Tomatoes are one of the most popular foods to incorporate into your diet to keep healthy – but it can be seriously annoying when they go rotten quickly
Buying fresh fruit and vegetables can be a great way to get your five a day, but it’s no secret they can go off pretty quickly.
Tomatoes are one of the most popular veggies to incorportate into meals and one food expert has shared an unusual storage hack to make them last as long as possible. It can be seriously frustrating when you reach for a couple and notice they are wrinkly and gone off.
Fully ripe tomatoes should be eaten in just a few days, and keeping them in the fridge is always the best option – but there is a specific position to store them in that can have an impact on their longevity.
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Tomato skins are good at keeping the juices inside, but the juice can seep out from the top where the tomatoes where attached to the vine. This loss of moisture can cause a plump tomato to turn soft and wrinkly.
So experts recommend storing the tomatoes on a flat surface, like a plate, with the vine side down according to Serious Eats. This effectively seals off that defect, helping the tomato retain all its juiciness.
It comes after one YouTuber also shared a straightforward method to ensure our tomatoes stay as fresh as the day they were bought. EatWithEvidence explained how to use two common household items to keep tomatoes at their peak for months. Firstly, she advised 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.
After this step, she suggested stirring the solution with your hands before adding the tomatoes. Ensuring the tomatoes are fully submerged, she recommended giving them a gentle toss in the liquid and letting them soak for “exactly two minutes”.
Giving us a peek into her method, 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.”
After the necessary time has passed, she revealed it’s finally time for the third and final step. Emphasising its importance, she stated that it’s crucial to dry each tomato thoroughly after removing them from the bowl. She advised paying particular attention to the stem, as it’s more prone to allowing mould in later if not dried adequately.
According to Healthline, there are a number of health benefits to adding tomatoes to our diets, with them writing: “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.”
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