How to Cut Tomatoes

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Whether you are making a sauce or serving up a salad, tomatoes make a great addition to any meal. Before you can cook or eat the tomato, however, you may need to cut it first. It is easy to master the basic tomato slice. Once you know that, you can go on to dice tomatoes or to make wedges. If you have very small tomatoes, such as grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, you can use two lids to slice them all at once. Just remember to rinse your tomatoes before you start cutting!

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Slicing a Tomato

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  1. Place a tomato on a cutting board with the stem facing up. Cut a circle about 1 ⁄ 2 –1 inch (1.3–2.5 cm) deep around the stem. Remove the core by pulling it out or scooping it out with a spoon. [1]
    • Tomato corers are spoons with sharp spikes. If you have one, use the corer to gently dig under the stem and pull it up.
  2. The empty core should face either left or right. This will help you get those beautiful spokes when you slice your tomato. [2]
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  3. This will help prevent accidental cuts while slicing. Hold it towards the end of the empty core. As you cut, the flat, dull edge of the knife should be lightly touching the knuckle of your middle finger. [3]
  4. Start at the end opposite to the core. Make a slice by cutting through the tomato about 1 ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm) away from the edge. [4]
    • While any sharp knife will cut a tomato, a serrated knife will prevent all of the juices from escaping.
  5. How wide you make the slice depends on your preferences. As you continue to slice through the tomato, try to keep each slice roughly the same size.
    • As you make each slice, move your fingers back slightly. This will keep your fingers away from the knife.
    • Cut with a sawing motion, letting the blade do all the work so you don't end up squishing the tomato!
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Dicing a Tomato

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  1. Cut around the stem in a circle, and dig out the stem with a spoon. You can also use a tomato corer.
  2. However thick you slice the tomato is how thick your dice will be. Wider slices will give you a chunkier dice while thinner slices will give you delicate cubes. Continue cutting until the entire tomato is sliced.
  3. You will be cutting these all at the same time. If you have very thin slices, you may be able to stack a few more. You might have 2 or 3 stacks when you are done.
  4. Make sure you cut through all of the tomatoes in the stack. It does not matter which direction you start in, as long as you cut all of the strips in the same direction.
  5. Cut into the strips at a 90 degree angle to create diced tomatoes. Continue until all of the strips in the stack have been completely diced.
  6. Once you are done with one stack, move on to the others. When you have finished dicing the tomatoes, you can add them to your recipe.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Making Tomato Wedges

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  1. It is not necessary to completely core the tomato if you are making wedges. If there is a green stem on your tomato, pull it off with your fingers.
  2. Slice straight down through the core (or where the stem used to be) with a sharp knife. [5]
  3. Place the cut half of each side down against the cutting board. Make a cut down through the middle of each half. This will give you quarters. [6]
  4. After you do this, you should have about eight tomato wedges. If you want smaller wedges, cut each wedge half yet again. You can keep doing this until the tomatoes are the right size. [7]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Slicing Grape or Cherry Tomatoes

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  1. The lids might come from plastic storage containers, large yogurt containers, or butter containers. If you use plates, try to find ones that are flat, not sloped. [8]
  2. Let the tomatoes lie on their side on one lid or plate. You can do as many tomatoes as you can fit. Keep them in one single layer. Place the other lid on top when you are done. [9]
  3. Use gentle pressure. You want to keep the tomatoes from moving, but you don’t want to crush them. [10]
  4. As you cut sideways between the lids or plates, move the knife back and forth in a sawing motion. Go slowly, and keep one hand pressed on top of the lid or plate at all time. Once you have reached the other side, you can continue with your recipe. [11]
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  • Question
    What is the easiest way to dice whole canned tomatoes?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    The easiest way is to open the can, remove the lid and leave the tomatoes in the can. Then, using a pair of clean kitchen shears/scissors, place the blades downward into the open and cut. Continue the cutting motion until the whole tomatoes have all been diced. This method is simple to use and can be a good way of saving money, as diced canned tomatoes often cost more than whole canned tomatoes.
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  • Question
    Why is it hard to cut tomatoes?
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    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Tomatoes are not hard to cut if you have a good quality, sharp knife, to pass through the tough skin with ease but not squash the soft inner fruit. Be sure to keep the knife you use to cut tomatoes with sharpened regularly. Use a sturdy cutting board rather than a plate, to avoid bumping raised edges while cutting.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      • Cutting board
      • Paring knife
      • Serrated knife
      • Two lids or plates
      • Tomato corer

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      References

      1. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/7702-how-to-deal-with-fresh-tomatoes
      2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cut-a-tomato-23390933
      3. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/knife-skills-how-to-hold-a-knife.html
      4. ↑ https://www.prevention.com/food/how-shop-peel-and-slice-tomatoes-pro
      5. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cook-with-fruits-and-vegetables/cutting-tomato-wedges/
      6. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cut-a-tomato-23390933
      7. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cut-a-tomato-23390933
      8. ↑ https://snapguide.com/guides/cut-grape-tomatoes/
      9. ↑ https://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Cutting-Grape-Tomatoes
      1. ↑ https://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Cutting-Grape-Tomatoes
      2. ↑ https://snapguide.com/guides/cut-grape-tomatoes/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Before you slice a tomato, use a paring knife to carefully cut out the core of the tomato. Turn the tomato on its side and hold it in place with your fingers curled inward so you don’t accidentally cut them. Use a serrated knife to cut the tomato into evenly-sized slices. If you want to dice the tomato, stack 2 or 3 slices together. Cut the stack into strips, then cut them again at a 90 degree so the slices are diced into small squares. If you want to learn how to cut the tomato into wedges, keep reading the article!

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