Storing tomatoes in the fridge may seem like a no-brainer, but in doing so, you might be sapping them of their succulent taste and spoiling their texture.
Home cooking enthusiast and Kitchen Mason founder Emma offers up the secret to keeping those tomatoes tantalisingly tasty.
She recommends: “The best place to store tomatoes is on your kitchen worktop at room temperature. Although keep them away from your oven, or any other heat source.”
Tomatoes are delicate little things, and to avoid squishing them, it’s wise to lay them out in a single layer in a flat dish rather than stacking them up in a bowl this also boosts airflow.
Ever wondered why tomatoes lose their taste in the chill of the fridge? That’s because the cold zaps their enzymes, the magical molecules that make them mouthwateringly delicious, leading to some seriously flavourless fruits.
Cold storage also puts the brakes on any ripening action, potentially leaving your tomatoes both tasteless and unpleasantly squishy in texture.
However, if they’re at peak ripeness and you must refrigerate, just remember to let them bask on the counter before you bite into them, that way, the flavour makes a comeback.
Emma advised: “You shouldn’t refrigerate tomatoes unless they’ve been cut. However, if your tomatoes are at their perfect ripeness, or the weather is particularly hot I actually do recommend that you store your tomatoes in the fridge.
“Refrigeration inhibits a tomato’s natural ripening process. But if it’s already at its best, you don’t need to worry about that!”
Once you’ve brought your tomatoes home from the supermarket, place them on a plate on the countertop, away from the oven, stove and any other heat sources in the kitchen.
It’s important to remove the vines and stems from the tomatoes as they can draw moisture away from the fruit, so getting rid of them will keep the fruit plumper for longer.
The secret to keeping tomatoes fresh is preventing moisture from leaving the fruit, which is why it is recommended to place the tomatoes upside down with the stem side on the plate to reduce air exposure and evaporation.
Emma advised: “When storing fresh tomatoes at room temperature, store them stem side down.
“This prevents them from losing moisture as quickly, and they will keep for much longer. A flat dish is better for this than a bowl.”
Storing tomatoes upside down also protects the stem scar from bacteria as it minimises its exposure, reducing the risk of contamination and preventing the tomatoes from spoiling prematurely.
