The Best Way To Store Sliced Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a versatile ingredient, adding freshness and flavor to dishes ranging from salads to sandwiches. However, keeping them fresh can be tricky once you slice into one. Storing sliced tomatoes correctly can help you maintain their flavor and texture and, thankfully, is a pretty easy step.

One of the common complaints about refrigerating tomatoes is that they can lose their firmness. When exposed to air, sliced tomatoes can quickly lose their moisture, becoming dry and unpleasantly mealy. This can be made all the worse by the typically dry environment inside a fridge. To avoid this, the best way to store sliced tomatoes is to place them in an airtight container or a well-sealed plastic bag and refrigerate them immediately.  Done right, sealing the slices in an airtight container helps retain their juiciness and flavor for about three days.

If you've used only part of a tomato and want to store the remaining half, cover the cut side with plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator . The plastic wrap creates a barrier that helps lock in the tomato's moisture. If you prefer, you can use a reusable silicone covers like this one or a beeswax wrap like the popular Bee's Wrap variety as an eco-friendly alternative.

How you store tomatoes should align with their ripeness. Tomatoes are at their peak when they are fragrant and slightly soft to the touch. An perfectly ripe tomato should smell rich and sweet, and you should feel some give when gently pressing it. However, it shouldn't be hard or mushy. When you're shopping for produce, be sure to look out for common warning signs like shriveled skin or odd odors, which can affect all manner of produce. As for storage, once you've sliced into a ripe tomato, it's more prone to losing moisture, so storing it properly becomes all the more important.

Use sliced tomatoes within one to three days for the best taste and texture. Even when you've taken care to properly store them, the longer those tomatoes slices sit, the more they will lose their flavor. Thankfully, there are many ways to use tomatoes before they go bad. Apart from topping a burger or other sandwich, try some diced tomatoes in scrambled eggs, along with these other ways to take your scrambled eggs up a notch. You can use your tomatoes to make a marinara sauce alternative as well.