What Tomatoes Are Best For Caprese?

Caprese salad is a refreshing Italian appetizer made with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves, and seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The star of this simple salad is the juicy, delicious tomatoes that make up the base.

Choosing the right tomatoes is key to making a stellar Caprese salad that delights your taste buds. The tomato varieties you select bring bright, sweet flavors along with great textures to make this salad shine.

So how do you know which tomatoes work best in Caprese salad? Let’s take a detailed look.

An Introduction to Caprese Salad

Before diving into the tomato varieties, let’s understand what makes Caprese salad special.

Caprese salad features just a few ingredients – tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and seasonings. But when high-quality ingredients come together, they create something incredible!

The flavors of a good Caprese salad are well-balanced – you get the fresh sweetness of ripe tomatoes, the creamy, salty mozzarella, the peppery aroma of basil leaves, and good olive oil and seasoning to tie it all together.

When tomatoes are in season during summer, it’s simply magical! The tomatoes burst with tangy, sweet flavors that pair so well with the mozzarella and basil.

While mozzarella made from water buffalo milk is traditional, you can use good quality fresh mozzarella too. And feel free to get creative with the basil – try different varieties like Thai, lemon or cinnamon basil.

The brilliance of Caprese lies in its simplicity. With good tomatoes and ingredients, you can toss together an incredible salad in minutes.

Now let’s look at how to select juicy, flavorful tomatoes that will be the star of your Caprese salad.

What Makes a Great Tomato for Caprese?

To make a stellar Caprese salad, you need ripe tomatoes that are juicy, sweet, and tangy. Unripe tomatoes lend a bland, mealy texture and grassy flavor to the salad.

Here are a few pointers on selecting great tomatoes for your Caprese:

Juiciness

The tomatoes should be full of liquid that bursts out when you bite into a slice. Look for tomatoes with taut, shiny skin that feels firm and resists denting when gently squeezed. The tomatoes should feel heavy for their size. All these are signs they are packed with moisture.

When sliced, juicy tomatoes will release a flood of flavorful juice that acts as a tasty dressing on the Caprese salad. This liquid is what makes the layers of tomatoes, cheese, and basil glisten.

Sweetness

Great Caprese tomatoes taste naturally sweet, not sour or tart. The tomato’s sweetness balances the creamy salty mozzarella and aromatic pungent basil.

Seek out tomatoes with an underlying sweetness – this indicates ripeness. Give tomatoes a sniff – ripe, sweet tomatoes will smell pleasingly tomato-ey, not dull.

Texture

Smooth, meaty tomato flesh without a lot of seeds or pulp is ideal for Caprese. The tomatoes should feel firm with dense, tender flesh that will hold its shape when sliced.

Avoid tomatoes with hollow spaces or mushy spots, which means they are overripe. Underripe tomatoes will feel overly hard. The best textures are yielding but sturdy.

Freshness

Select the freshest, ripest tomatoes available. The tomatoes should be free of wrinkles, bruises, or soft spots.

For peak flavor and texture, plan to use the tomatoes within a day or two of purchasing. Caprese is best when tomatoes are as close to garden-picked as possible.

Acidity

Tomatoes naturally have some acidic bite. A touch of tartness is desirable to balance the sweetness and add vibrance.

However, tomatoes that taste sour indicate under-ripeness. Seek a good equilibrium of sweet and tart flavors. The acidity should accent the sweetness, not overwhelm it.

Color

Opt for deep, vivid red tomatoes without green patches or yellow-orange undertones. The uniform red color signifies ripeness and full tomato sweetness and flavor.

Green areas mean the tomato ripened unevenly. The pale color indicates under-ripe fruits. Rich, dark red is always the most appealing and tasty.

Scent

The tomatoes should smell fresh, floral, sweet, and tomato-ey. A fragrant aroma is a reliable indicator of good flavor.

Avoid any tomatoes with a dull, flat smell or off odors. The scent should remind you of a just-picked garden tomato on a summer day.

With these tips, you can easily hand-pick ripe, juicy tomatoes that will shine in your Caprese salad.

Now let’s get into the specific tomato varieties that work wonderfully in Caprese salad.

7 Best Tomatoes for Caprese Salad

1. Roma Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes are a favorite for Caprese salads. These firm, meaty tomatoes have fewer seeds, thicker flesh, and an oblong plum shape.

Their meaty texture and mild sweet flavor hold up well and don’t get lost among the mozzarella and basil. Roma tomatoes have a lower moisture content, so they can be sliced without getting too watery.

