Tomatoes

[cruelpupet]

So the other day I was food shopping and picking up various items, and I saw what I thought was a package of cherry tomatoes. Fast forward a few days, Im looking at the package, and while they taste good, they are in fact called "grape tomatoes".


Anyway, the interesting part of the packaging is, it said "Never Refrigerate."

Now Ive put all types of tomatoes in the fridge...anyone ever hear of a reason you shouldnt?

[zippyjuan]

According to "The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition" published by UC Berkley, refrigeration can damage them.

"STORAGE: Room temperature (above 55 F) is best for storing tomatoes; don't refrigerate them. Place less-than-ripe tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple or banana (works with avocados too which you also do not want to chill until ripe); the ethylene gas will hasten the ripening process. Keep tomatoes out of sunlight- they will overheat and ripen unevenly- and arrange them, stem side up, to prevent bruising. Once the tomatoes are red and yield to the touch, they will keep for a day or two at room temperature. Should you need to hold them longer (once fully ripened) refrigerate them; if they'll fit, place them in the butter compartment which is the wamest part of the refrigerator. For full flavor, let the tomatoes come back to room temperature before you serve them."

Grape tomatoes are smaller sized cherry tomatoes.

[ufcrusher]

Tomatoes are the devils fruit. Eat them and ye shall be possessed. Ok, so maybe that is a bit overboard but hell, I dont like tomatoes.

[PiPhiAngel]

grape tomatoes are smaller, and oval in shape. cherry tomatoes are the small round ones. i personally prefer grape tomatoes. so yummy..

[zippyjuan]

Tomatoes are the devils fruit. Eat them and ye shall be possessed. Ok, so maybe that is a bit overboard but hell, I dont like tomatoes.

But then you don't have salsa, pasta sauce or ketchup/catsup, bloody marys or BLTs. Try them with basil and fresh motserella. Then there is the Annual Tomoato War. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english...ent_369014.htm

[Jcranmer]

Putting them in the fridge will "turn off" the flavor producing chemicals in them if I remember correctly.

I could look it up on foodtv.com, good eats did a whole show on them once, but I am just too lazy.

[cheapie]

we never put ours in the fridge. last summer in michigan pissed me off. we always grow tomatoes and love them. but it never got warm enough here to make them ripen. so we ended the season with oodles of green tomatoes on the vine.

[nickel]

you call yourself italian and you put tomatoes in the fridge?
refrigeration robs them of flavor.

[Mommypooh]

Tomatoes

:shudder:

[Jenny]

I have never in my life heard of that. lol I grew up always having them in the fridge. Interesting!

[oblongmelon]

we never put ours in the fridge. last summer in michigan pissed me off. we always grow tomatoes and love them. but it never got warm enough here to make them ripen. so we ended the season with oodles of green tomatoes on the vine.

fyi... if you wrap green tomatoes in regular newspaper and put them in a bag out of direct sunlight,they will ripen in about a week or so and last for about two months....then you should make sauce...loads and loads of sauce.

[cheapie]

thanks! i think i'm going to try and make my own sauce and can or freeze it this year. i'm sick of the crappy stuff from the store. i'll prolly pm you for a recipe when i do.

[bachviet]

Our (purchased) tomatoes always stay in the fridge. I love tomatoes especially in soup that my mom makes.

[oblongmelon]

thanks! i think i'm going to try and make my own sauce and can or freeze it this year. i'm sick of the crappy stuff from the store. i'll prolly pm you for a recipe when i do.

anytime....but i actually think its posted here somewhere too

[cruelpupet]

Everyone...thanks for the info on why not to put them in the fridge.

Putting them in the fridge will "turn off" the flavor producing chemicals in them if I remember correctly.

I could look it up on foodtv.com, good eats did a whole show on them once, but I am just too lazy.

Interesting. BTW I love that show, its the perfect mix of science, chemistry, and food. Too bad I always forget to turn it on.

you call yourself italian and you put tomatoes in the fridge?
refrigeration robs them of flavor.

I might be italian...but we dont act it. Those of us with hairy chests dont expose them, and we dont wear 50lbs of gold chains. And while there are some distant connections to the mob in our family (although almost any italian in NYC has some sort of connection) we arent the douchbags who go around blabbing about it and threatening people(they usually have no connection at all).

Oh and as for making sauce...my dad takes care of that (the non italian side of the family)