Storage Hints

“Florida Tomatoes Taste Great When You Don’t Refrigerate”

Treating your tomatoes with a little tender loving care will prevent them from being damaged. The most important thing to remember is to never, ever refrigerate tomatoes. A chilled tomato will not finish ripening as cold halts the ripening process. Cold also kills the flavor of tomatoes, so even when the tomatoes are fully ripe, keep them out of the refrigerator. In fact, place them on your counter where they can ripen and you can enjoy them.

If your Florida tomatoes are not yet ripe, you can ripen them by storing them at room temperature in a dry spot. A day or two at room temperature may be enough, usually no more than five days. Just wait until you can see they are a rich red color. Always store your tomatoes stem end up. Leaving a tomato on its shoulders, even for a few days, is enough to bruise it.