We always refrigerate our tomatoes. Then I encountered American videos claiming that Tomatoes shouldn't be refrigerated. I tried it. Bear in mind I live in tropical country. Within days it became soggy and started to release water just like the example here. A total waste and I had to throw them away. After that failed experiment, I decided to put them back in the fridge.
Same but dry heat country, I was actually surprised to randomly watch this video and hear him be so careful around this topic. We never leave tomatoes or anything other than potatoes/onions out, they just go bad immediately.
The key that seems to be repeated here is to let them ripen at room temp *first* , and then put them in the fridge to try and hold them there a bit longer if you're not going to eat them right away. Of course, I just... find an excuse to eat them right away. ;) But I know plenty of people who buy supermarket tomatoes that are pink and underripe, that *immediately* go into the fridge at home, are sliced and added while still ice cold to sandwiches. That's I think what people are more implying and worried about when talking about 'never putting them in the fridge' - don't put them in the fridge immediately when you get home from the grocery store (unless you went to farmer's market and they're *super* ripe already - but still, just eat them that day if you can!). But a fridge'd, ripe tomato left to come back to room temp is better than an overripe/moldy tomato, for sure. Good on you for testing it!
Daniel, this is a very valuable discussion. I know I have been dogmatic about not refrigerating tomatoes, and now I will evaluate on a per tomato basis. Thank you and Kenji for your work on this analysis!
I’ve grown heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes this season and I’m overwhelmed. And giving a lot away at maize sauce and froze them and still have so many. I’m going to try refrigerating some to see if it works in the life. But I was always taught by my grandmother on her farm never to put tomatoes in the refrigerator but things change. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for this, in my experience the best garden tomatoes from the height of summer shouldn't be stored in the fridge, but for all others it's just not that big a deal to make it last in the fridge. Great garden tomatoes don't last very long in my house so it's not a big deal to me.
my dad keeps his tomatoes in the fridge. not 1 day, not 2, but as long as it takes until he eats them or throws them out. i imagine lots of people do this and their poor tomatoes must be mealy blandness after 2 weeks.
Be sure to read the full article in the description! I almost always refrigerate my tomatoes, as I don't like warm mushy ones (unless Im going to use them for a sauce)... but low quality romas are sometimes best left out... and of course fresh garden tomatoes are delicious having not been refrigerated... but you may need to if you can't eat them fast enough!
This is a fantastic "science experiement" that I have been considering (refrigeration). Thank you. My question though as I am viewing this 5 years after creation; have the canker sores in your mouth healed yet from taste testing all these? LOL
Great topic! Very frugal here. What about once you cut it? I am wondering what the limits of a ripe tomato is in the hot van in Florida? I have limited space and have been trying to insulate them (one really) inside a small 12v freezer, but they freeze. Wondering If possible to keep an open tomato inside an insulated neopreme bag deep inside a container that is a hot Florida Van. Would it help if in an air tight jar? It's not getting direct sun light, but van might get to 95F in the middle of the day. I just need the tomoto to last 3 or 4 days.
Once any fruit has been cut open, you want to refrigerate it and protect it from oxygen/air to preserve it as long as possible. So with a cut tomato I'd put it in a sealed container (doesnt HAVE to be airtight), or wrap it with a plastic wrap, and chill it.
yes, the factors you have to consider are the color (which should be an even deep red in most cases) and the softness. When you (gently) press the tomatoes they should neither be hard nor mushy they should be slightly soft).
Wow. I've always relied on SE for unbiased culinary reporting. This video makes it clear that you're squarely in the hip pocket of BIG FRIDGE. I hope that your new Tetrafluoroethane overlords treat you as well as your loyal fans used to. In all seriousness, I don't think that I realized that there was a taboo about refrigerating tomatoes.
Warm tomatoes for salads and sandwiches are seriously rank! For me, they need to be cold! The coldness changes the whole flavour and texture. I find a massive difference between using cold and warm tomatoes when using them to cook with, I will only ever cook with cold tomatoes, not room temperature. For me, the end outcome is only as good as the product you start with!
A tomato doesn't need to go in the fridge which seems the most important to me. Waste of space. If I want to preserve them, I'd cook them and freeze or can the results.
The brand is "Tilit", and it's their "trench coat" that they designed in collaboration with Serious Eats. At the moment I'm writing this comment, it is sold out.
I’m envious of people that can shovel in thick cuts of tomatoes as if it were an apple or something. I hated tomatoes as a kid and want to like them as an adult.
The mass production tomatoes have been selected for uniform shape and red color, no scarring, and durability. Not flavor. Most customers don't buy flavor, they buy pretty and inexpensive tomatoes. Not ugly, weirdly shaped, and fragile but delicious ones. The best tasting tomatoes rarely have uniform color and usually have some scarring because that's just the way most tomatoes grow. The gene responsible for uniform color actually makes tomatoes less sweet. If you want a really great tomato, you usually have to go to a very good farmer's market when in season (late summer) or grow them yourself.
