One of the most asked questions at Pappy’s Tomato Kingdom is, “How do I buy and store my tomatoes?”
- Look for the reddest ripest tomatoes you can find. Stay away from those with bruises or blemishes.
- Smell is the best indicator of ripeness and flavor; they should smell like tomatoes. A ripe tomato is slightly soft.
- Tomatoes will ripen after being picked. (Picking at exactly the right time is a subject covered at a later time).
- Leave your tomatoes on the counter. Do Not Refrigerate. If you would like your tomatoes a bit riper, you can
- place them in a paper bag with a banana. The bag traps gases that the produce emits to facilitate natural ripening.
- Store tomatoes at room temperature and do not buy tomatoes from refrigerator cases. Temperatures below 55 degrees F
- destroy the fruit’s flavor and makes them mealy. But what do I do when I cut a tomato and can’t eat all of it? Well, some
- folks choose to wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator, which does compromise its flavor; use within 24 hours.
- The option that we use is, put the cut side down on a saucer and wrap. Leave the tomato on the counter but use a
- bit quicker. If you find that you’re discarding a little more tomato than you like, it’s time to buy a smaller tomato.
Happy tomato eating,
Pappy