Do tomatoes......?

[Talon1189]

Do tomatoes still get ripe in the refrigerator? I have been giving them to a friend before they are totally ripe that would be put on your counter top. Does putting them in the refrigerator make them get ripe slower then a room temperature tomato on the counter top in the same conditions ??????? Good question if you really think about it here >>>>>>>>>>>>Talon

[TomatoDon]

The general belief is that refrigerating tomatoes renders then bland and tasteless. I haven't seen anyone here at T'ville that refrigerates tomatoes. If there are any that do, I haven't seen it mentioned and certainly not recommended. Not for fresh, sun-ripe taste anyway.

[remy]

Don't do it! The cold temps ruin the tomato if it isn't ripe yet. It won't end up tasting good. If you've got dead ripe tomatoes and can't eat them, putting them in the fridge to hold them to the next day is ok because it is better than rotten tomatoes.
Remy

[Talon1189]

Sooooo.....room temperature is best for taste for tomatoes? I am a newbie here and am trying to learn more here. Other opinions????

[remy]

Yes. Many fruits are actually recommended to eat at room temp. Somehow more flavor is detected that way and thus tastes much yummier.
Remy

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by Talon1189

Sooooo.....room temperature is best for taste for tomatoes?

Talon,

Actually, 98.6 degrees is the ideal temperature (as you are eating them!!!)

Raybo

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

I like to sometimes slice up a tomato and put it in the fridge for about an hour or two give it a slightly chilled taste but any longer then an hour or two not recomended, for sure not long term storage.

Craig

[Talon1189]

Thank you "Men" I have printed out your responses to my friends eating my tomatoes I am still learning here daily Thanks again >>>>>>>>>>>> Talon

[korney19]

"If they drop below 50 degrees, a flavor compound called z-3 dexanol is just gonna flip itself off like a chemical switch, permanently. "

-Alton Brown

"When you buy a tomato, it is still alive. So is the broccoli, the lettuce, and the other fruits ...and vegetables in your kitchen. A nice, fresh salad is one of the few foods that we eat while it is still alive. For most of these vegetables, putting them in the refrigerator just slows them down, causing them to die slower, but for tomatoes, along with avocados and bananas, the cold of your refrigerator speeds up their death. In tomatoes, this damage causes all sorts of chemical changes. Flavor compounds, such as Z-3-Dexanol shut down. These chemical changes also change the texture of the tomato, giving it a granular texture.

This is only true for living tomatoes. Once you kill them by cooking, the refrigerator is the perfect place for them, as the cold also slows down bacteria that can cause foods to spoil. "

-The Happy Scientist

[ubergoober]

I wouldn't put them in the fridge...it messes with the taste AND texture. Ick!

[pinakbet]

I usually wrap the unripe tomatoes with newspaper and put it inside the rice bin. It ripens faster than the ones left on the kitchen table.

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Talon,

Actually, 98.6 degrees is the ideal temperature (as you are eating them!!!)

Raybo

Firmly and completely agree with Raybo. Internal storage is the most preferred method for ripe tomatoes.

Ted

[Talon1189]

I keep my tomatoes at room temperature all season. My unacknowledged good friend insist on putting them in the refrigerator......thus my post here for the asking Most tomatoes given to him are 2-4 days on the counter-top away from eating. All opinions on this subject are open and welcomed here by myself >>>>>>>>>>Talon

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by Talon1189

Sooooo.....room temperature is best for taste for tomatoes? I am a newbie here and am trying to learn more here. Other opinions????

The way it was told to me by a green grocer is "Its a tropical fruit, never ever refridgerate a tomato".

I'm not sure that, tht was totally correct, inasmuch as tomato is an equitorial plant. Still after 40+ years of tinkering with tomato, I never ever refridgerate mine. Can, juice, dry yes. No fridge.