One of my favorite parts of summer is eating my weight in tomato sandwiches, but I can get a little overzealous, and end up with a few too many ‘maters. Luckily, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats has a few ways to keep my favorite piece of summer produce super fresh.
As Kenji explains on Serious Eats (with eye-opening comparison shots), most of a tomato’s moisture escapes from the stem, and storing them upside down on a flat surface can help prevent this:
See, tomato skins are really good at keeping tomato juices inside the tomato, but they have one defect: Moisture can escape from the tops, where the tomatoes were attached to the vine. This moisture loss can cause a plump tomato to turn soft and wrinkly. But don’t worry—there’s an easy way to fix that problem. All you have to do is remove any excess vine from the tomato, then store the tomato on a flat surface, like a plate, with the vine side down. This effectively seals off that defect, helping the tomato retain all its juiciness.
This is a great tip if you have enough room on your counter for a whole plate of tomatoes, but not everyone does. But don’t fret—there’s another way to prevent moisture loss. Just cover the stem with a bit of tape, making sure you remove any leafy bits first.
Get some tape for your tomatoes:
The Kitchn recently tested this method and declared it the “best” way to store tomatoes, as it extended the life of the summer fave, keeping it fresh and plump for 1o whole days after it was purchased. The tape will prevent the loss of precious moisture, and keep your tomatoes firm, plump, and juicy, until you’re ready for your next tomato sandwich.