Choose by job, not habit
Professional kitchens use tomatoes in very different ways. A breakfast garnish, a pizza base, a pasta sauce, a soup and a sandwich tomato all need different qualities. The quickest way to waste money is to use the wrong tomato format for the job.
| Use | Best format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh salads | Cherry, cocktail, vine or heritage | Flavour, texture and colour matter most. |
| Pizza sauce | Passata or reduced plum tomato sauce | Controlled moisture and even spread. |
| Batch pasta sauce | Passata, plum or tinned tomatoes | Consistent cooking and easy scaling. |
| Breakfast garnish | Vine, plum or beef tomatoes | Good appearance when grilled or roasted. |
| Soup | Roasted fresh tomatoes, passata or tinned | Flexible depending on flavour target and cost. |
Reduce waste
- Keep the best-looking tomatoes for raw use.
- Move softer tomatoes into roasting, soup and sauce.
- Use meatier tomatoes where yield matters.
- Separate watery tomatoes from sauce tomatoes before batch cooking.