The Huge Mistake That's Causing Fried Tomatoes To Suffer

Frying tomatoes, whether it's the fried green tomatoes popularized in the southern United States thanks to Jewish immigrants or the red ones used for a more indulgent Caprese salad, are a delicious way to serve the fruit. There are many crucial steps from picking the variety of tomatoes to getting the oil to the ideal temperature, but there's one step that can actually be a mistake. So if you typically peel your tomatoes, it's important to keep the skin on when you fry them.

The skin of the tomatoes holds everything together, which is especially important when you batter and fry the fruit. Otherwise, all of the juicy insides of the tomatoes will seep out, if the fruit even stays together to begin with. It will create quite the mess and the water content will prevent a crispy fried tomato. The outer layer also offers a slightly crunchy texture when fried, compared to the soft middle. In fact, some recipes for fried green tomatoes particularly suggest that you dredge the slices in flour and breadcrumbs just enough to where you can still see some of the skin through the crunchy coating.

You want the skin to stay on the tomatoes, but there's another mistake that might ruin the outer layer. It's the use of a dull knife, which will not be sufficient to cut through the skin without damaging it. To keep the skin intact, use your sharpest serrated knife that will go through the skin easily and make slices to your desired thickness. A serrated paring knife will work for smaller tomatoes, while a larger option makes it easier for those big beefsteak tomatoes. Be sure to cut the tomatoes horizontally, so the skin and seeds inside are not disturbed during the process.

To try your new tomato cutting technique with Tasting Table's easy fried green tomatoes recipe. The recipe uses four large green tomatoes and a handful of ingredients to make a crispy coating. Make slices that are about ½-inch thick, and follow the rest of the instructions accordingly. Or apply these tips to red tomatoes to give a crispy upgrade to our fresh tomato and mozzarella salad recipe— and don't forget to keep the skins on.