How to preserve a tomato’s freshness after it is cut

food-preservationtomatoes

I've seen and read online, and experienced firsthand, that refrigerating a tomato is an awful idea. Not only does it lose freshness, it does little to prevent wilting and leads to flavorless tomato.

But, eventually a tomato needs to be cut if it's going to be used in slices (for say, a sandwich), and I hate to throw it out when there's still a full half of the fruit left.

How can I preserve the tomato after it has been cut, without putting it in a refrigerator and spoiling the freshness?

Best Answer

Doing a bit of Googling, it seems that there are a couple of different methods but I think the one that will please you best is to:

  1. put a piece of plastic wrap on the cut side only
  2. place it cut side down on a plate or plastic container
  3. leave it on the counter

Some recommend putting it in the fridge regardless, as the cut side is prone to bacterial infection.

I would probably recommend using it within 24 hours, though. Maybe add it to a salad at dinner?

Personally, I just eat the rest of the tomato along with the rest of my lunch sandwich.

Source: Fine Cooking Among others. There was a good deal of consensus on this issue.

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