Have you noticed that the juiciest tomatoes from the store turn into a shapeless mass after just a couple of days?
It's as if they've conspired to spoil just when you're planning to add them to a salad or sandwich.
But it is not the manufacturers who are to blame, but an invisible detail that almost no one pays attention to.
It turns out that after harvesting, tomatoes continue to "breathe" through the place where the stalk is attached. This hole becomes an entry point for bacteria and oxygen, which starts the fermentation process.
The longer a tomato lies on the shelf, the more actively its structure is destroyed.
But there is a way to outsmart nature: if you carefully remove the stalk, seal the resulting indentation with paper tape and turn the tomato upside down, the spoilage process will slow down significantly.
The paper tape creates a barrier to oxygen, and the inverted position prevents moisture from accumulating in the vulnerable area.
Under these conditions, the pulp remains dense and the natural sugar does not turn into acid.
For best results, it is important not to wash tomatoes before storing them - drops of water accelerate rotting.
And remember: the refrigerator is the worst option for storage. At temperatures below +12°C, tomatoes lose their aroma and become “cottony”.
The ideal place is a cool corner of the kitchen (for example, a cabinet with ventilation) or a pantry.
If the room is hot, you can wrap the tomatoes in parchment paper - it will absorb excess moisture, but will not completely block the air supply.
By the way, paper tape can be replaced with a piece of wax napkin - it has antibacterial properties.
The main thing is not to use plastic bags: they create a greenhouse effect and the tomatoes “suffocate”.
