Fresh tomatoes highlight the summer because they are flavorful, sweet, and juicy. Tomatoes are great for sandwiches, diced for salsa, chopped for salads, and so much more, whether from your neighborhood farmers market or home garden. However, if you don’t store your tomatoes properly, perfectly ripe tomatoes can quickly go wrong. But there are various things you can do to make sure they last as long as possible.
If you’ve ever purchased one from the shop, you may have pondered how to keep a ripe tomato. Here are some things to keep in mind. Keep in mind that tomatoes rot faster at room temperature than in the fridge. Therefore, be sure to put your tomatoes in the refrigerator as soon as possible. You should be able to cook tomatoes and preserve them in the fridge correctly. To learn how to store tomatoes for the best results, continue reading.
How do You Store Tomatoes?
It’s crucial to understand how to store tomatoes, whether you’ve just purchased cherry tomatoes, unripe tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes at the grocery store to make tomato sauce or a tasty summer salad. To make the most of your tomatoes, we’ll show you how to choose, prepare, and ripen them in this article.
Storing Fresh Tomatoes
A helpful guideline is as follows: Whole tomatoes should be kept at room temperature or above 60 degrees. All varieties of tomatoes, including beefsteak, Roma, cherry, grape, and green tomatoes, are covered by this.
But what about the refrigerator? Is it safe to keep tomatoes in the fridge?
Never store whole, uncut tomatoes in the refrigerator. When the temperature falls below 60 degrees, the meat loses its lovely juiciness and becomes mealy and mushy.
The other issue is that tomatoes are delicate. (So treat them well!) They are prone to bruising, so keeping them organized can help keep them safe. Tupperware, a shoe box, or a cardboard flat are examples of open containers that work well for storing ripe tomatoes upside-down (stem-side down) on paper towels. Although ripe tomatoes should be used within a few days, we advise against waiting.
Your fresh tomatoes are ready for storage, and this is the procedure.
You’ll require:
- Tomatoes
- Container for storage (Tupperware, shoe box, or cardboard flat)
- Paper towels
Steps:
- Set the container on the counter away from the sun. Use paper towels to the line.
- Arrange tomatoes in a single layer, stem side down. They can touch, but they shouldn’t be packed too closely together or stacked on top of one another.
- Inspect tomatoes every day, tossing any that have liquid leaks or moldy areas.
Storing Sliced Tomatoes
Can a tomato be saved after being sliced for a sandwich if you won’t be using the entire fruit? Absolutely. Refrigerate cut tomatoes, whether they’re sliced, diced, or chopped.
Say what? We just said not to put tomatoes in the refrigerator. It turns out that there is an excellent explanation for this. Cut tomatoes must be kept in the fridge to stop bacterial growth. To ensure the best flavor and texture, simply place your chopped tomatoes in a food storage container, cover them, and put them in the fridge.
Storing Unripe Tomatoes
Tomatoes that aren’t quite ripe, though, how about those? Those unripe tomatoes should not be placed in the refrigerator. They must remain at room temperature, preferably in a single layer out of the sun. Most essential, store them stem side down while they continue ripening to keep them fresher longer. Always keep unripe tomatoes in a cold, dark place to prevent flavor loss. Unripe tomatoes’ enzyme activity is inhibited by refrigeration.
Storing Ripe Tomatoes
Store completely ripe tomatoes in your home’s coolest area, such as a wine cellar or root cellar, where the temperature stays between 55° and 70° F. The flavor-producing enzyme activity won’t be hampered, and they’ll keep well for a day or two. Rest assured that fully ripe tomatoes will survive refrigeration if, like us, your home doesn’t have a wide range of temperature zones; allow for some recovery time at ambient temperature. You’ll soon have a delectable meal if you keep them in a cool location!
The most crucial thing to remember when storing ripe tomatoes is to examine them at least every two weeks. You might not be aware of this. You should keep tomatoes away from other fruits if any of them start to ripen too much. They will stay fresh longer thanks to this. Overripe tomatoes might impact the freshness of different tomatoes. However, if you take precautions, you can keep them fresh for a few months. Tomatoes have a distinct flavor. They are made up of a mixture of sugars, acids, and volatiles, a substance that gives out odors. Additionally, these volatiles is extremely temperature-sensitive, and exposure to these substances will destroy their aroma.
How to Ripen Tomatoes?
Sometimes you are stuck with tomatoes that feel like rocks since ripe tomatoes aren’t always a choice. Fortunately, ripening tomatoes at home is simple, and red and green tomatoes can be used in this approach.
You’ll require:
- Unripe tomatoes
- Brown paper bag
- Banana
Steps:
- In a paper bag, place tomato and a banana. Use a cardboard box with a lid if you need additional room to ripen numerous tomatoes.
- Roll the bags end up to create a flimsy seal.
- Place tomatoes on a countertop or in a warmer area of your house and let them there until they are at the ideal level of ripeness. To avoid over-ripening, check tomatoes every day.
How to Choose the Right Tomatoes?
First and foremost: Begin with high-quality tomatoes. The two best signs of an excellent tomato are color and feel, and these indicators may differ slightly amongst tomato kinds, so we’ve split them all for you.
Cherry and Grape Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are spherical and somewhat larger than grape tomatoes, which are small and oblong. These tomatoes are typically offered in packages or containers for protection because of their small size. Although they should still give somewhat when pressed, they are often firmer than larger tomatoes. Look for smooth skin that is uniformly red or yellow in color and free of mold stains.
Roma and Beefsteak Tomatoes
Roma (or plum) tomatoes are more petite and oval-shaped, while beefsteak tomatoes are large and plump. Both should have glossy, smooth, and brightly colored skin with no imperfections. To the touch, they ought to feel both hard and slightly soft.
Green Tomatoes
Under-ripe tomatoes are just green tomatoes, and they should feel firm to the touch and have skin that is a consistent shade of bright green. On the verge of ripeness, green tomatoes with an orange tinge will finally turn red. Avoid these and only use green tomatoes if you’re cooking fried green tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomatoes
The vibrant, oddly shaped tomatoes you frequently see at farmers’ markets are known as heirloom tomatoes. You can choose them using the same procedures as you would for Beefsteak and Roma tomatoes. It’s generally best to ask the farmer to make the selection for you because some farmers might not be too happy to see you pushing and prodding their priceless tomatoes.
Do Tomatoes Keep Better on the Counter Or in the Refrigerator?
If you want to eat the tomato within the next day or two, it should remain uncovered on your counter. But if it stays out longer than that, refrigeration is advised. Better than a rotting, moldy tomato is a so-so tomato, and refrigeration will slow the deterioration.
Can You Store Tomatoes in the Fridge?
In short, tomatoes can be kept in the refrigerator, but it’s necessary to consider the tomato’s freshness. Nobody likes to eat a dull, mealy, unripe tomato because refrigeration stops the ripening process. Unripe tomatoes will remain that way if you store them in the refrigerator; they won’t ever be as tasty as they could have been. Eat it right away or put it in the fridge if you manage to select or purchase a perfectly ripe tomato.
Squishy, overripe tomatoes can be used for tomato sauces, relishes, chutneys, and more. Just store them in the refrigerator to prevent them from rotting. Yes, we are pro-fridge depending on the circumstance, but no matter what, let your tomatoes come to room temperature before eating them. Tomatoes that are at room temperature taste the best.
Can You Freeze Tomatoes?
Tomatoes can be frozen, and the frozen food can be a gift to yourself when you want the sweetness of summer tomatoes in the winter. If you have an abundance of ripe tomatoes and you won’t be able to utilize them all, rinse, dry, remove the stems, and then freeze the tomatoes in a freezer-safe bag or container. That’s how simple it is!
Place the frozen tomatoes in a warm water dish when ready to consume them. You can peel off the skins after a few minutes in the water. When it comes to frozen tomatoes, you should save them for prepared meals like spaghetti sauces. Wait till summer for foods like a Caprese salad or an open-faced sandwich that tastes better when made with fresh tomatoes; wait till summer.
Conclusion
Everyone wants fresh, sweet, tart tomatoes to eat and cook with for as long as possible, but opinions on how to keep tomatoes vary. Green tomatoes or a tomato developed expressly for long-term storage are the best varieties of tomatoes to store.
Choose tomatoes with no wrinkles or bruises while shopping. Look for a brilliant green color that is firm. Look for robust vines as well. While wrinkled and moldy tomatoes are not edible, a golden yellow or greenish tint suggests that they are overripe. This is a tragedy waiting to happen. You should avoid buying these tomatoes since they may make you sick. If unsure, it is always best to wait for them to ripen.