Not unless it's already in a dish that needs to be refrigerated. I never refrigerate any tomatoes....makes them mealy textured and they lose their flavor. I never buy more of them than I can use in a few days.
many of those odd tips are from restaurant owners, that use a 10kg box of tomatoes in one day unlike anyone at home. or from italians that, you know, love their pseudoscience
When you go to the store and but tomatos are they in the fridge ?...(in Europe)... No. If you chill them in the fridge they will lose there flavour Do you keep fruits in the fridge...apples, bananas..oranges? If you do, you are weird!
Does it supposed to be sweet? Tomato in Mediterranean is a bit acidic the way it should be. As live here in USA everyday more disgusted by Americans love of Fckn sweet. It’s not supposed to be sweet. Maybe you all grow up with GMO
We always refrigerate our tomatoes. Then I encountered American videos claiming that Tomatoes shouldn't be refrigerated. I tried it. Bear in mind I live in tropical country. Within days it became soggy and started to release water just like the example here. A total waste and I had to throw them away. After that failed experiment, I decided to put them back in the fridge.
true. specially cherry tomatoes. those can get ruined really fast
Same but dry heat country, I was actually surprised to randomly watch this video and hear him be so careful around this topic. We never leave tomatoes or anything other than potatoes/onions out, they just go bad immediately.
Why didn’t u experiment with just one 🤔 😂
The key that seems to be repeated here is to let them ripen at room temp *first* , and then put them in the fridge to try and hold them there a bit longer if you're not going to eat them right away. Of course, I just... find an excuse to eat them right away. ;) But I know plenty of people who buy supermarket tomatoes that are pink and underripe, that *immediately* go into the fridge at home, are sliced and added while still ice cold to sandwiches. That's I think what people are more implying and worried about when talking about 'never putting them in the fridge' - don't put them in the fridge immediately when you get home from the grocery store (unless you went to farmer's market and they're *super* ripe already - but still, just eat them that day if you can!). But a fridge'd, ripe tomato left to come back to room temp is better than an overripe/moldy tomato, for sure. Good on you for testing it!
Daniel, this is a very valuable discussion. I know I have been dogmatic about not refrigerating tomatoes, and now I will evaluate on a per tomato basis. Thank you and Kenji for your work on this analysis!
extremely valuable
@@pauccerigaqpa
For many years we alway ripen out tomatoes on the counter and then put them in the fridge and that technique has always worked for us.
I didn't expect you to say this. I store in fridge knowing that my Granddaddy is twirling in his grave when I do it. i prefer them cold in salads too.
I’ve grown heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes this season and I’m overwhelmed. And giving a lot away at maize sauce and froze them and still have so many. I’m going to try refrigerating some to see if it works in the life. But I was always taught by my grandmother on her farm never to put tomatoes in the refrigerator but things change. Thanks for sharing
How did refrigeration go?
Thanks so much for this, in my experience the best garden tomatoes from the height of summer shouldn't be stored in the fridge, but for all others it's just not that big a deal to make it last in the fridge. Great garden tomatoes don't last very long in my house so it's not a big deal to me.
my dad keeps his tomatoes in the fridge. not 1 day, not 2, but as long as it takes until he eats them or throws them out. i imagine lots of people do this and their poor tomatoes must be mealy blandness after 2 weeks.
Very good video, thanks for the info. It just makes sense how you’ve explained it. 👏👏👏
Be sure to read the full article in the description!
I almost always refrigerate my tomatoes, as I don't like warm mushy ones (unless Im going to use them for a sauce)... but low quality romas are sometimes best left out... and of course fresh garden tomatoes are delicious having not been refrigerated... but you may need to if you can't eat them fast enough!
I live in a rather hot region so leaving them out is usually a bad a idea
Great video, well done
Also, if you can see the mold, it's not just on the surface. Toss that thing before it contaminates your other food. It's compost now.
Okay. So I didn’t know this was a big debate until now. I’ve refrigerated tomatoes my entire life and idk. Seems normal 😂
Right lol
This is a fantastic "science experiement" that I have been considering (refrigeration). Thank you. My question though as I am viewing this 5 years after creation; have the canker sores in your mouth healed yet from taste testing all these? LOL
Great topic! Very frugal here. What about once you cut it? I am wondering what the limits of a ripe tomato is in the hot van in Florida? I have limited space and have been trying to insulate them (one really) inside a small 12v freezer, but they freeze. Wondering If possible to keep an open tomato inside an insulated neopreme bag deep inside a container that is a hot Florida Van. Would it help if in an air tight jar? It's not getting direct sun light, but van might get to 95F in the middle of the day. I just need the tomoto to last 3 or 4 days.
Once any fruit has been cut open, you want to refrigerate it and protect it from oxygen/air to preserve it as long as possible. So with a cut tomato I'd put it in a sealed container (doesnt HAVE to be airtight), or wrap it with a plastic wrap, and chill it.
