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When people say a tomato is or isn't mealy, what does that really mean? I've never had a tomato that was grainy, as it's sometimes described. Is that even possible? That sounds like a tomato with sand in it. How would you personally describe the consistency without using the dictionary definition?

Also, what are mealy tomatoes good for?

Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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2 Answers2

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Yup, tomatoes can most definitely be a bit grainy. It's not a hard graininess like sand, but a softer graininess. The best comparisons that come to mind are hydrated but uncooked cornmeal or slightly wet breadcrumbs. Instead of being juicy and smooth (whether firm or soft), you'll notice a bit of small texture. It'll probably also be less juicy, and the flavor may not be as fresh and full as you'd like. If you've never had one, awesome - you've had good tomatoes!

It's also a common texture in some varieties of apples, especially when not too fresh. It's especially noticeable there; instead of a crisp crunch as you bite through it'll feel a little crumbly.

They'd be all right for things where you're going to cook them thoroughly so you won't notice the texture, like spaghetti sauce, though again the flavor may suffer as well. For anything remotely fresh, they're still edible, just noticeably not as good.

Cascabel
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  • So, would you say they're mushy? – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 03:05
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    @Shule They could be, but they could also be firm. But unlike a good firm tomato, instead of a bit of crunch and a nice release of juice, you'll just kinda bite through it and feel the mealiness. – Cascabel Feb 26 '15 at 03:07
  • It comes from how tomatoes are ripened and transported to the grocery store. https://isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/12/default.asp There is probably no one food that is soo much better from the garden than from the produce section. And canned tomatoes can even be a better choice in some applications than the tomatoes that look so good in the produce section. – Jolenealaska Feb 26 '15 at 04:47
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    The word in my house to describe it is pappy. – Doug Feb 26 '15 at 08:55
  • Roma tomatoes are the best candidate for mealiness from my experience of growing them. Great for cooking though – GdD Feb 26 '15 at 10:07
  • Your description was good enough to make me lose my appetite. Mealy tomatoes are the worst. – Preston Feb 26 '15 at 15:47
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    I grew some Roma or Baja tomatoes that seemed to match your description, except they weren't gritty or sticky at all as grain would be. They were very firm, but the moment they touched my tongue they dissolved into mush, kind of like applesauce. I called them mushy. At first it was very, very unappealing. The tomatoes also lacked the flavor of their parents. I thought they must be an F2 Baja that didn't breed true. I'd never had a tomato like that. However, after trying to enjoy them for a while, I found that they were an acquired taste for me (kind of like pea soup when I was a kid). – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 21:54
  • Perhaps smushy is a better word than mushy. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 22:07
  • @Shule Even for soft ones, dissolving into mush isn't quite the whole thing. Some mushes are smooth, but in this case there's also be some texture - like some applesauce, actually. Perhaps that's a better comparison than the bread-ish ones I mentioned. And the firm don't dissolve into mush at all, of course. As for "smushy"... well, that could mean a lot of things, especially if you start asking kids :) – Cascabel Feb 26 '15 at 22:11
  • @Jefromi I think we're talking about the same thing. We must have different definitions of mushy, because mush can have texture in my definition, it just doesn't stay put. How much texture is another question. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 22:18
  • For instance, I wouldn't call cream mushy. It requires some texture to be mushy. I would call every applesauce I've ever had, and fresh apples that squish moderately easily to sauce mushy. Mushy for me is the opposite of crisp. We'd probably both agree that bananas are usually mushy (especially over-ripe ones), but I extend that to encompass similar substances despite their texture. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 22:22
  • Unless they're sticky, gritty, or rubbery or something. So, if true, I would just class mealiness as a form of mushiness, but I'd probably call it mealy to be more specific. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 22:30
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    @Shule But mushy means soft. Mealy doesn't have to be soft. – Cascabel Feb 26 '15 at 22:41
  • @Jefromi Ah. Okay. But if you squish it does it readily become soft or not? – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Feb 26 '15 at 22:57
  • @Shule Not necessarily, no - like I said, they can be on the firm side too. – Cascabel Feb 26 '15 at 23:50
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Mealy tomatoes are good candidates for sauce. They tend to be of the meatier, less juicy varieties like Roma and pear tomatoes. Beafsteak and brandywine varieties and hybrids generally don't get mealy, they just started getting leaky, and making a mess. Bunch tomatoes like Grape and Cherry tomatoes usually just get moldy and shrivel up.

Escoce
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