I came across one of the most interesting tomato items last week. For the last few years we have been buying the “tomatoes on the vine” during the “off” season. We think they taste better and we think they last longer in the fruit bowl than other tomatoes, even after they are dead ripe. Clearly, we were not the only people to notice that. Cook’s Illustrated magazine had a short item in their on line version that I find fascinating.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/detail.asp?docid=1173
We had always assumed that the difference we were seeing had to do with the genetics of the “tomato on the vine”. But, in the Cook’s Illustrated (great magazine) article, they find that tomatoes last longer stored stem end down – or more surprisingly if you put a piece of tape over the stem end. They suggest that the longer shelf life may be do to less moisture loss and limiting entry of bacteria or spores through the stem end.
It could be that we need to change the way we pick our tomatoes from the garden. Rather than pulling them off the fine, would cutting them off instead make them last longer? The idea of putting a tape on the vine end of tomatoes purchased at a farmers market may be a good idea, too.
We are going to do some experimenting and hope you do to. Let me know what you find!
Tags: how to store, storage, tomato, tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine
