How is tomatoes stored

Setting them stem-side down can help prevent bruises. The Test Kitchen also suggets putting smaller cherry and grape tomatoes in a shallow dish so air can flow around them. Avoid storing tomatoes in the refrigerator, because the colder temperatures can make them mealy and hard. Usually, tomatoes are pretty ripe around the time you buy them. Never refrigerate a tomato unless it's overripe and you want to try to keep it another day or so.

If a tomato is very ripe, our Test Kitchen says it's ok to put it in the refrigerator to slow the ripening process, but keep it in there for only one or two days at most. For underripe tomatoes, you can speed up the ripening process by putting them in a single layer in a paper bag and closing it loosely.

Green tomatoes are simply under-ripe tomatoes. They should be very firm to the touch and the skin should be a uniform light green color. Green tomatoes with an orangish tint are on their way to becoming ripe and will eventually turn fully red.

If you're making fried green tomatoes , avoid these - and stick to fully green ones. Here's a good rule of thumb: Store whole tomatoes at room temperature or above 60 degrees.

This applies to all types of tomatoes: beefsteak, Roma, cherry, grape, and green tomatoes. Allrecipes test kitchen professional Julia Levy strongly advises against it. Temperatures below 60 degrees cause the flesh to turn mealy and mushy, rather than maintaining their beautiful juiciness," she says. Here's the other thing: Tomatoes are fragile.

So be nice to them! They can bruise easily, so storing them in an organized manner will help protect them. Levy recommends storing ripe tomatoes upside down stem-side down on paper towels in an open container such as Tupperware, a shoe box, or a cardboard flat.

Ripe tomatoes should last for a few days, but we recommend eating them as soon as possible. Arrange tomatoes upside-down stem-side down in a single layer. They can touch, but they should not be overcrowded or piled on top of each other.

If your tomatoes are ripe, but you aren't sure when you'll eat them, there are other ways to make them last longer. Learn how to can, freeze, and preserve fresh tomatoes.

Read More: How to Peel Tomatoes. If you're slicing a tomato for a sandwich, and you aren't going to use the entire fruit, can it be salvaged? Whether they're sliced, diced, or chopped, store cut tomatoes in the refrigerator.

Wait, what? Didn't we just say not to refrigerate tomatoes? It turns out there is a very good reason behind this. Simply place your cut tomatoes in a food storage container, cover, refrigerate, and try to use as soon as possible for optimal flavor and texture. How to store tomatoes: fridge or pantry? Download Print Share. Storing tomatoes in the open Tomatoes are warm weather foods, which continue to ripen when exposed to room temperature or higher. Can you store tomatoes in the fridge? Recommended for you.

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