How to Core a Tomato

Last Updated: August 14, 2022 Tested

Preparing tomatoes for a recipe may require you to seed, core, slice or peel them. Coring a whole tomato is useful when you want to cut fresh tomatoes or slice them thinly. Seeding and coring the tomato is better when you want to avoid absorbing the moisture of the tomato into a dish.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Coring a Whole Tomato

1
Wash your tomato under cool running water.^{[1]
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2
Pat it dry with a towel. Water on the skin’s surface can cause your grip to slip.

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3
Remove the stem from the top of the tomato.
4
Set the tomato on a cutting board, with the top section facing up. If you are coring a tomato that has a pointy tip, you can tilt it to one side and core it at an angle.
5
Insert a very sharp paring knife into the top of the tomato. Insert the knife tip at an angle of approximately 25 degrees from a vertical axis. Push the knife down approximately ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) at this angle.^{[2]
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- Stop inserting the knife when you think the tip of your knife is at the center point of your tomato.
6
Hold the tomato firmly and cut in a circular motion while turning the fruit. When you reach your starting point, you can pick up the tomato core and dispose of it. ^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Coring and Seeding Tomatoes

1
Place your washed tomato on a cutting board. Place it stem side up.
2
Slice the tomato in half vertically from the top. Hold the tomato together with your other hand and slice it into fourths.
3
Let the 4 tomato slices open onto the cutting board.
4
Use your knife to slice from the top of the tomato toward the bottom. Cut the white core away from the sides of the tomato. The knife blade should scrape lightly against the inside wall of the tomato.
5
Repeat with the 3 remaining sections. Discard the seeds and white core. Slice the cored tomato or cut it into smaller pieces. ^{[4]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do you correctly cut a tomato?

Jennifer Levasseur
Personal Chef
Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College.

Jennifer Levasseur

Personal Chef

Expert Answer

Use a separated knife and cut with a sawing motion, letting the blade all the work (rather than forcing the blade down).

Warnings

Be careful when working with sharp knives. Knives that are sharp enough to cut tomatoes are a safety risk to people working hastily or without proper knife skills.

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