If youve been storing your tomatoes in the fridge, youre about to flip over this hack.
Carson Downing
The world of produce storage can get confusing.
Do keep thesefruit and veggie foesapartunless you want them to spoil faster.
Credit:Carson Downing
Dont refrigerate a handful of produce picks, but do be sure tochill the majority.
So we totally understand why readers come to us often with questions about how to store tomatoes.
That is the question, and our Test Kitchen has the answers.
Your best bet will vary based on whether the tomatoes are whole or cut.
How to Store Whole Tomatoes
Store tomatoes at room temperature until ripe, Blanchard advises.
Refrigeration stops the ripening process, Brekke says.
If the tomatoes were under-ripe going into the refrigerator, the taste and texture won’t improve.
It also compromises tomato flavor; resulting in flavorless or sour fruit.
For best flavor, let the tomatoes come to room temperature before serving.
Why, you might be asking?
The bag helps contain the ripeness-inducing ethylene gas tomatoes emit.
Both of these fruits are also ethylene-producers.
The more ethylene gas swirling around the tomatoes; the faster the ripening.
Keep in mind that tomatoes spoil quicker once cut.
The No.
Beyond that, our Test Kitchens best storage secret: Flip the tomatoes upside down.
This also helps the tomatoes retain moisture so they stay juicy longer, Blanchard adds.
These tomatoes tend to ripen quicker, so check in on them every day or two.
Remove andcompostany small tomatoes that are showing signs of spoilage to avoid it spreading to the rest.
Moisture encourages mold, yeast, and bacterial growth.
