Processing tomato by grilling? Well, why not? In fact it is one of the best ways to process tomatoes. Grilling can intensify the taste of tomatoes, especially their sweet flavor. This is one of the reasons why you should automatically think of grilling when you have the tomato in mind. Another reason is that it is just simply delicious to be able to enjoy ripe tomatoes that are just being harvested. Just slice them and add a little salad and you have yourself a delicious meal with a burst of flavor.
Tomatoes seem so delicate, but when it comes to grilling the tomatoes, the hotter the fire, the better the result would be. Well, although it may seem like counterintuitive to put on the highest heat on such a fruit, but it is worth a try. Then you can try the flavor that you after the grilling. This certain after a smoky flavor can only be obtained from the heat that you think is higher than necessary. However, there would be some tips for the high heat. There are three tips actually. One, you need to have the right tomatoes; two, you need to have the tongs ready and then three, you will need the vigilance.
The right tomato for the grilling is to choose the tomatoes that are not overly ripe and too juicy. Choose the ones that are firm. The juicy and ripe tomatoes will fall apart during the grilling process and the juice will be dried by the flame. The tomatoes which are firmer and the ones with thicker skins such as the plum tomatoes will not fall apart easily. The thinner skinned tomatoes will require more vigilance that most people do not posses. As for the tongs, they will need to be by your side and ready to be used anytime necessary.
To get the high heat that we want, the first thing to do it to adjust the grill grates so that it will be about 4 to 5 inches from the heat source or the flame. If you are using a gas grill, heat it to high while if you are using a charcoal grill, medium would be sufficient. To set the charcoal to medium heat, you will need to cover the charcoal with light ash. This way, you can also still able to hold your hands over the charcoal grate for a few seconds, 3 seconds top. Happy grilling!
