Tomatoes in the Refrigerator—A Bad Idea
By Michelle Fabio
Perhaps you just want to get a few more days out of those tomatoes so you put them in the refrigerator for storage.
Stop!
Take them out and set them on your counter (stacking them in bowls encourage bruising), stem side up and out of direct sunlight.
Now they’re happy
Why?
Refrigeration can cause what is called a “chilling injury” in a tomato because it just doesn’t do well in temperatures below 45°F (7°C).
At that point, several bad things can happen from loss of flavor, color, composition, and increased likelihood of decay or spoilage microorganisms.
Some say that already red, ripe tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator without loss of flavor, so if you must have really cold tomatoes, use them as quickly as possibly as changes will kick in after just a day or so.
On the other hand, tomatoes that aren’t yet ripe should never be put in the refrigerator as you’re only stopping the ripening process.
There is one big exception to the no-refrigerator rule, though. If you’ve cut a tomato but aren’t going to use all of it (some people tell me this could happen), wrap the remainder in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator—but use it quickly because it’ll get mushy and flavorless in no time.
