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REFRIGERATION

Food storage

How to store tomatoes

Tomatoes are a subtropical fruit and are sensitive to chilling injury. Mature-green or unripe tomatoes held at normal fridge temperatures fail to ripen properly and become mealy, with poor colour and flavour. Post-harvest guidance generally keeps unripe tomatoes above about 12 °C for ripening. Fully ripe tomatoes can tolerate cooler holding for a few days, around +7 to +10 °C, which slows over-ripening. Cut tomatoes are a different case: once sliced, they are a ready-to-eat perishable and must be kept at 0 to +4 °C, covered, and used quickly.

  • Chilled+7 to +10 °C (ripe, short term)
  • Humidity85–95% RH

Do

  • Sort tomatoes on arrival by ripeness. Use ripe ones first and leave firmer ones to ripen in a cool, shaded, ventilated area.
  • Store tomatoes stem-side down in single or shallow layers to reduce bruising.
  • If your kitchen is very hot, a cool room or a fridge set at the warmer end of its range is better for ripe tomatoes than a 40 °C storeroom.
  • Chill cut tomatoes, salsas and kachumber in covered containers.
  • Remove split or mouldy tomatoes promptly; rot spreads quickly in a crate.
  • For puree, gravy bases or frozen tomato pulp, cook or blend first and then chill or freeze.

Avoid

  • Do not keep unripe tomatoes in a cold fridge; they will not ripen properly.
  • Do not stack crates of ripe tomatoes high; the bottom layers crush.
  • Do not store tomatoes in sealed plastic bags.
  • Do not leave sliced tomatoes for burgers or sandwiches out at room temperature through a service.

In Indian conditions

Tomato prices in India swing sharply through the year, and many kitchens buy in bulk when prices drop. Without cool storage, a lot of that stock is lost to rot in summer and monsoon. A cool, ventilated store away from the kitchen heat is the first step. Some kitchens convert surplus ripe tomatoes into puree or masala bases and freeze them. Monsoon humidity encourages mould, so inspect crates daily. In QSRs, sliced tomatoes for burgers and sandwiches belong in a refrigerated prep table or undercounter drawer.

General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.