If your homegrown tomatoes keep going soft too fast or aren’t ripening evenly, the problem may not be your garden, it might be how you’re storing them. According to Epic Gardening, a popular TikTok channel dedicated to home growing tips, placing tomatoes one way can significantly improve how evenly they ripen and how long they last.
In a recent viral video, the gardening expert explained that the top of a tomato, known as the “shoulders”, is firmer and distributes weight more evenly when placed face-down, helping reduce bruising and extending freshness. “When you do store, place your tomato face down. Not face up,” the expert said. “Because the shoulders of the tomato more evenly distribute the weight and will last even longer.”
The seemingly minor adjustment has surprised home gardeners, many of whom instinctively store their tomatoes stem-up for aesthetics or habit.
But as the video explained, protecting the delicate underside from pressure can make all the difference in storage life and ripening quality.
Additionally, according to the gardener it’s not just how you store tomatoes that matters, it’s when you pick them, too.
Epic Gardening also recommends harvesting tomatoes earlier than most people think. Instead of waiting until they turn fully red on the vine, pick them at what’s called the “breaker stage”, when the fruit shifts from green to slightly red or orange.
“At this point, the flavour development is mostly done,” the gardener said.
“You’ll get it off the plant before birds or bugs can eat it, and it’ll store a lot longer.”
This method helps avoid pest damage while still allowing the tomato to ripen fully indoors.
Contrary to popular belief, letting tomatoes fully ripen on the vine isn’t always the best strategy, especially for backyard gardeners battling insects and wildlife.
For gardeners and tomato lovers alike, these simple shifts which include picking at the right time and storing stem-side down, could be the key to getting the most out of every harvest.