The search for the ideal tomato often leads to a desire for “meatiness,” a quality that translates directly into less waste and superior texture for both cooking and slicing. This characteristic is a measure of the fruit’s internal structure and solids content, determining how well a tomato holds its shape when cut or how quickly it reduces into a thick sauce. Not all varieties are structurally suited for these tasks, as many common grocery store selections contain excessive water, which dilutes flavor and requires extensive cooking time. Selecting the right variety for a specific culinary application is the difference between a disappointing dish and one with concentrated tomato flavor and texture.
Defining Tomato Meatiness
The meatiness of a tomato is a measure of its internal structural composition, primarily defined by the ratio of fleshy wall tissue to watery gel. This fleshy tissue is the pericarp, which consists of the outer wall, the radial walls (septa), and the inner wall (columella). Varieties considered meaty possess a significantly thicker pericarp, providing the dense, firm texture.
A less-meaty tomato, by contrast, has large locular cavities, which are the seed pockets filled with a thin, gelatinous substance called locular gel. Tomatoes bred for high meatiness have smaller locular cavities and minimal locular gel, meaning less water to cook out or drain away before use. The pericarp and the placenta, the tissue to which the seeds attach, make up the bulk of the fruit’s edible solid material.
The Meatiest Varieties for Cooking
When the goal is a thick, concentrated sauce, the preferred varieties are paste or plum tomatoes, which are specifically cultivated for their low moisture and high solids content. These varieties typically contain a lower percentage of water compared to larger, round tomatoes, meaning less time spent simmering to achieve a desirable, thick consistency for sauces and pastes.
The classic example is the San Marzano, a plum-type tomato renowned for its dense pulp, low acidity, and sweet flavor profile. Its structure is elongated and firm, with few seeds and a high ratio of flesh, which makes it the standard for authentic Italian sauces. The common Roma tomato is another highly effective paste-type variety, often used in commercial canning and processing due to its low water content and easy-to-manage size.
Heirloom paste tomatoes, such as Amish Paste, also offer this desirable high-solids structure in a larger, pear-shaped fruit. These tomatoes are structurally suited for cooking because their lack of excess gel translates directly into a higher yield of finished sauce.
Dense Varieties for Slicing
For fresh consumption, particularly on sandwiches or in salads where a firm, substantial slice is required, the Beefsteak and Oxheart categories offer the most density. Beefsteak tomatoes are named for their large size and substantial, meaty texture, which is a result of their complex internal structure with numerous small locules. These varieties hold up well to slicing and do not bleed excessive juice.
Heirloom Beefsteaks like the pink-hued Brandywine are prized for their intensely meaty interior and well-balanced acidity, with fruits often swelling to over a pound. The Cherokee Purple, another substantial heirloom, is noted for its dense texture and rich, dark interior, providing a satisfying bite for fresh applications.
Culinary Uses of Meaty Tomatoes
The inherent density and low moisture of meaty tomatoes make them exceptional for applications that benefit from concentrated flavor and texture retention. For sauces and purees, using a high-solids variety like Roma or San Marzano drastically cuts down the time needed for evaporation.
Meaty tomatoes also excel in dry heat applications, such as slow-roasting, which further concentrates their sugars and flavors. Halved plum or beefsteak varieties can be roasted at a low temperature to produce a semi-dried product perfect for adding depth to side dishes or making tomato jam. The high flesh-to-gel ratio prevents them from turning into a watery pulp during the cooking process.
Furthermore, the structural integrity of dense varieties is highly valued for dishes that require the tomato to maintain its shape. This includes stuffing tomatoes, where the thick walls create a firm vessel for fillings, or making bruschetta, where a firm dice is preferred.