Produce 101 – Tomatoes

When selecting tomatoes look for tomatoes that are heavy for their size, size of tomato has no affect on taste just a matter of preference. Tomatoes should be firm but yield to the touch. Color and smell are also great indicators of ripeness; unripe tomatoes will have no smell and be pink or lighter in color.

StoringMost tomatoes today are picked before fully ripe. They are bred to continue ripening, but the enzyme that ripens tomatoes stops working when it reaches temperatures below 12.5°C (54.5°F). Once an unripe tomato drops below that temperature, it will not continue to ripen. Once fully ripe, tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator but are best kept and eaten at room temperature. Tomatoes stored in the refrigerator tend to lose flavor, but will still be edible. To speed up the ripening process of a tomato, store it with a apple or banana in a closed brown paper bag at room temperature.