How to Dice a Tomato?

Step by step

1. Rinse and dry the tomato. Slice off a thin bit of the top to remove the stem core, or cut around the core with the tip of the knife.
2. Stand it on the flat and cut 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (smaller for salsa, larger for chunky salads).
3. Stack two or three slices and cut them into strips the same width.
4. Turn and cut across the strips into cubes. Use a claw grip so the blade isn't chasing fingertips.
5. If you need a drier dice (sauces that shouldn't get watery), hold each half and scoop or squeeze out some seeds and jelly before slicing.

Roma vs. round: Romas are meatier and dice cleaner. Ripe round tomatoes are juicier — work over a board with a groove, and don't press straight down with a dull chef's knife.

Dice vs. chop vs. mince: dice is even cubes. Chop is rougher, mixed sizes. Mince is tiny. Recipes that say "diced tomato" usually want the cube, not a smash.

Peeling first is optional (blanch 15–30 seconds, ice bath, slip skins) and is more for silky sauces than for pico.

Two similar answers: How to Dice an Onion? and How to Make Beef Tallow?.

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