Is It Better to Store Tomatoes at Room Temperature or in the Refrigerator? Produce Pros Weigh In

There's no denying the allure of sweet and juicy tomatoes, but for many home cooks, this versatile fruit does pose a quandary: To preserve their taste and texture best, should tomatoes be refrigerated—or should they be left out on the counter?

Given that tomatoes enhance everything from sandwiches and pizza, stand alone when puréed into gazpacho, and take center stage in refreshing summer salads, it's a question well worth considering. To better understand how to store tomatoes, we connected with food pros and picked up some tips that will help you enjoy this seasonal delight to the fullest.

Why You Should Not Refrigerate Tomatoes

The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy.

"You're essentially zapping flavor and texture from a tomato when you refrigerate it," says Gregory Lofts, food stylist, culinary producer, and the former deputy food editor at decorvow Living. Lofts also points out that tomatoes very quickly take on odors from other foods in the refrigerator, which can further degrade their quality and taste. "My general rule is to never refrigerate a fresh tomato," he says.

Storing Whole Tomatoes at Room Temperature

Whether you purchase a ripe or unripe tomato, you should store it at room temperature. "Tomatoes are most flavorful at peak ripeness and when stored at room temperature," says Maddy Rotman, former head of sustainability at Imperfect Foods.

"Try eating a cold tomato and a room-temperature tomato. You'll see that all the flavor of the tomato is hidden when it's cold, and you can taste all of the sweetness when it's ambient," says Rotman. A tomato at peak ripeness should be eaten right away. Still-ripening tomatoes will benefit from the warmer temperatures in your kitchen (as opposed to the cooler temperatures in your refrigerator).

How to Store Ripe Tomatoes to Extend Shelf Life

If your tomatoes are on the cusp of becoming overripe and you don't want to lose them, you can keep them in the refrigerator for a few days to halt the ripening process, Lofts says.

While some research suggests that allowing the tomatoes to come back to room temperature can counteract the effects of refrigeration on taste, Lofts recommends using refrigerated tomatoes only in cooked dishes; they will have already lost too much flavor and texture. Cooking tomatoes that may be soft is a great way to keep them from being wasted, she says.

Rotman has found several uses for just-past-perfect tomatoes. Here are a few of her favorite applications:

• In a red sauce
• Sliced and baked onto a pizza
• Baked next to other vegetables or proteins on a sheet pan
  

Signs Your Tomato Is Ripe or Spoiled

A ripe tomato will have vibrant, even coloring (no green shoulders), feel heavy for its size, and give slightly when gently squeezed. It will also have a slightly sweet aroma near the stem. 

If the tomato feels very soft or mushy, leaks any liquid, has darker spots, or develops a fermented smell, it's likely past its peak. Slightly overripe tomatoes may just be extra soft but still smell sweet and clean—spoiled ones will have mold, a sour odor, or an off taste.

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How to Store Tomatoes When Cut

It turns out that there is another exception to the refrigerator rule. If you're only planning to eat half of a tomato, you'll need to store the other half in the fridge, says Anina von Haeften, co-founder and creative director of Farm to People. For best results, Rotman recommends storing part of a tomato cut-side down in a container in the refrigerator.

When left on the counter, the cut tomato will dry out. "If you plan on using the other half in the next day, the flavor and texture shouldn't be affected," she says. If you do store it in the fridge, it's best to let it come to room temperature before using, says von Haeften.

How to Freeze Tomatoes

If you can't gobble up all of those heirloom tomatoes from your latest garden haul before they turn to mush, we have some good news—you can freeze them after a quick blanch.

1. Blanch whole tomatoes by boiling them for 30 seconds to loosen the skins
2. Place the tomatoes in freezer-safe bags and mark the storage date.
3. Freeze them for up to 12 months (any longer, and they lose their flavor).

Alternatively, you can slice them into half-inch pieces and freeze in airtight containers. It's best to use thawed tomatoes in recipes since the freezing process impacts their texture and they are not so well suited to eating uncooked.