Store Tomatoes Stem-End Down To Keep Them From Rotting Too Quickly


You probably already know you should store tomatoes outside of the fridge for better shelf life. If you want your tomatoes to last as long as possible, how you store them can also make a big difference.

Picture: Dwight Sipler

Cook’s Illustrated tested batches of tomatoes stored stem end up and stem end down at room temperature. It found the stem-up tomatoes rotted much more quickly while the stem-down ones were perfect a week into the experiment. The probably reason:

Storing a tomato stem-end down (room temperature is best) prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting its scar, prolonging shelf life.

In the latest issue of the magazine, Cook’s Illustrated noted, however, that if you have tomatoes with the stems still on, you should store them with the stems up.

Either way, no more rotten tomatoes before you’re ready to use them!

Storing Tomatoes [Cook’s Illustrated]


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