What is the best tomatoes to use for Nigerian stew? Mine is the basket of tomatoes in the picture.
Different seasons come with different species of tomatoes in Nigeria. Reason I started getting bulk tomatoes in December and preserving for the year. Tomatoes that are sold in December are very plum and not sour at all. December season tomatoes in Nigeria are like the best for Nigerian tomato stew. We already have our little secret for making great tomato stews with any tomato any ways.
Cook your stew any how, you’ll still enjoy it. Fried or not. But, tomatoes around the rainy season can slap. You have to be good at making tomato stews to get that taste you are looking for. Rainy season tomatoes take time to cook.
For some of us, we boil them first to get rid of the sour tomato taste before frying. That works really well. Tomatoes come in different shapes and tastes. Some tomatoes are naturally sweet while some are just sour and it’s not your fault that they stew didn’t turn out how you wanted.
TYPES OF TOMATOES IN NIGERIA
There are different types of tomatoes in Nigeria:
- Plum tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Better boy
- Early Girl
- Heirloom Red Beefsteak.
The plum tomatoes for me. The ones loaded in the basket in the picture above, are the best tomatoes if you want to make good Nigerian stew with no expertise.
With the different tomatoes in the market, what are the best tomatoes for Nigerian stew?
THE BEST TOMATOES FOR NIGERIAN STEW
Well, for me. Every tomato type I used has given me good tasting stew ever since I learnt that boiling the slappy ones before blending takes away that sharp slap. For the sweet tomatoes, I just wash, blend and cook my stew sometimes without even boiling the tomatoes because they taste sweet. At other times that I cook with these sweet tomatoes, I just boil a little to separate the liquid, sieve it out and make my good tasting jollof rice or tomato stew.
The plum fleshy tomatoes, the type in the basket of tomatoes above, those ones
are also very good when used in cooking stewie egusi soup. The best tomato for Nigerian stew are the round plump tomatoes because they don’t take long to make stew and do not need any special expertise with boiling and frying. The oval ones are good too but not better than plum tomatoes
The best tomatoes for Nigerian stew are the fleshy, round, plum ones for me. You are free to disagree and tell us which are the best for you.
For you, which type is the best tomatoes to make Nigerian stew with?