Our Test Kitchen Swears by This Simple Trick for Keeping Cut Tomatoes Fresh for Longer

Tomato season is one of the happiest times of the year for home cooks. It doesn’t take much to make a fresh tomato taste great, whether you’re growing them in your own backyard or loading up your tote at the farmers market each week. A classic BLT and caprese salad are no-brainers, of course, but fresh tomatoes also shine in tons of other recipes, from pasta salad and casseroles to tomato tarts to even cocktails.

To make the most of fresh tomatoes, it’s important to follow a few key rules. When it comes to storing fresh tomatoes, you probably know that it’s best to keep them at room temperature. But what about once you’ve cut into those tomatoes?

To find out everything you need to know about storing cut tomatoes, we turned to Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen culinary specialist Emily Nienhaus. Here, she shares a genius way to store cut tomatoes to keep them fresh for as long as possible: place them cut-side down in your container.

How to Store Cut Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes should be stored at room temperature until ripe to maximize their flavor and freshness. Steer clear of the refrigerator, which can lead to a mushy or mealy texture and loss of flavor.

The one exception to that rule? If your tomatoes have already been cut. Cut tomatoes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to reduce the risk of bacteria growth. “After two hours at room temperature, they will acquire bad bacteria,” Nienhaus says.To keep cut tomatoes fresh as long as possible, Nienhaus recommends following these tips:

• Use a wide, shallow airtight container to store fresh tomato slices or halves.
• Store cut tomatoes in a single layer as opposed to stacking them on top of each other in the container. “This will minimize moisture exchange and help them not get soggy,” Nienhaus says.
• Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to soak off the excess expressed liquid, which will keep the tomatoes on the firmer side.
• Store tomato halves cut-side down, which will limit air exposure to the cut side of the tomato and limit bacteria growth.

And while we always advocate for a sprinkle of salt and pepper on a fresh tomato slice, make sure to wait to salt fresh tomatoes until you’re ready to eat them. “I love to salt my tomato slices before using them to bring out all of their flavor, but do not salt them before storing,” Nienhaus says. “It will draw out all the liquid and you will end up with a mushy result.”

How Long Can Cut Tomatoes Be Stored?

Tomatoes will spoil quicker once they’ve been sliced or cut into wedges, so plan to use them soon. Nienhaus recommends only storing sliced tomatoes for 1 to 2 days—she says they can go a bit longer and still be safe to eat, but the texture will be less than ideal after 2 days.

Once you’re ready to use those tomatoes, aim to let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow their flavors to come through. That said, if you’re in a pinch, Nienhaus says they’ll be fine straight out of the fridge.

Signs of Spoilage in Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes can spoil quickly if they’re not stored properly. Nienhaus recommends tossing your tomatoes if they show any of these common signs of spoilage:

• Mold
• Slimy film
• Mushy texture
• Sour or funky smell
• Leaking juices

Can You Freeze Tomatoes?

If you’ve got a bumper crop of homegrown tomatoes or you went overboard at the farmers’ market (we’ve all been there), you might be wondering if you can freeze fresh tomatoes to help them last a bit longer. Luckily, the answer is yes—and you can follow our step-by-step guide to freezing tomatoes to keep them good up to two months long.

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that freezing fresh tomatoes changes their texture and can cause them to become mealy. “If you go this route, use them in a sauce or cook them down in some way,” Nienhaus says. Plan to use frozen tomatoes in recipes where they’ll be cooked, such as a soup or casserole, as opposed to a dish highlighting raw tomatoes, such as a sandwich or tomato salad.

You can also save some time down the line and cook tomatoes before freezing. “I personally would cook them first to make a sauce or paste before freezing,” Nienhaus says. She recommends chopping tomatoes and simmering them down before freezing, or you can blanch them to extend their shelf life up to a couple months.