Makes sense.
I just feel bad For the poor tomatoes that got to listen to you tell them that there are far beyond their ripeness!😂😭😭 Tomatoes lives matter too! 🍅
There is a lot of lag in the video. Would be better if you could cut a lot of the excess wordage. Bon apetite has a good format. Crisp .
Wonder what other fruits this applies to. Maybe i should leave more out until they ripen?
Is there a way to tell how ripe tomatoes are without cutting them open?
yes, the factors you have to consider are the color (which should be an even deep red in most cases) and the softness. When you (gently) press the tomatoes they should neither be hard nor mushy they should be slightly soft).
Wow. I've always relied on SE for unbiased culinary reporting. This video makes it clear that you're squarely in the hip pocket of BIG FRIDGE. I hope that your new Tetrafluoroethane overlords treat you as well as your loyal fans used to.
In all seriousness, I don't think that I realized that there was a taboo about refrigerating tomatoes.
Warm tomatoes for salads and sandwiches are seriously rank! For me, they need to be cold! The coldness changes the whole flavour and texture.
I find a massive difference between using cold and warm tomatoes when using them to cook with, I will only ever cook with cold tomatoes, not room temperature.
For me, the end outcome is only as good as the product you start with!
I always refrigerate them or they just go bad to fast!
But do you let them ripen first? When people say they "always refrigerate" they don't make it clear...
@@carnation_cat Ripen first.
What about putting them in Fridge for a while before you slice? I like a cold side on my burgers!!
A tomato doesn't need to go in the fridge which seems the most important to me. Waste of space. If I want to preserve them, I'd cook them and freeze or can the results.
I take them out of the refrigerator the morning on the day I am going to use it.
I'm sorry... video is great (as always)... but who makes that green "jacket" your wearing?
The brand is "Tilit", and it's their "trench coat" that they designed in collaboration with Serious Eats. At the moment I'm writing this comment, it is sold out.
That dude is gonna be poopin' weird tonight.
I’m envious of people that can shovel in thick cuts of tomatoes as if it were an apple or something. I hated tomatoes as a kid and want to like them as an adult.
Super vedio
The real scandal is that tomatoes don't even taste like real tomatoes I used to grow 50 years ago. What the hell happened?
The mass production tomatoes have been selected for uniform shape and red color, no scarring, and durability. Not flavor. Most customers don't buy flavor, they buy pretty and inexpensive tomatoes. Not ugly, weirdly shaped, and fragile but delicious ones. The best tasting tomatoes rarely have uniform color and usually have some scarring because that's just the way most tomatoes grow. The gene responsible for uniform color actually makes tomatoes less sweet. If you want a really great tomato, you usually have to go to a very good farmer's market when in season (late summer) or grow them yourself.
Beefsteak is generally the most overrated blandest 🍅 anyways. 🤷♂️
A beef steak tomato would benefit from not even being grown to begin with. I've never met one I was glad to eat compared to the rest of tomatodom.
THANK YOU. Jeez.
Not unless it's already in a dish that needs to be refrigerated. I never refrigerate any tomatoes....makes them mealy textured and they lose their flavor. I never buy more of them than I can use in a few days.
Good information but the video is way too long.
I also sometimes just refrigerate tomatoes when I simply want to enjoy a cool tomato. Unless I turn Inuit, room temperature won't help.
how is this even a video, you put a tomato in the fridge if it ripens and you aren't going to use it that day or the next.
My wife leaves them on the kitchen counter for weeks
Never knew this was a thing 🤷🏼♀️
If you have stink bugs in your house, refrigerate them.
many of those odd tips are from restaurant owners, that use a 10kg box of tomatoes in one day unlike anyone at home. or from italians that, you know, love their pseudoscience
When you go to the store and but tomatos are they in the fridge ?...(in Europe)...
No.
If you chill them in the fridge they will lose there flavour
Do you keep fruits in the fridge...apples, bananas..oranges?
If you do, you are weird!
Why would you buy unripe tomatoes?
Beause... It's winter, and the tomatoes are picked unripe on the other side of the planet, to arrive at your place fresh?
@@Mp57navy buy cans no need to suffer
@@jacktheripperVII I got the choice between Euro Shopper and Ora. Both suck.
@@Mp57navy can them yourself while they are in season?
@@jacktheripperVII Thing is. I live 100 km from the arctic circle. Help?
The music is SO LOUD.
I like tomatoes, but I could never eat that many raw tomatoes at one time.
That green coat hurts my eyes.
Where's stella?
These 6 haters must have been sent by my wife after I made her watch this and pointed loudly in her face that she's wrong.
Don’t waste food pls
Obviously you’ve never seen the dumpster behind a grocery store or any restaurant!
Does it supposed to be sweet? Tomato in Mediterranean is a bit acidic the way it should be. As live here in USA everyday more disgusted by Americans love of Fckn sweet. It’s not supposed to be sweet. Maybe you all grow up with GMO