University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
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Helping you prepare healthy foods in a hurry

Alice Henneman, MS, Registered Dietitian and Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

 
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Storing Tomatoes: Counter or Refrigerator?

tomatoes What is the best place to store tomatoes: the kitchen counter or the refrigerator?

Don't give tomatoes the cold shoulder. Store them at room temperature (above 55 F) until they have fully ripened. This will allow them to ripen properly and develop good flavor and aroma. A ripe tomato is red or reddish orange, depending on variety, and yields to slight pressure.

The Florida Tomato Committee recommends storing tomatoes with their stem end up. According to the Tomato Committee, "The shoulders are the softest part of the tomato; leaving them stem-side down will almost always result in bruising of the product." <www.floridatomatoes.org/handling.htm>

"Try to store tomatoes out of direct sunlight, because sunlight will cause them to ripen unevenly," advises the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 5 A Day program. "If you must store tomatoes for a longer period of time, place them (after they're fully ripened) in the refrigerator. Serve them at room temperature."
<www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month/tomato.htm

 

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Developed By:

Alice C. Henneman, MS, RD
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

Fax: (402) 441-7148
Phone: (402) 441-7180
E-Mail: ahenneman1@unl.edu
Web site: lancaster.unl.edu/food

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