Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Post your favorite tomato-based recipes here.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old April 28, 2015   #1
jwr6404
Tomatovillian™
 
jwr6404's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: University Place, WA
Posts: 481
Default Best Tomato for Homemade CHILI

The Mr's asked me this question and I haven't the slightest idea. She makes 20 gallons of Chili annually using whatever tomatoes we have available. Everyone enjoys her chili. Am thinking she might be wanting to go Gourmet on me and others.
__________________
Jim
jwr6404 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2015   #2
UFXEFU
Tomatovillian™
 
UFXEFU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Gloster, Lousiana 71030 Zone 8a
Posts: 253
Default

Best tomato for chili...... None. Original Texas style chili did not use tomatoes.
UFXEFU is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2015   #3
Tracydr
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
Default

I think a tomato with some juice,tartness, sweetness and productivity would work best. Should be red or purple/black but not mandatory.
One of the old commercial heirlooms or hybrids such as Bonnie Best,Marglobe or Jetstar. Maybe Porter?
Tracydr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2015   #4
rnewste
Tomatovillian™
 
rnewste's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 4,064
Default

Jim,

I would think any "meaty" tomato like San Marzano would work well - just avoid the real juicy varieties.

Raybo
rnewste is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2015   #5
joseph
Tomatovillian™
 
joseph's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake
Posts: 1,244
Default

In the dark, all cats are gray.

A tomato, is a tomato, is a tomato.

I think that the best tomato for chili is whatever tomatoes we have available the day it needs to be made.
joseph is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2015   #6
shelleybean
Tomatovillian™
 
shelleybean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
Default

Jim, are you canning tomatoes and using them later for chili or does your wife make the chili and then can that? I try to grow a main crop tomato that I can use fresh for sandwiches, salads and slicing but also for canning. Last year I canned a lot of Levino, which tastes great, but had a bigger core than I'd like for canning. This year I've gone back to Stump of the World for fresh use and canning. I can tomatoes with their juice and when I make chili, that's what I add to it, no other liquids. If your wife likes to add tomato juice or beer or something, I'd say go with a drier paste type tomato. If she's like me and just adds the tomatoes with their own juice and a few other veggies, I think you can use a beefsteak you like for flavor or a smaller canning type tomato with a small core that makes it more convenient for canning prep. Just some things to consider.
__________________
Michele
shelleybean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 1, 2015   #7
rhines81
Tomatovillian™
 
rhines81's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
Default

San Marzano ... the hands down winner.
rhines81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 15, 2015   #8
Mojave
Tomatovillian™
 
Mojave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SF Bay area Z9a
Posts: 821
Default

We are talking chili con carne aren't we? Not salsa.
__________________
Bill
_______________________________________________

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.
-John Muir


Believe those who seek the Truth: Doubt those who find it.
-André Gide
Mojave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 15, 2015   #9
Worth1
Tomatovillian™
 
Worth1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
Default

No tomatoes in chili the only thing I might use is V8 juice.

Just ground dried peppers cumin garlic powder onion powder masa and a little salt.
And MEAT.
No help here.

Worth

Last edited by Worth1; June 15, 2015 at 11:37 PM.
Worth1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 16, 2015   #10
AlittleSalt
BANNED FOR LIFE
 
AlittleSalt's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
Default

To me, chili is all about tomatoes, peppers, onions, and meat. With the right spices - anything can taste good. Just throw in a lot of Comino/Cumin and Paprika/Chili Powder. Garlic and onion powder are like S&P to me, but use S&P too. Keep it vegetarian or add any kind of meat/s you like.
AlittleSalt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 16, 2015   #11
coronabarb
Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper
 
coronabarb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7
Posts: 2,821
Default

I always put tomatoes in my chili 'cause that's how I like it. I also like a blend of different dried/ground chiles like pasilla, ancho, chipotle powder, cayenne, etc. Not just the 'chili powder' in the little jar. I've read that cascabel is good...anyone try that? Don't think I have seeds for it but would love to grow it. My daughter is growing garlic this year and that is a must too. I love to cook it a long time.

On another note, we are getting a lamb order this week - 66 pounds. Does lamb lend itself to a chili?
__________________
Corona~Barb
Now an Oregon gal
coronabarb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 16, 2015   #12
Worth1
Tomatovillian™
 
Worth1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by coronabarb View Post
I always put tomatoes in my chili 'cause that's how I like it. I also like a blend of different dried/ground chiles like pasilla, ancho, chipotle powder, cayenne, etc. Not just the 'chili powder' in the little jar. I've read that cascabel is good...anyone try that? Don't think I have seeds for it but would love to grow it. My daughter is growing garlic this year and that is a must too. I love to cook it a long time.

On another note, we are getting a lamb order this week - 66 pounds. Does lamb lend itself to a chili?
Only if you are a shepherd.

No on a serious note Barb you simply have to make your own chili powder.
I dont premix the stuff but here is what I use.
Fresh ground cumin I keep in mason jars in the freezer.
Fresh ground Guajillo chilis.
Fresh ground Chili Arbole.
Onion powder garlic powder and a little salt.
That is all you need if you want to add tomatoes then so be it, that is why I use V8 juice instead of tomatoes or tomato sauce.
If I were to use any tomato at all it would be tomato puree.
I do not want chunks of tomato in chili.

Worth
Worth1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 16, 2015   #13
digsdirt
Tomatovillian™
 
digsdirt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: No.Central Arkansas - 6b/7a
Posts: 179
Default

Agree with making your own chili powder. Also make my own tomato powder. Talk about intense flavor.

But heartily disagree with not adding tomatoes in chili. That's like saying no tomatoes in bar-b-q sauce! Heathenish!

As for the tomato used - there is no "best" unless it is homegrown vs. store bought. If using store-bought tomatoes yeah, you might as well leave them out.

On second thought Romas are as bad as store-bought too. A really good one is Indian Stripe as its smokey flavor adds another dimension to the chili flavor.

Dave
__________________
Dave
digsdirt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 16, 2015   #14
Worth1
Tomatovillian™
 
Worth1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
Default

Chili con carne sin tomate.
Yes it is oily it has been a tradition with me and many others to soak up the flavorfuul grease with saltine crackers.
Worth
IMG_20150616_3048.jpg

Last edited by Worth1; June 16, 2015 at 01:45 PM.
Worth1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 18, 2015   #15
rhines81
Tomatovillian™
 
rhines81's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
Only if you are a shepherd.

That is all you need if you want to add tomatoes then so be it, that is why I use V8 juice instead of tomatoes or tomato sauce.
If I were to use any tomato at all it would be tomato puree.
I do not want chunks of tomato in chili.

Worth
Heavens no ... no chunks of Tomatoes, no chunks of anything unless it is a chunk of meat. V8 is just ungodly horrible, IMO. Always a puree or sauce. Which is why I choose San Marzano (pureed). It's all about the pepper spices (powdered or pureed) and meats. Cumin? meh!
rhines81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:21 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★