Your tomatoes might taste bland and watery simply because you’re not storing them properly. Tomatoes are an incredibly versatile fruit that feature in everything from salads and sandwiches to dishes like pasta sauces and curries.
However, to get the best from your tomatoes, they must be stored correctly, as getting it wrong can strip all the flavour from these little red gems. You may assume that tomatoes belong in the fridge to prevent them from becoming mushy and mouldy too rapidly, but according to one cooking expert on social media, that’s actually the biggest blunder people make with the fruit.
Mika Gio, a culinary student who frequently shares tips she’s picked up at culinary school on Instagram, recently posted a video explaining how she’s altered the way she stores her tomatoes after discovering that refrigerating them actually destroys the enzymes responsible for their flavour.
She argued that chilling them is the primary reason why your tomatoes might taste watery and bland rather than sweet and juicy, and revealed there’s a superior method to store them while preserving their flavour.
In her video, she said: “Culinary school completely changed how I use tomatoes. Most people don’t know this, but you should never store tomatoes in the fridge. Cold temperatures kill the enzymes that build its flavour, that’s the reason your tomatoes taste bland and watery.”
Rather than storing tomatoes in the fridge, Mika recommended placing them in a bowl on your kitchen worktop. However, ensure you position them so the top of the tomato, where the green stem once attached, is facing downwards – as this actually helps maintain their juiciness.
She added: “Keep them on the counter, stem side down. That’s how you get tomatoes that are actually sweet, rich, and juicy.”
Storing your tomatoes stem side down helps to seal the exposed scar where they were previously connected to the vine. This can reduce moisture loss, protect the flesh from bruising, and prevent oxygen and bacteria from entering through the scar. Experts suggest this could extend the shelf-life of your tomatoes by as much as a week.
Viewers of Mika’s video were astonished by the storage trick, with many admitting they never realised that making a straightforward change to where their tomatoes are kept could have such an impact.
One person said: “I didn’t know this!” Another added: “You changed the way I see tomatoes.”
Others highlighted this method only works if you live somewhere with relatively temperate weather or intend to consume your tomatoes promptly, as very hot and humid conditions may cause tomatoes to ripen too rapidly if left out of the fridge.
Unripe tomatoes
- On the counter: Unripe tomatoes can be kept on the counter in a single layer, stem side down. This helps to prevent air from entering the fruit and stops moisture from escaping.
- To speed up ripening: You can place firm or green tomatoes inside a brown paper bag alongside a ripe apple or banana. These fruits release ethylene gas, which naturally speeds up the ripening process of other fruits around them.
Ripe tomatoes
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- In the fridge: Once your tomatoes are ripe, they can be placed in the fridge to stop them from rotting.
- Before eating: Where possible, taking your tomatoes out of the fridge around 30 minutes before eating can help to restore their flavour and texture so that you can enjoy juicy and sweet tomatoes.