Refrigerating tomatoes

[hokietoner]

I recently found out you should never refrigerate tomatoes because it irreversibly damages flavor and texture. The question is can you refrigerate canned tomatoes? I thought maybe it would be different because the tomatoes are cooked from the canning process. The reason for this question is I prepare tomatoes for pizza by crushing or dicing canned Roma tomatoes with seasoning, herbs, and oil. I don't always need a whole can so I have to refrigerate the remaining tomato. Will this have the same affect on the tomatoes as refrigerating fresh tomatoes?

[toitoi]

All cans are lined with a chemical coating, the coating applied to the inside of the can depends on what is going to go into it; there are many diifferent types of linings. The can is filled, and then sealed - air tight.

Once you open the can you expose the item and the lining to air. The can lining will eventually corrode - NEVER LEAVE FOOD IN AN OPENED CAN. You'll get sick, and sometimes VERY SICK.

[Scrapironchef]

I've always been taught to never fridge a ripe tomato, it will more or less permanently kill the "fresh" flavor.

A bit of the science --

Refrigeration is the enemy of the tomato as it nullifies flavor and turns the flesh mealy. The culprit is a compound called Z-3 hexenel, which accounts for the tomato's scent and taste. The development process which turns tomato's linolenic acid to the Z-3 that makes our mouth and nose sing is hindered by cold. If you must refrigerate a tomato, take it out about an hour before using it to let it return to room temperature to revive any lurking Z-3.

From http://homecooking.about.com/od/foods...

[Karen_Schaffer]

I've read the science, but I've also done blind taste tests of refrigerated tomatoes brought back to room temp vs freshly picked ones, and no one could tell them apart!

The key is to make sure the tomatoes are fully ripe before refrigerating. I would agree that there's no reason to refrigerate them unless they're so ripe they're in danger of spoiling. Probably not leaving them in there for days & days would be a good idea too. I didn't test tomatoes refrigerated for a week vs freshly picked ones -- those might have been distinguishable.

Refrigeration is still a worthy storage mechanism, but should be used judiciously, not reflexively.

Regarding the OP's original question, you're right that since the canned tomatoes are cooked, so the enzymes in question are already deactivated. Definitely refrigerated them because there would be a spoilage hazard leaving them at room temp.

[rockfish42]

A lot of tomatoes at the store have already been refrigerated, I find it's especially noticeable with home grown tomatoes, specifically plum varieties.

[maria lorraine]

I don't believe you can bring the Z 3 hexenal back once the tomato cools much below 68 degrees F or 20 degrees C. At 45 degrees F, I believe the hexenal dies. When tomatoes are cooled, there's not only a flavor fall-off but a texture change, and that indicates some major chemistry alteration.

[alkapal]

i agree re texture. the toms get woolly.

[Kagey]

I often refrigerate leftover canned tomato, and have never noticed any deterioration in quality--provided I use them before they spoil! They're already processed, so it's not the same as refrigerating fresh tomatoes, which is a very bad thing to do!

[virtualguthrie]

You shouldn't have a problem storing the cooked tomatoes but don't leave them in the can, put them in glass or tupperware.

[Romanmk]

Why create an extra dish to wash with glass or tupperware? To refrigerate an open can I cover it first with adhesive plastic wrap, or wrap plus a rubberband.

[alkapal]

refrigerating in the can makes what's inside (here, tomatoes) smell and taste like the can....and your fridge takes on odors, too.....

[Romanmk]

All right, the web says cans are not designed for refrigerator storage. I thought I had the odor problem solved with the adhesive wrap.

[alkapal]

yeah, i know, but something about the cans just smells, well, metallic. even the "lined" ones, which --- btw --- i am happy about. i re-use little glass jars ("re-purpose") for all sorts of leftover sauces, etc. mr. alka gets annoyed with the glass jars, but glass is now precious, imo. i am happy to have a little hoard of old hellman's mayonnaise glass jars. yeah! i also like the straight up seafood cocktail sauce or horseradish jars. nice! or little jelly jars...

btw, roman, are you as intense as your avatar? ;-) i think you are meaning business about food. me too.

[lynnlato]

I never leave things in their can after I've opened it for the reasons you mentioned. But now it's got me thinking... isn't it odd that the food item is fine in an unopened can and untainted by the can. But once it's opened, that damned can will impart a metallic taste in the item. What's up with that? Why doesn't it do it when it's sealed but does after it's opened?

Okay, I found the answer to my own question, Sorry, I clearly have too much time on my hands today. Anyway, here goes:

The FDA says if you store food in a can, there's a chance the tin or iron will dissolve and the food will develop a metallic taste. The FDA says food containing high concentrations of tin can cause nausea. So, your best option is to just store your left-over canned food in containers.

[maria lorraine]

I've noticed the same thing. I think it's oxygen interacting with the acid and metal at the point.

[Boccone Dolce]

Me too- I never leave open cans in the fridge. I get visions of botulisim clinging to the food like fungus (yes I have a vivid imagination!) - splitting and rebuilding bigger and fungi-er.

Anyhoo- yes I pop them in the fridge- or freezer. I NEVER chill the uncanned ripe ones.

[Dmnkly]

No science to back it up, but my feeling is that they might lose a little something, like anything else that's refrigerated once it's open, but definitely NOT like fresh tomatoes.