Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <storage-method><storage-lifetime><tomatoes>
Title: Should tomatoes be stored in the fridge?
Question: Storing tomatoes in the fridge tends to make them last a bit longer, but I've heard that the flavor is negatively affected. What is the best way to store them?

Answers:
sents: text: From the great Harold McGee, they may last longer in the fridge, but they will taste like cardboard:
text: Tomatoes came originally from a warm climate, and should be stored at room temperature.
text: Their fresh flavor readily suffers from refrigeration.
text: Tomatoes at the mature-green stage are especially sensitive to chilling at temperatures below about 55°F/13°C, and suffer damage to their membranes that results in minimal flavor development, blotchy coloration, and a soft, mealy texture when they're brought back to room temperature.
text: Excerpted from "On Food And Cooking", by Harold McGee
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/470/joyjit
score: 18
sents: text: Tomatoes will last longer if kept in the fridge, but I actually recommend against keeping them there.
text: Tomatoes lose much of their flavor when their temperature is brought below 50 degrees
text: F. Keep them in the pantry.
text: They will still last a few days at least, and they'll taste a lot better.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1033/Knarf Navillus
score: 14
sents: text: This depends on the shelf life of the cultivar of tomato you purchased.
text: Some varieties of cherry tomato, for instance, can stay fresh for over two weeks in room temperature, others less than a few days.
text: My advice: experiment.
text: Try separating a batch of tomatoes into two groups, store one in the fridge and the other outside and keep track of their state after a few days.
text: As for the flavor thing - I find that it is the texture that's most affected from refrigeration.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/706/Electric Monk
score: 10
sents: text: Tomatoes do well when stored in a place with good air flow and out of direct sunlight (I keep mine in a mini-colander).
text: Tomatoes that are refrigerated lose their flavor because their flavoring compounds shut down (and won't turn on again even when the tomatoes are allowed to return to room temperature).
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/403/Iuls
score: 1
sents: text: Where do you live though?
text: if you live in a hot / humid climate with no air condition, then put them in the fridge.
text: It also depends what are you using the tomatoes for.
text: if you're cooking salads with them, then fresh and not in fridge is great; however if you're making sauces out of them, or cooking them, then I don't think it really makes that much of a difference.
text: Some might argue that it does, but how noticeable is the difference, especially if the above mentioned tomatoes are store bought and not home grown
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/87/dassouki
score: 1
sents: text: According to CargoHandBook ripe tomatoes should be stored at 8-10°C at 90-95% humidity, for optimum shelf life.
text: Reduced oxygen/increased CO₂ also helps.
text: It also adds that tomatoes stored at 10°C were rated lower in flavour and aroma than those held at 13°C.
text: The quote from McGee refers to the mature-green stage, not fully ripe.
text: The quote continues: Fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive, but lose flavour due to the loss of flavour-producing enzyme activity.
text: Some of this activity can come back, so refrigerated tomatoes should be allowed to recover at room temperature for a day or two before eating.
text: Putting them in a wine fridge (~16°C) is probably not a bad idea.
text: You get stable temperature and high-ish humidity.
text: But take them out a day or so before eating.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/25423/Popup
score: 1
sents: text: No.
text: However obviously they will take a bit longer to ripen
text: (probably what is affecting the taste) if you put them in the fridge, but they do not need to be stored in the fridge.
text: Try to buy only as many as you will use so you don't need to keep them for too long.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/711/Toby Allen
score: 0
sents: text: Putting tomatoes in the fridge destroys everything that makes them good to begin with.
text: They will lose flavor, and their texture will become gritty and mealy.
text: Yes, they will last longer before they go rotten.
text: But if you've got an abundance of tomatoes, cook them down and do something with them, don't try to stretch out their existence at the expense of their splendor.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 0
sents: text: Put em in the wine cooler at 57 degrees.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/10667/Bruce
score: 0
sents: text: Foodland Ontario, the consumer facing arm of the Ministry of Agriculture has this to say: Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, to prevent uneven ripening.
text: Only in extreme heat, or if overripe, should tomatoes be stored in the refrigerator butter compartment.
text: But to ensure full flavour, allow them to reach room temperature before serving. http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/vegetables/fieldtomatoes/buy-store-prepare.html
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1148/Chris Cudmore
score: 0
sents: text: According to me, it's better to store ripe tomatoes outside the fridge, stem-end down to keep them from rotting too quickly.
text: And I found great tip on storing unripe tomatoes and making them ripen faster: http://www.listonic.com/protips/get/ozhdfpuszg <--I can only add, that you should put tomatoes and banana in paper bag.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/26491/Katarzyna
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Refrigerating tomatoes shuts down their flavouring compounds, which are not reacitvated even when returned to room temperature. Store at room temperature or slightly cooler in a place with good air-flow and away from direct sunlight.
Tomatoes kept in the fridge will lose their flavor. Keep them at room temperature out of direct sunlight.