Getting your five-a-day can be a breeze with fresh fruits and vegetables, but it’s no secret that they can spoil rather quickly. Tomatoes are a favourite addition to many meals, and one food guru has revealed an unusual storage trick to extend their shelf life.
It can be quite annoying when you reach for a tomato only to find it wrinkly and spoiled. Fully ripe tomatoes should be consumed within a few days, and the fridge is always the best place to store them, but there’s a specific way to position them that can affect how long they last. The skin of a tomato does a good job of keeping the juices in, but juice can leak out from the top where the tomato was attached to the vine.
This loss of moisture can cause a juicy tomato to become soft and wrinkled. So, experts suggest storing tomatoes on a flat surface, like a plate, with the vine side down, according to Serious Eats. This effectively seals off the weak spot, helping the tomato retain all its juiciness.
This comes after a YouTube content creator shared a simple technique to keep tomatoes as fresh as the day they were bought. EatWithEvidence demonstrated how to use two common household items to keep tomatoes at their peak for months.
Firstly, she suggested gathering a large bowl, measuring cups and a kitchen towel. Then, measure out a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar and mix it with 10 cups of water.
She then advised stirring the solution before adding the tomatoes. To ensure the tomatoes are fully submerged, she suggested giving them a gentle toss in the liquid and letting them soak for “exactly two minutes”.
Offering insight into her technique, she explained: “As they soak, the vinegar solution gets to work, it helps to neutralise the existing mould spores and washes away surface bacteria that may be hanging out on the skin.
“The surface of your tomatoes is normally a neutral playground where microorganisms can grow. When you put the tomatoes into the acidic vinegar bath, you completely change that environment.”
Once the necessary time has elapsed, she disclosed that it’s finally time for the third and final step. Highlighting its significance, she asserted that it’s vital to dry each tomato thoroughly after removing them from the bowl.
She recommended paying special attention to the stem, as it’s more susceptible to allowing mould in later if not dried properly.
Healthline reports that there are numerous health benefits to incorporating tomatoes into our diets, saying: “Tomatoes are juicy and sweet, full of antioxidants, and may help fight several diseases.
“They are especially high in lycopene, a plant compound linked to improved heart health, cancer prevention, and protection against sunburns.”