- Today's video on how to store tomatoes
and make them last is out to you Paula
because you asked so I answer.
I have some vine tomatoes that I bought at the store,
they are pretty ripe.
So, I'm going to use these within two or so days
because ripe tomatoes
are only going to last on your counter for about two days.
Now, if you need them to last a little longer,
you can refrigerate them
and that will slow the ripening process
but you don't want to put green tomatoes
or harder tomatoes in your fridge
because they're not going to ripe in at all.
The best place to store your tomatoes,
you've probably heard this already,
it's in a cool dry place or the cellar or basement
but I live in the south, we don't have basements.
So, the coolest and driest place
in a place that there's 90% humidity most of the year
is non-existent actually.
So, I do recommend that you store your tomatoes
on a plate or in a dish, the furthest away from your
stove or your oven because your oven and your stove
as you cook throughout the week, it's going to emit heat
and make your tomatoes ripe in super fast,
make them mushy and they'll go bad.
Of course, you also want to keep them away
from the sunlight or any window unless you're trying
to speed up the ripening process.
If you have green tomatoes
and you want to make a sandwich tomorrow
and then you'll want to help them ripen up faster,
you can put them on your window sill
and just with indirect sunlight,
it's going to help out and speed up the process.
Fresh ripe tomatoes,
one to two days from buying when they're ripe,
you're going to consume them.
If they are green,
they'll last about four to five days on the counter.
Now, you'll notice that they're ripe
because without pressing too hard,
the meat of your tomato is softer.
Now, your skin texture of the tomato
is also nice and taut or elastic.
There's no wrinkling or moldy spots.
But I do recommend is that you do not wash your tomatoes
when you come home from the store,
you just wash them right before you slice them.
Now, canned tomatoes, I have a video on how to can salsa,
which is pretty similar process to canning tomatoes,
sealed canned tomatoes will stay
in your pantry for up to 18 months.
Now, if you are wondering, can I freeze a tomato?
The short answer is that you can freeze
washed clean tomatoes, whether whole or diced
but those tomatoes can only be
used to make sauces or soups or stews.
Because tomatoes are high in water content,
the actually freeze sort of like ice cubes or watermelon
you really lose the texture.
So, they're only good for soups
and stews or cooking them into a sauce.
Once frozen, you are going to keep your
tomatoes in the freezer,
in an airtight container or zip bag for up to six months.
Now, if you're just leaving your tomatoes on the counter
and want to prevent moldy spots that usually happen
at the base of the softest part of your tomato.
So, if your tomato has no vine,
you can remove the stem and then place them upside down
on your counter, on a cutting block or your fruit basket.
If you're keeping your tomatoes on the counter
and want to slow down the ripening process,
I recommend you individually wrap them
in newspaper with no stem and upside down
for up to three days.
Now, if you want to know more how to use a kitchen basics,
check out the link below this video for an entire playlist
from how to freeze things, thaw chicken
and make sure that your food that you buy last longer
and it doesn't go to waste.
See you next time.
(bright upbeat music)