Help! Tomatoes got put in the fridge by mistake

[Rheta]

I realized a few minutes ago that the tomatoes, I bought yesterday, got put in the fridge. I'm so mad at myself. I always keep tomatoes on the counter and out of the fridge. If I put these on the counter instead of back in the fridge, are they going to have that bad texture and no taste? Thanks.

[RealMenJulienne]

One day in the fridge shouldn't noticably hurt them. And besides I don't think there is such a thing as a bad tomato. Some just need a little more salt than others.

[Nanzi]

Or Sugar instead of salt, RealMenJulienne, but that comes from my Indiana GrandMom, and for some reason, my Dad was just furious that she taught me that!!

[cowboyardee]

If you get a tomato lacking in both sweetness and tartness, just a touch of balsamic vinegar can do wonders. Excellent way to jack up the flavor of a sauce made from mediocre tomatoes. Just don't overdo it or, balsamic will be all you taste.

[Stephanie Wong]

Years ago, 14 lbs of garden tomatoes which I was going to put up for winter were refrigerated by a "helper" friend . .. . aargh. Hopefully, your tomatoes weren't in the fridge too long and came out okay. If you find they're "ruined",you might try roasting them to intensify what little flavor is left and the mushiness won't be a factor.

I cut mine in half (through the equator) and packed a mix of herbs, garlic, parsley atop the cut surface, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and drizzled with olive oil. Then roasted these halves until they were cooked through & served on top of spaghetti or other pasta. Made a tasty fresh pasta sauce.

[AngelSanctuary]

What?! I always put them in the fridge what have I been doing to my tomatoes?!

[Karl S]

Well, if they are good tomatoes and not being used for cooking (as opposed to eating raw), you are ruining them. They should not be refrigerated but kept on the counter. When exposed to cold, they get mealy and lose flavor. And they don't really keep longer in the fridge, so it's a waste of fridge space, too.

[heathercheryl]

I guess most of my tomatoes have been refrigerated; most are flavorless and a bit mealy...the only good tomatoes come directly from a garden.

[Karl S]

Yes, that's correct. That's why I don't bother buying them. Cherry, grape and cocktail tomatoes tend to be the best bet in grocery store tomatoes.

But, in salads outside of local tomato season, I just use black seedless grapes, which have a nice acid-sweet balance that suffices for what tomatoes would suffice for.

[escondido123]

Or directly from a Farmers' Market. The ones I buy are local and not refrigerated.

[Karl S]

You have to be careful with vendors at farmer's markets. I often shop early, and find tomatoes that are distinctly chilled. Later in the day, it's much harder to tell.

Good vendors may at least tell you they never refrigerate them below 55F, but will keep them close to that temperature to avoid wasting crop, as it were.

[escondido123]

I know the vendors at the market where I shop and only buy from the very local ones that don't refrigerate.

[Uncle Bob]

If you bought them from a regular grocery store...Odds are they have already been refrigerated two or three times ~~ Just enjoy them as is........

[ipsedixit]

Relax.

It's just tomatoes.

Take'em out and enjoy them as usual.

[jaykayen]

It depends on the tomatoes. They're usually fine. If you cut them and then store them, the texture suffers significantly more.

[escondido123]

Of course, it will also depend on how good the tomatoes were when you bought them. If you'd already tasted one then you will be able to see the difference, if any.

[eclecticsynergy]

My experience has been that the acid balance will restore itself, leaving the flavor mostly intact. As for texture, you'll have to cut one and find out. If it's gone mealy, it won't ever be right again and you'll have to use them for cooking as Karl S has suggested. Good luck.

[Karl S]

You can always use them for cooking. For raw, it depends on how cold the spot in the fridge was. If it was low 40sF, they won't be as affected if it was mid-30sF.

[cowboyardee]

Texture should be fine still. Taste will be just a little bit dulled once you let em return to room temp.

[thew]

the texture wont have degraded yet.