Foodanddrink

Keep tomatoes fresh for more than a week with this easy trick

Better Homes and Gardens · Apr 26, 2026 23:35 · 4 min read

If you’ve been storing your tomatoes in the fridge, you’re about to flip over this hack. 🍅

Key Takeaways

Store whole tomatoes at room temperature until ripe to preserve their flavor and texture.
Cut tomatoes should be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth and should be consumed within two days.
Position tomatoes stem-side down to reduce spoilage and maintain moisture.

The world of produce storage can get confusing. It’s like a game of tug of war between all the “dos” and “don’ts.” Don’t store these items in the freezer. Do keep these fruit and veggie foes apart—unless you want them to spoil faster. Don’t refrigerate a handful of produce picks, but be sure to chill the majority.

We totally understand why readers come to us often with questions about how to store tomatoes. We’ve already covered how to can tomatoes and how to freeze tomatoes, but for fresh tomatoes, do we refrigerate or not? That is the question, and our Test Kitchen has the answers.

Meet Our Expert

Lynn Blanchard is Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen director.
Sarah Brekke, M.S., is Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager.

How to Store Tomatoes to Keep Them Fresh for as Long as Possible

The most important thing to keep in mind when considering how to store tomatoes is their condition. Your best bet will vary based on whether the tomatoes are whole or cut.

How to Store Whole Tomatoes

Store tomatoes at room temperature until ripe, Blanchard advises. Although whole tomatoes might appear fresher for longer when you store them in the refrigerator, looks can be deceiving.

“Refrigeration stops the ripening process,” Brekke says. “If the tomatoes were under-ripe going into the refrigerator, the taste and texture won't improve. There are certain enzymes in tomatoes that are responsible for creating that delicious flavor as they ripen, but these enzymes aren’t active at refrigerator temps.”

Depending on their starting state of ripeness, refrigerating tomatoes can lead to a mealy, mushy, or hard texture. It also compromises tomato flavor, resulting in flavorless or sour fruit.

To maximize the flavor, freshness, and shelf life of fresh tomatoes, store them at room temperature (or, in an ideal world, between 60° F and 65° F) on a counter or in a cabinet, away from heat or direct light.

“If you have freshly picked or purchased ripe tomatoes and you don’t plan on eating them right away, they can be placed in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days to extend their life,” Brekke says. “For best flavor, let the tomatoes come to room temperature before serving.”

Tips

Try MyRecipes, our digital recipe box, to stash and organize all your favorite Better Homes & Gardens recipes.

How to Store Unripe Tomatoes

If you happen to harvest or buy tomatoes that are underripe, you’ll also want to store them at room temperature. As we hinted at earlier, “The cool temperatures in the refrigerator will halt the ripening process, and you will be left with a tomato that is pale, mealy, flavorless,” Brekke says.

Place unripe tomatoes in a single layer in a paper bag (such as a grocery bag), and fold the bag to close it loosely. Why, you might be asking? The bag helps contain the ripeness-inducing ethylene gas that tomatoes emit. Transfer the bag to a dry, warm, room-temperature spot, and check on the tomatoes daily to see how they’re progressing.

Tips

Test Kitchen Tip: To press “fast-forward” on tomato ripening, add a banana or apple inside the bag, too. Both of these fruits are also ethylene producers. The more ethylene gas swirling around the tomatoes, the faster the ripening.

How to Store Cut Tomatoes

The one exception to the no-refrigeration rule is cut tomatoes. After you’ve washed and sliced or diced your tomatoes, you must store them in the fridge to reduce the risk of bacterial growth.

Keep in mind that tomatoes spoil more quickly once cut. Transfer sliced or diced tomatoes to an airtight food storage container, store them in the refrigerator, and aim to polish them off within 2 days.

The No. 1 Trick About How to Store Tomatoes to Keep Them Fresh and Flavorful Longer

Now that you know where to store tomatoes, let’s talk about exactly how to store them. Don’t forget that tomatoes—heirloom, Roma, cherry, grape, or otherwise—are fragile, so store them with care.

Beyond that, our Test Kitchen’s best storage secret: Flip the tomatoes upside down. Storing the tomatoes stem-side down “reduces the amount of airflow around the stem area, therefore reducing contact with various mold and bacteria that can speed up the spoilage process,” Brekke says. This also helps the tomatoes retain moisture so they stay juicy longer, Blanchard adds.

To up the ante even more, use scotch tape to cover the stem, and then flip the tomatoes stem-side down. Doing so should keep fresh tomatoes juicy yet firm and sweet for 7 to 10 days, depending on their starting ripeness.

As for cherry or grape tomatoes, we recommend placing them in a shallow dish or basket to allow air to circulate. These tomatoes tend to ripen more quickly, so check in on them every day or two. Remove and compost any small tomatoes showing signs of spoilage to prevent it from spreading to the rest.

When to Wash Tomatoes

As with most produce items, “we recommend washing tomatoes just before you are ready to use them,” Brekke says. “Moisture encourages mold, yeast, and bacterial growth.”

Wash tomatoes under cool running water, pat dry, then slice or enjoy them whole, depending on the fruit size and your specific tomato recipe.