What is the best way to store tomatoes? Is the refrigerator really the enemy of the tomato we’ve been told it is? What about heirlooms and vine ripened tomatoes? Should they all be treated the same?
The best way to store tomatoes – Digging in to the studies
There’s one thing you should know first before we get into it. All of the scientific studies which have been performed on tomato storage have been for store-bought, hybrid, and under-ripe tomatoes. Growers and large Ag pay for these studies. They want to ensure a quality product with their mass market hybrid tomatoes. If you are buying these tomatoes which have been picked green and traveled on a truck from the fields all the way to the grocery store before arriving at your home, then yes. We all agree that the fridge is wrong for those tomatoes.
There are a few reasons for this. First of all, these tomatoes are meatier because they are picked earlier. They are picked before the juicy insides and seeds can fully develop. And before the sugars can develop, too. And, the standard refrigerator is kept at a higher temperature than tomatoes prefer. This cold quickly degrades the inside flesh and gives tomatoes that mealy texture.
But if you are reading my blog, you are likely NOT here because you buy store-bought tomatoes. You are probably looking at your pile of ripe heirloom tomatoes on your counter and trying to figure out how to keep them longer.
Vine ripened heirloom tomatoes are very different than commercially grown hybrid tomatoes, and they have very different storage requirements. Because they have stayed on the plant longer, there is more natural sugar. And they have a higher juice to flesh ratio. The makeup of the inside of the tomato is entirely different.
The best way to store green tomatoes is on the vine (or the kitchen counter)
Assuming you don’t have bird or other critters pecking at your ripe fruit, the best place to store a tomato until it is ripe is actually on the vine. Until the fruit is at its peak of ripeness, tomatoes do prefer bright light and warmer temperatures. If you can’t keep them on the vine, then yes, absolutely do move them into the house and store on the counter.
This is why it is common knowledge to keep early picked and green tomatoes on your windowsill. Tomatoes are climacteric, which means that as long as they are harvested with some red or pink color, they will continue to ripen off of the vine. These under-ripe tomatoes, when put in the refrigerator, will be tasteless and mealy. They are not given the chance to fully develop their sugars.
When I say warm, I certainly do not mean a kitchen counter in a sweltering heat wave. Tomatoes prefer temperatures (outside or inside) between 55 – 70 degrees F. So if you are living in a heat wave and do not have air conditioning, a cool cellar might be a great option for those early picked tomatoes.
However once a tomato has reached its peak of ripeness, staying on the counter (or vine) is no longer the best place for it!!
When is it OK to use the fridge?
Lets talk through cold and vegetables from a chemistry standpoint. We know that in many vegetables, when stressed, they produce sugar. For example, winter broccoli and carrots, when subjected to a snowfall will produce a bunch of sugar. That’s why they and other vegetables get sweeter when subjected to cold. The sugars allow the plant to withstand freezing temperatures. The sugar thickens the cell walls and acts as an anti-freeze.
Green tomatoes and early picked tomatoes do not have as much sugar. And they won’t produce it quickly on their own, in cold. They need light and warmth to produce sugars. So, they are far more susceptible to damage from the rapid temperature transition.
Once a tomato has reached its peak of ripeness, and has naturally developed more sugar, it can handle colder temperatures. We know that once fully ripened, most tomatoes only last a day or two on the counter before they turn to mush. Especially thinner-skinned tomatoes.
This is when you can (and should) put a fully ripened heirloom tomato in the refrigerator if you are unable to use it immediately.
But what about the taste you say? Actually, heirloom tomatoes, and especially those heirlooms which have been selected for cooler fall temperatures and northerly short seasons, do far better in the cold than any commercially grown hybrid tomato. It’s the sugars! This is also why frozen ripe tomatoes from the garden are actually OK to use in your cooking. They do not taste mealy at all, so long as they are fully ripe when placed in the freezer.
But – don’t take my word for it. Do the taste-test for yourself. Just always, always let the tomato return to room temperature prior to eating it!!
Tips for cold-storage of fully ripe tomatoes
First of all, let me reiterate, that green tomatoes and not-yet-fully-ripe tomatoes are best on the counter until they fully ripen. Only when they are fully ripe do you move them to the fridge!
If you can’t use your tomato within a day of reaching its peak of ripeness, here are some tips for preserving the tomato in the refrigerator:
- If you have a wine fridge, use this instead of your full sized fridge. You can set the temperature of the wine fridge lower than your regular refrigerator, which is better for the tomatoes.
- If you don’t have a wine fridge, place the tomatoes on the top shelf of the fridge. The top shelf tends to be warmer than other areas.
- Try using a tray inside the fridge. This allows you to easily pull all of them out at once so you can monitor which tomatoes need to be used first.
- Always allow cold tomatoes to warm back to room temperature on the counter prior to using. This step is really important for improving taste. If you don’t have patience to let them get back to room temperature, the tomatoes will just not taste the same.
- Always store your tomatoes stem side down. This is true whether the tomato is on the counter or in the fridge.
Why store the tomato stem down?
There are two very good reasons why this works.
- The tomato ripens from the blossom end first. When putting the blossom end up, you are giving the side that will ripen – and rot – first more air circulation. This extra air flow will help to deter bacteria from developing on the most susceptible part of the tomato.
- On an unblemished tomato, the stem is the only area where the tomato can lose moisture. Placing that near the counter purportedly helps the tomato retain moisture. However, if you have a crack or other blemish on the tomato, this will be the spot where both bacteria can breed and moisture will be lost.