Roma tomatoes are also easy to find year-round in supermarkets. During summer months, vine-ripened Roma tomatoes offer an unbeatable sweet taste and firm texture that’s perfect for Caprese.

2. Cherry Tomatoes

Plump, sweet cherry tomatoes are a delicious choice for Caprese salads. These bite-sized tomatoes offer a candy-like sweetness and a juicy pop of flavor in every bite.

Cherry tomatoes are available year-round, but taste best in summer and early fall when freshly harvested. Their high skin-to-flesh ratio means you get concentrated flavor in every bite.

Mix up your Caprese by using a medley of red and yellow cherry tomatoes for a beautiful presentation. You can also oven-roast cherry tomatoes to caramelize the flavors before making your Caprese salad.

3. Grape Tomatoes

Along with cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes make a wonderful addition to Caprese salads. They have a mild sweetness while still retaining that characteristic tomato tanginess.

Grape tomatoes are smaller than cherry tomatoes and offer an adorable burst of flavor. Mix them with cherry tomatoes or use them on their own for a presentation twist.

Like cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes also hold up well when roasted, developing a caramelized sweetness while still keeping their shape. Feel free to roast a bunch and add them warm to your Caprese for bonus flavor.

4. Campari Tomatoes

Named after the famous Italian aperitif, Campari tomatoes are a great choice for Caprese salads. They are sweet, low in acidity, and have a juicy bite when fresh.

Compared to Roma tomatoes, Campari has a rounder shape while still retaining some of that meaty texture. Their thin skin also makes them very easy to slice.

Campari tomatoes are bigger than cherry tomatoes but smaller than beefsteak varieties. Their sweetness plays off nicely against the salty mozzarella and peppery basil.

5. San Marzano Tomatoes

San Marzano tomatoes are a popular Italian heirloom variety prized for their deep red color, firm flesh, and bittersweet flavor. They have a distinctive long, tapered shape with few seeds and thick flesh.

These sauce tomatoes hold their shape well when sliced and add an amazing meaty texture along with a rich, almost bittersweet taste. They have a lower water content, so San Marzano tomatoes won’t water down your Caprese.

6. Beefsteak Tomatoes

Beefsteak tomatoes are large, juicy slicing tomatoes with thin skin and sweet, mild flavors. While they have a high water content, their thinner skin means they hold up well and don’t become too watery in a Caprese salad.

Red beefsteak tomatoes are common, but heirloom varieties also include yellow, orange, green, and even striped beefsteak tomatoes in multiple colors. Try mixing it up with colorful heirlooms for a stunning presentation.

Beefsteak tomatoes are very meaty so choose ripe ones at their peak. Unripe beefsteak tomatoes can be bland and mushy.

7. Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

You simply can’t beat the flavor of tomatoes ripened perfectly on the vine during the peak of summer. Vine-ripened tomatoes of any variety – beefsteak, Roma, cherry, etc will taste leagues better than supermarket tomatoes trucked in from afar.

Farmers markets and specialty stores offer an amazing selection of heirloom and specialty tomatoes ripened on the vine. Pick a selection of colorful heirlooms for a Caprese salad that looks as amazing as it tastes!

Vine-ripened tomatoes shouldn’t be refrigerated. Keep them at room temperature and use them as soon as possible to enjoy their garden-fresh flavors.

Putting It All Together: Building the Perfect Caprese Salad

You’ve done the hard work of selecting amazing tomatoes. Now comes the fun part – assembling your Caprese salad! Follow these steps:

1. Slice mozzarella: Use fresh mozzarella, preferably mozzarella di bufala. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
2. Tear basil leaves: Ruffle leaves and tear them into pretty shards rather than chopping them.
3. Arrange tomatoes: Line a platter or individual plates with tomato slices.
4. Layer mozzarella rounds: Drape mozzarella slices over the tomatoes.
5. Scatter basil leaves: Distribute basil leaves generously over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
6. Drizzle olive oil: Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the salad.
7. Season with salt and pepper: Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
8. Add balsamic vinegar: Drizzle a touch of good quality balsamic for acidity, if desired.
9. Chill briefly: For best flavors, refrigerate 15-30 minutes before digging in.

That’s all you need for an incredible Caprese salad! Use juicy, seasonal tomatoes and quality ingredients for a simple yet outstanding Italian appetizer.

Wrapping up!

The tomatoes are the star of any Caprese salad, so select them with care. Look for ripe, sweet tomatoes with firm flesh that will hold up to slicing. Excellent options include Roma, Campari, cherry, heirloom, beefsteak, grape, and San Marzano varieties. Store properly and slice just before assembling. Pair with fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper for a winning combination. Now go forth and make your best Caprese salads yet!