Should You Be Storing Tomatoes At Room Temperature Or In The Fridge?

Knowing whether to store food at room temp or in the fridge is key to getting the most out of its flavor and texture, not to mention reducing food waste from spoiled ingredients. Storing certain items in the cold is one of the biggest storage mistakes that ruin food, and for many people, tomatoes are one of those ingredients that often end up chilling in the crisper drawer or sitting on a shelf in the fridge, waiting to be used. This is a mistake: If you've got whole tomatoes of any variety, you should almost never store them in the fridge; room temp is the way to go. (However, you should always store sliced tomatoes, or any tomato you've cut into, in the fridge to preserve juiciness and avoid bacteria growth.)

When whole tomatoes are stored below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the flesh turns mealy, losing the very juiciness we crave tomatoes for. Even worse, the sweet, rich notes become muted, as if someone turned the dial down on the flavor. When preparing a dish like a basic tomato and mayonnaise sandwich, in which the fresh tomatoes are front and center, you definitely want that tomato to be juicy and tasty.

If you happen to have a particularly ripe tomato that's glossy, taut, and clearly ready to be used ASAP, its flavor will still be best if you keep it above 60 degrees. So, if possible, eat it right away! Otherwise, you can pop it in the fridge to slow down the ripening, but be aware that there will be enough impact on the taste that it's probably best to use it in cooked meals rather than eating it fresh.

Successfully storing tomatoes involves keeping them nice and moist inside before you use them. Unfortunately, moisture can escape through the top of the tomato at the stem, causing your once plump and juicy produce to dry out and wrinkle. One way to prevent this is to store your tomatoes upside down, with the stem resting on a flat surface to prevent airflow around it. An even better way to accomplish this is to simply tape over the stem. Taping the stem, combined with the upside-down and room-temperature approaches, is almost guaranteed to keep your tomatoes juicy and tasty for at least 10 days.

It's also important to store tomatoes out of direct sunlight; this prevents them from ripening unevenly or too quickly. And, since ripe tomatoes are prone to bruising, it's best to keep them in a spot where they won't get knocked around or squished by other produce — a single layer in a plastic storage container is a great option.