuce and closing the sandwich. 

The hot honey complements the bacon's richness and fatness and the tomatoes' acidity in McGlinn's sweet heat BLT. And thus, the tomato sandwich is neither humble nor simple, but layered and elevated.