Is it OK to eat wrinkled tomatoes?

There are no textural defects in cooked tomatoes, thus a wrinkled tomato tastes better than a hard one. It’s OK as long as they aren’t becoming soft and moldy, which are signs of decay. Usually, wrinkles are only a sign that they’re starting to dry. Wrinkles appear on the outside of the tomato when the liquids within diminish in volume. 

Alternatively, you may slice the tomatoes and place them in a food dehydrator to finish the procedure. Tomatoes may be preserved and rehydrated at a later time by drying and then dehydrating them.

Tomatoes that are overripe but not quite rotten

Tomatoes deteriorate quickly because of their high water and sugar content. The skin may become damaged or wrinkled as a result of its softening.

The skin of overripe tomatoes is soft and wrinkled, making it easier to tell them apart. Tomatoes become better as they get older, regardless of their appearance. When tomatoes are ripe, they have a sweeter flavor and become juicier. Sauces, salsas, stews, and sauces may all be made with these overripe tomatoes.

Even if they’re somewhat wrinkled and squishy, they’ll appear exactly the same after they’re cooked. And if you cook them at a high temperature, their flavor will deepen and become more concentrated as a result of this.

When do Do Tomatoes begin to Decay?

Because we don’t want any rotting or damaged tomatoes in our recipes, we must be cautious while using overripe tomatoes. When a tomato begins to rot, there are a few telltale signs:

• The skin has ruptured, allowing the liquids to spill out.
• Squishy or mushy parts of the tomato.
• Clumps of white or grey mold might be found.
• A portion of the tomato has sunk in.

Wrinkled tomatoes may still be eaten, however tomatoes that have split the skin are not. As soon as the pulp of a tomato is exposed, germs such as mold may thrive. According to the USDA, delicate fruits and vegetables like tomatoes should be thrown away if they show signs of mold.

Wrinkled Tomatoes: What’s the Best Way to Use Them?

The soft and wrinkled tomatoes may be used in any cuisine where they will be properly cooked after they’ve reached this stage. A few recipe suggestions are:

• The marinara sauce was created from scratch. When making a tomato-based meal like chicken cacciatore, add this sauce.
• Soup made with tomatoes. A spoonful of sour cream and a slice of sourdough bread are the perfect accompaniments. Alternatively, you may try tomato-based soups such as lentil soup, minestrone, or cabbage soup, as well.
• Stews. In many meals, such as curry and tomato beef stew, the sweetness and tanginess of overripe tomatoes will be welcomed.
• Eggs with tomatoes. Stir in a couple of eggs after the tomatoes, garlic, and onion have wilted. For a complete supper, you may add cooked shrimp, chicken, or even ham.
• Tomatoes on top. The tomato should be sautéed in olive oil with capers and a lot of garlic before being served. For any kind of grilled food, you may serve this on crostini or as a side dish.

Try marinara or salsa if you have a lot of ripe, wrinkled tomatoes but aren’t ready to cook with them yet. After putting the sauce in a container, put it in the fridge and use it whenever you need it. For the following seven to ten days, you may rely on your own homemade sauce.

When you have some wrinkled tomatoes at home don’t throw them away. You can roast them along with some garlic and a bell pepper and prepare the most delicious homemade pasta sauce. For this recipe you are also going to need a food processor or a blender.

I usually make an effort to plan my meals ahead so I can reduce any food waste, but I’m not perfect. Unfortunately, sometimes I end up with a pint of cherry tomatoes that lost some of their water content and become wrinkled.

Is it safe to eat wrinkled tomatoes?

Yes, they are perfectly safe to consume as long as they are not moldy. If there is a mold on your tomatoes throw them away.

Why should we prevent food waste?

Do you know that 40% of the food that is produced and processed in the United States ends up in a landfill? Shocking, right?

You may think that big producers and restaurants waste the most food, but this is not true. Actually, normal people like you and me are the biggest contributors to food waste.

Wasting food is bad for the economy and really bad for the environment.

With the increasing food prices, we can’t afford to throw away our money. We have to shop smarter and plan ahead.

Helpful tips

I roasted the vegetables in a toaster oven, and it took about 10 minutes. Roasting time can be different depending on the size of the vegetables and the type of oven. You can tell when they are ready by trying to peel some of them. If they are done the peel would be easy to remove.

Cool off the vegetables before peeling them. I don’t like to have any peels and seeds in my pasta sauce, but if you don’t mind you can keep them.

Save some pasta water for the sauce. The pasta water is essential for a good creamy sauce.

For this recipe used whole wheat pasta shells. You can use whatever pasta you prefer. Just make sure that you follow the cooking directions on the packet.

Print Recipe

How to Use Wrinkled Tomatoes to Make Pasta Sauce

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Keyword: basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, parsley, pasta, Roasted pepper, tomatoes

Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes wrinkled or not
• 1 red bell pepper or other sweet pepper
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 1 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
• ½ cup pasta water or more if needed
• fresh basil and parsley a handful or to taste
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oz dry pasta I used whole wheat shells

Instructions

To cook the pasta

• Add water in a deep pot and bring to boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. When the pasta is cooked save about half a cup from the pasta water.

To prepare the sauce

• Preheat an oven to 380F. On a baking sheet add the cherry tomatoes, two garlic cloves and one red pepper. Roast them for 10-15 minutes.

  

• Allow the tomatoes and pepper to cool down and peel them. Remove the seeds and the stem from the pepper.

  

• Add the roasted vegetables in a food processor with ½ cup of pasta water, parsley, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

• Add the sauce in a pan and heat it to medium high. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until combined.

  What can I do with wrinkled tomatoes?

  When grape or cherry tomatoes start to get wrinkled because they are becoming too mature, roast them instead of tossing them out. They are delicious in salads, on sandwiches, or as a side on their own.

  What does it mean if a tomato is wrinkly?

  Tomato | Wrinkled tomato skin. That wrinkling is called "Catfacing." It is caused by a drop in temperature when the tomato plant blooms or begins to set fruit. Like moving the plant from a sunny spot to a shady one. Most catfaced tomatoes are edible, but ugly.

  Is it OK to eat soft tomatoes?

  Overripe tomatoes will be on the soft side all over and more difficult to cleanly cut. However, they're still perfectly safe and delicious to eat!