And here's the other thing to know: The refrigerator is not great for tomatoes—it can degrade their texture and dampen their flavor—but it's far more harmful to lower-quality and underripe tomatoes than it is to truly ripe, delicious ones.
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.
Keeping tomatoes at low temperatures slows down the ripening process and prevents them from rotting, but it also interferes with chemical compounds that give tomatoes their taste.
However, it's best to store cut tomatoes in the fridge. Cut tomatoes are magnets for bacteria and susceptible to spoilage outside the fridge, especially if your kitchens is on the warmer during tomato season. The optimal storage temperature for whole tomatoes is 55°F.
Cut tomatoes may be held un-refrigerated for up to 4 hours if the tomatoes are 41°F or less when removed from temperature control, a marking system is used to identify when the 4 hours is up and, if not consumed or cooked, the cut tomatoes should be discarded.
Store a tomato that's been cut with the cut side covered, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and the leftovers refrigerated. Whatever you do, don't forget about it—a cut tomato begins to degrade immediately. It should keep for a day or two, but not much longer than that.
Most supermarket tomatoes are flavorless at best, and a single gene mutation goes a long way toward explaining why. The mutation arose as breeders cultivated tomatoes to ripen evenly, a trait that makes harvesting cheaper and more efficient.
When it comes to proper tomato storage, conventional kitchen wisdom (and Alton Brown) state that tomatoes are best stored at room temperature—not in the refrigerator. Supposedly, refrigerated tomatoes develop a mealy texture and lose their flavor if they are exposed to cooler temperatures over time.
Levy recommends storing ripe tomatoes upside down (stem-side down) on paper towels in an open container such as Tupperware, a shoe box, or a cardboard flat. Ripe tomatoes should last for a few days, but we recommend eating them as soon as possible.
Do Fresh Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated? Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
Vegetables That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
Potatoes, taro, sweet potatoes, and yuca (cassava, manioc) should not be refrigerated.
The ideal place to store bananas is on the countertop, where they can ripen naturally. You can refrigerate bananas once they've achieved your ideal level of ripeness; however, refrigerating bananas too soon or for too long can have detrimental effects on your bunch.
Storing and Handling Guidelines
Tomatoes stored at refrigeration temperatures below 41 °F will have approximate shelf life of 5 days. Tomatoes stored at temperatures under 75 °F will have approximate shelf life of 1 to 2 days. Storing tomatoes above 75° F is not recommended.
Apples are safe at room temperature, but their higher ethylene content contributes to faster ripening. Apples stored in the refrigerator can last for several weeks. Cut produce is more susceptible to pathogens, so storing in the refrigerator can limit pathogen growth.
Storing tomatoes at proper temperature is important to preserve the nutrients, flavor, and quality of the tomatoes. Now you know why they always say keep the tomatoes out of the fridge!
The fruit became popular in part because of its ability to flavor food, no small matter at a time when spices were expensive and hard to find. By the 18th century, Italians had begun experimenting with tomato conservation methods.
Brandywine tomato
The Brandywine is perhaps most commonly named the best-tasting tomato variety. It has the perfect balance of sugar and acidity with that superb, old-fashioned tomato taste. Growing conditions can affect the flavor quality more than some other varieties on this list.
Unripe tomatoes are still green and should be stored stem side down in a cardboard box or brown paper bag. This will encourage ripening. Ripe tomatoes should be kept stem side up, at room temperature and away from sunlight. Eat them within a few days for best taste.
As a general rule of thumb, tomatoes are best stored at room temperature. Typically they will last on the counter for up to 7 days, but be sure to keep them away from direct sunlight. If you're not going to use them right away, then you can store them in the refrigerator.
Tomatoes stored stem down for three days lost between 1 and 2% of their weight, while those stored stem up lost up to 7%! Long story short: Remove the stems from your tomatoes, and store them stem side down on a flat plate.
If you pick up a tomato and notice that there is fluid underneath it, then it has gone bad. Feel – if a tomato is soft or mushy when given a light squeeze, it has gone bad. Smell – if you find that a tomato is producing a bitter or putrid smell, then it has gone bad.
Tomatoes tend to get better as they age. Tomatoes can be perfectly edible a week or even two past the best-before date; they just get sweeter and riper rather than drying out. If they start to smell badly, or grow mould, it's time to discard.
Canned Goods
High-acid foods, such as tomatoes or pineapple, typically are fine a year past the best-by date if unopened. Low-acid canned goods, such as beans or corn, may last up to 5 years. But throw out any cans with dents, rust, or swelling.
Tomatoes and bananas
This pair is actually on the list of what fruit and veggies not to store together. Fruits and vegetables that do a lot of ripening after they're picked, such as tomatoes, bananas, kiwis and honeydew melons, are best stored apart.