Are you guilty of tomato abuse?
Back in December, my husband and I visited a whole bunch of friends and relatives across the US. We enjoyed their hospitality, marveled at their American-sized appliances, and generally had a wonderful time. But during this marathon trip of peeking into the lives of our loved ones, I was surprised at how many of them… keep their tomatoes in their refrigerators!
I guess this is just one of those things I thought everybody knew, but apparently it is worth pointing out: putting tomatoes in the refrigerator zaps their flavor. It also can mess up their texture. Experts recommend never storing ripe tomatoes below 55 degrees Fahrenheit; we just keep them in the fruit bowl.
I feel much better now that I’ve gotten that little piece of advice out there. 
Your post just made me realise that it’s not until I moved to the UK that I started to store my tomatoes in the fridge! I never did that back in France…
Not you too, Celine! I expected more from you.
Not me! The only thing I can be accused of is letting them rot on the counter.
I agree. They taste gross in the frig. I’m ready for summer tomatoes. I don’t like the kind that get shipped around pink and taste like tough, unsweet watermelon. Does that make sense? It’s a weird texture they get in the winter.
Good for you, Diana! Let them rot with dignity.
Peggy – I totally know what you mean. I had some of those gross watermelon-textured tomatoes the other day! Cherry tomatoes don’t seem to get like that, though, so I try to remember to buy them in the winter instead.
Oops I always wondered why it says not to on the cartoon. Didn’t know it takes out the flavor. I need to tell my gf that now…
Hey, has anyone tried to grow tomatoes in their garden? I’ve tried a few times but they always get the mildew disease where the stem and leaves become of a golden colour and then just wilt… does anyone know how can I stop that without using chemicals?
Jul, I bought some cherry tomatoes — so much better! Thanks for reminding me.
Glad you liked them.
Celine – That sounds so frustrating! Unfortunately I don’t have any tips for you, but hopefully someone else does.