The Genius Cherry Tomato Slicing Hack That'll Save You So Much Time
Slicing cherry tomatoes is easily one of the most annoying kitchen tasks. It can be tedious and time-consuming and wrangling them from rolling around can be a challenge. But cutting cherry tomatoes is sometimes needed to allow them to break down easier in a pasta sauce or better absorb vinaigrette in a salad. Halving or quartering them can also be a smart safety precaution. Small, round food items are a major choking hazard, especially for babies and young children.
No matter why you're cutting your cherry tomatoes, you don't need to dread the task. If you have a couple of old deli container lids and a sharp knife laying around, you're good to go. These everyday items are all you need to master this food prep hack that will have you ready for tomato season. Plus, you can use this ingenious technique on other round ingredients like olives and grapes too!
The best tomato slicing technique
Efficiency is what makes cutting a bunch of tomatoes at once a favorite trick for home cooks and celebrity chefs alike. All you do is sandwich the small tomatoes in a single layer between two deli lids. Any food storage container lids of the same size work as well. The idea here is to suspend and then sort of lock in place the tomatoes between two rimmed surfaces. Make sure the bottom lid is upside down, so the rim keeps the tomatoes in place. The top lid or plate should be facing the opposite way, securely locking in the tomatoes.
Then, take a sharp knife and slice the tomatoes horizontally between the two surfaces. A serrated knife works especially well to seamlessly cut through the skins. The key here is to saw through the tomatoes quickly and carefully. The tomatoes will all be halved, and you can do as many at a time as your lid surface area allows.
You say tomato, I say why stop there?
Now that you know how to cut a bunch of tomatoes at once, that's reason enough to use this hack. But this kitchen trick has so many more uses. Everything that is small, round, and relatively troublesome to cut in half can adapt to this hack. This is perfect for safely and quickly feeding a toddler or prepping ingredients for a dish.
Do you need to get Brussels sprouts ready for the oven or the frying pan? You can create more surface area to deliciously caramelize when you cut them in half. If you need to get grapes ready for a fruit salad you can also use this method. Or, if you're throwing together a Greek salad, you can easily slice any type of pitted olives. And, don't forget about tiny new potatoes, which can cook faster and crispier when they are halved.