How to Slice Cherry Tomatoes

Twist the stem off of each tomato. Twisting is usually more effective than pulling.

Rinse the tomatoes in cold water. You never know what they've been in contact with between the farm and your kitchen.

To slice a cherry tomato uniformly, you need to use the stem as a reference. The tomato is spherical, so the stem is the only indication of the tomato's orientation. You can slice through the stem. This showcases the stem, it's variation in color, and it does put a little more emphasis on the texture of the stem when you bite down. Or you can slice perpendicular to the stem.

I prefer this method for raw preparations. It reveals a more attractive cross section of the tomato and conceals from the palate the slight toughness surrounding the stem.

Uniformity can be valuable in cooking. Imagine you're eating a salad and you see that the tomatoes are all sliced haphazardly. What does this tell you about the cook who made it? While there is no correct way to halve a cherry tomato, a deliberate choice here is admirable.

But sometimes speed is the right choice. A quick way to halve tomatoes is to pin them with one hand and slice perpendicular to the board, cutting them all in one swipe. A serrated knife is recommended. This is the lazy way and potentially dangerous if you're not careful, but if you're cooking the tomatoes or otherwise concealing them in a dish, it can be kinda fun and might save you some time.