Sweet and juicy tomatoes have the ability to transform a meal. Whether the fruit is sliced and layered on bread, puréed into a gazpacho, or starring in a refreshing summer salad, tomatoes are a delight.
But while there's no denying their allure, there is confusion about how to properly preserve their taste and texture. Should you refrigerate tomatoes or leave them out on the counter? Does the storage method change depending on their level of ripeness? To help you answer these questions, we consulted the experts.
The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy.
"You're essentially zapping flavor and texture from a tomato when you refrigerate it," says Gregory Lofts, the former deputy food editor at Martha Stewart Living. Lofts also points out that tomatoes very quickly take on odors from other foods in the refrigerator, which can further degrade their quality and taste. "My general rule is to never refrigerate a fresh tomato," he says.
Why You Should Store Whole Tomatoes at Room Temperature
Whether you purchase a ripe or unripe tomato, you should store it at room temperature. "Tomatoes are most flavorful at peak ripeness and when stored at room temperature," says Maddy Rotman, head of sustainability at Imperfect Foods. "Try eating a cold tomato and a room temperature tomato. You'll see that all the flavor of the tomato is hidden when it's cold, and you can taste all of the sweetness when it's ambient."
A tomato at peak ripeness should be eaten right away, while still-ripening tomatoes will benefit from the warmer temperature in your kitchen (as opposed to the cooler temperatures in your refrigerator).
Always store large tomato varieties stem side down until they're ready to be consumed, says Rotman. Doing so will keep them fresher for longer and prevent moisture loss (which results in a juicier tomato).
How to Store a Ripe Tomato
If your tomatoes are on the edge of becoming overripe and you don't want to lose them, you can keep them in the refrigerator for a few days to halt the ripening process, Lofts says. While some research suggests that allowing the tomatoes to come back to room temperature can counteract the effects of refrigeration on taste, Lofts recommends using refrigerated tomatoes only in cooked dishes; they will have already lost too much flavor and texture, he says.
Rotman loves to put just-past-perfect tomatoes in red sauce, add them to a pizza before baking it, or throw them onto a sheet-pan with a protein or other vegetables. "Cooking tomatoes that may be soft is a great way to keep [them] from being wasted," she says.
How to Store a Cut Tomato
If you're only planning to eat half of a tomato, you'll need to store the other half in the fridge, says Anina von Haeften, co-founder of Farm to the People. When left on the counter, it will dry out. "If you plan on using the other half in the next day or so, the flavor and texture shouldn't be affected," she says. "If you do store it in the fridge, it's best to let it come to room temperature before using." For the best results, Rotman recommends storing part of a tomato cut-side down in a container in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze Tomatoes
Not able to use up all of those heirloom tomatoes from your latest garden haul? Good news: You can freeze them. Doing so is as simple as boiling whole tomatoes for 30 seconds to loosen the skins and placing them in freezer-safe bags; alternatively, you can slice them into 1/2 inch pieces and freeze in air-tight containers, per the University of Minnesota Extension. It's best to use thawed tomatoes in recipes, since the freezing process impacts their texture.
Refrigerate any unconsumed fully ripe tomatoes, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving them. (To speed up this process, slice them while still cold—slices will warm up much more quickly than an intact fruit.) One study we've read suggests that refrigerating for no longer than three days is optimal.*
Yes, but only as a last resort. The reason why refrigeration should only be used for tomatoes reaching their shelf life is because it change the flavor and texture. A chilled tomato should always be given the chance to come back to room temperature, which is where its natural flavor and texture shines.
Further research showed that the prolonged chilling reduced the activity of certain genes that make those compounds, Tieman said. To put it in technical terms, they write, “chilling-induced tomato flavor loss is associated with altered volatile synthesis and transient changes in DNA methylation.”
Ripe tomatoes should still be kept at on your counter, uncovered, if you are going to enjoy the tomato in the next day or two. But any longer than that – the recommendation is to refrigerate. A so-so tomato is much better than a rotten, moldy tomato. Refrigeration will slow down the decay.
Do Fresh Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated? Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
Stored at room temperature, “most ripe tomatoes retain best eating quality for 2 to 3 days,” according to the University of California division of agriculture and natural resources.
Another temperature to keep in mind: tomato plants will not survive in temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and will not thrive at temperatures below 50 degrees. Gardeners can use a frost date calendar to note their region's average dates of last frost in spring and first frost in fall.
WHAT VEGETABLES SHOULD NOT BE REFRIGERATED? Vegetables that should not be refrigerated include avocados, bell peppers, onions and potatoes. Some vegetables that you may want to refrigerate include mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and asparagus.
Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature on your counter for up to 1 week. Alternatively, store tomatoes in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, place tomatoes in a storage bin, then store them in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
There's no need to wash your produce when you bring it home. In fact, washing produce immediately leads to creating an environment where bacteria can thrive and can shorten the shelf-life of your produce. Instead, store unwashed fruits and vegetables until you're ready to eat them.
Put them in a zip-lock cover and suck out the air in it with a straw.Now you can store the cover in the freezer. This will not only result in retaining the freshness of the tomatoes, but you can also store them for months without them rotting.
The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy.
If the tomatoes are not yet ripe, they are best stored on the counter for a few days until they ripen. (You'll know they're ripe when they're fragrant and give a little bit to the touch.) Once they're ripe, either consume them or go ahead and put them in the refrigerator to preserve their freshness.
Once you've spotted mold on your tomatoes, it's probably time to say goodbye. Even if you only spot a bit of mold on the outside, there could be more mold lurking underneath the surface of your tomato, according to the USDA.
Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.
While tomatoes don't ripen at fridge temps, if they are harvested at the breaker stage, storing them in a cool area no less than 50 degrees F.(10 C.) will begin the process for slowing down tomato ripening.
How To Store Bell Peppers. To keep your Bell Peppers tasting great longer, store them in your refrigerator crisper drawer. In the fridge, raw Bell Peppers will last between 1 and 2 weeks. Cooked Bell Peppers will typically last 3-5 days.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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