Refrigerate any unconsumed fully ripe tomatoes, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving them. (To speed up this process, slice them while still cold—slices will warm up much more quickly than an intact fruit.) One study we've read suggests that refrigerating for no longer than three days is optimal.
Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures and causes its cell membrane to break down, leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy. "You're essentially zapping flavor and texture from a tomato when you refrigerate it," says Gregory Lofts, deputy food editor at Martha Stewart Living.
Ripe tomatoes should still be kept at on your counter, uncovered, if you are going to enjoy the tomato in the next day or two. But any longer than that – the recommendation is to refrigerate. A so-so tomato is much better than a rotten, moldy tomato. Refrigeration will slow down the decay.
Simply cover the cut side with plastic wrap—tightly—and loosely wrap the uncut side. Set the tomato on a small plate cut side down and put it in the refrigerator.
A tomato's shelf life is about a week on the counter and two weeks in the fridge. Stretch the life of your tomatoes by following these tips: Wait for your tomatoes to fully ripen before refrigerating.
1 – Shelf Life of Tomatoes at Room Temperature
The majority of ripe tomatoes maintain their eating quality at room temperature for about 7 to 10 days.
In particular, tomatoes may lose flavor and nutrients when you refrigerate them. They can also develop an undesirable texture. Whole fruits generally don't need to be refrigerated. However, refrigeration slows down their ripening process.
And unless you're eating them immediately, ripe, locally grown tomatoes will also last longer in the fridge; eat within a few days. Store ripe tomatoes in your fridge stress-free and enjoy them within a couple days of purchasing.
Storing them upside down helps to prevent air and extra moisture entering the tomato via the scar which would cause mold to grow and make them go bad. If you want to ripen them quickly, place them in a breathable bag. Ideally, this will be a paper bag. But a plastic bag with some holes punched in it will suffice.
Store tomatoes stem-side down to prevent moisture-loss, whether at room temperature or chilled in a refrigerator. Moisture escapes from tomatoes via the stem-end, as the tomato skin keeps it all inside.
Tomatoes
The thing about tomatoes is that they are moderate ethylene producers. So, instead of storing them with ethylene-sensitive foods, store your tomatoes with other ethylene-producers. Keep them away from all members of the cabbage family, spinach, okra, pepper and sweet potatoes.
If you don't have a wine fridge or cool cellar, store all ripe tomatoes that you can't eat within the first day in the refrigerator. If you're storing tomatoes in the refrigerator, it may be better to locate them on a top shelf near the door, which is often warmer than the bottom and back of the fridge.
Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator slows down the ripening process, as the cold temperatures preserve the tomatoes' natural color, texture, and shape. Refrigerating the fruit also prevents early spoilage, as leaving ripe tomatoes on the counter increases enzyme activity and ripeness.
In the United States, fresh, commercially produced eggs need to be refrigerated to minimize your risk of food poisoning. However, in many countries in Europe and around the world, it's fine to keep eggs at room temperature for a few weeks.
Do cucumbers need to be refrigerated? No. However, while room temperature is best for them, you can still keep them in the fridge if you fancy a cooler cuke. If you choose to do so, you must make sure the skin is a dry as possible.
Even though cucumbers are prone to chilling injury, the fridge is still the best place to store them. At room temperature, cucumbers will only last for about two days. So, what's the solution? Store cucumbers in the warmest part of the fridge — towards the front, furthest from the cooling elements.
Fruits That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
Apricots, Asian pears, avocado, bananas, guava, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, pawpaw, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plantain, plums, starfruit, soursop, and quince will continue to ripen if left out on the counter.
You'll have to store your carrots in the refrigerator, but how you store them can actually make a difference. Raw carrots, when properly stored will usually stay fresh for around 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge. If your carrots are sliced or chopped, you can store them in the fridge and they'll last for about 2 to 3 weeks.
Storing lemons in the fridge is a great way to extend their shelf life. And if you want to keep lemons fresh for longer than a week, you'll definitely want to refrigerate them.
They prefer the refrigeration. Apples keep longest when held at 31-36 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you want to keep them in the coolest part of the refrigerator. Most home refrigerators don't get that cold because the rest of your food would freeze, but the colder the better.
On your next shopping trip to Market Basket, notice how apples are displayed. They are unrefrigerated because apples do not need refrigeration until they began to soften slightly. Apples should be stored unrefrigerated for about 7 days after purchase. Apples refrigerated too soon lose flavor and sweetness.
You should store summer squash (like zucchini) in the fridge, but thick-skinned squash like acorn, butternut, or kabocha should stay at room temperature.
*Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at cool temperatures, and causes the bread to stale much faster when refrigerated. *Shop-bought loaves should be kept in an air-tight plastic bag at room temperature rather than in the fridge.