Tomatoes should be crisp and full of flavour (Image: Getty)
Tomatoes are a staple in many meals, whether you’re making a rich pasta sauce, a fresh or even a hearty soup.
When perfectly ripe, have a crisp, tangy flavour that works well on its own or worked into a , but when they are past their best, that flavour disappears really quickly.
tomatoes correctly is key to ensuring that they stay fresh; otherwise, they can quickly become soft and mushy and lose their flavour.
Because of this, tomatoes are one of the most commonly wasted foods in the UK, with an estimated 733 million ending up in the bin each year.
While it might seem like keeping tomatoes in the fridge is the best way to extend their freshness, experts at storage company Urban Locker suggest a simple trick to help them last longer, reduce food waste and save .
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Tomatoes grow stem-side down (Image: Getty)
The surprising storage trick to ensure tastier toms is to store them stem-side down.
Elizabeth Adams, a storage expert from Urban Locker, explains: “This may seem like a minor detail, but if you want your tomatoes to last longer and cut down on food wastage, this little hack can help.
“Placing tomatoes with their stem-side down helps to prevent moisture loss and slows down the ripening process.”
This hack works because of how a tomato grows. Tomatoes have a natural weak spot where the stem attaches and this area is more porous than the rest of the skin, this allows air and bacteria to enter.
When tomatoes are stored with their stem facing upwards, moisture can leave more easily causing your tomatoes to spoil quicker and shrivel up.
By placing your tomato’s stem-side down, the tomato’s natural protective skin will remain intact, reducing airflow and preventing premature softening.
Elizabeth said: “At room temperature, this small adjustment can help your tomatoes last for several days longer.”
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Tomatoes will keep better at room temperature (Image: Getty)
How to store tomatoes properly
Most foods can be kept in the fridge, but tomatoes are best stored at room temperature so that can keep all of their flavour.
Cold temperatures can cause the cell structure in a tomato to break down giving them a dull flavour.
Elizabeth said: “Always store your tomatoes in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, but never in the fridge.
“Take them out of the container that came with them from the supermarket and put them on a flat surface stem-side down.”
She added: “If you have tomatoes on the vine, remove the vine because one bad tomato can spoil the rest.
“If you notice that one of your tomatoes is overripening at a quicker rate than the others remove it, as tomatoes release ethylene gas which can speed up the ripening process for all of them.”