All About Tomatoes: Looks Aren't Everything

Tomato season is upon us, and my mom sent me a great guide to what to look for in a tomato and how to store them.  First, the prettiest tomatoes are not necessarily the most flavorful.  Oddly shaped tomatoes are fine.  Only coommercial tomatoes have been bred to be perfectly symmetrical.  However, avoid tomatoes that are overly soft or leaking juice.  Thin walls are preferable, which leave more room for the most flavorful part of the tomato: the jelly that surrounds the seeds, which is three times richer in savory glutamates than the flesh is. 

Storing tomatoes is key to maintaining flavor and longevity.  Don't refrigerate tomatoes.  Cold damages enzymes that ruin texture by rupturing tomato cells.  Keep them at room temperature.  Freeze for the off season.  Listen up, Lynda and Dick.  Core them and freeze them whole in freezer storage bags for later use in sauces.  Freezing preserves tomato flavor better than canning.  Store stem end down.  Place unwashed tomatoes stem end down at room temperature.  This will prolong their life.  Finally, if your tomatoes are underripe, store them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple, both of which naturally emit the ethylene gas that hastens riping.  I hope this helps your tomatoes last longer and taste better.  Enjoy.