Half of Finns store tomatoes incorrectly – Henri Alén knows why the taste is strong

It matters where you store your tomatoes. Petteri Paalasmaa

Half of Finns store tomatoes incorrectly, says the Gardening Association. According to their survey, up to 49 percent of Finns store tomatoes and cucumbers incorrectly in the refrigerator, and 35 percent partially in the refrigerator.

Only 17 percent keep their vegetables at room temperature according to orthodoxy.

Chef Henri Alén has also encountered the same tomato problem:

55-65-year-olds know best how to properly store them, 34 percent of them store tomatoes and cucumbers in the refrigerator. Especially young people store tomatoes and cucumbers incorrectly, up to 77 percent of 18-24 year olds store them in the refrigerator.

According to the survey respondents, the biggest reasons for storing vegetables in the refrigerator were habit and better shelf life. Some also answered that tomatoes and cucumbers taste better cold. The vegetable compartment in the refrigerator is also tempting to store all the vegetables there.

The trade garden union says that the taste of tomatoes is lost in the refrigerator, so storage has a decisive effect on the taste.

Store properly

The right place to store tomatoes is at room temperature.

The ideal storage temperature is +13 degrees, but too warm is better than too cold. Tomatoes ripen faster in warm weather.

Tomatoes quickly lose their flavor in the refrigerator. The tomato stays longer in the fridge and stays hard, but gets watery on the inside.

The cold makes the tomatoes more sour and tasteless, because in the cold the flavoring substances and acids increase and the amount of sugars decreases.

Tomato produces a lot of ethylene, so it should not be stored near ethylene-sensitive vegetables such as cucumber and herbs.

Ethylene is a gas produced during plant respiration. Ethylene accelerates fruit ripening and can change the taste of nearby plants and turn them yellow.

Tomato-mozzarella salad from the buffet table

(for 8 people)

3–4 buffalo mozzarella balls

8 cherry tomatoes

350 g of different colored mini tomatoes

50 g of roasted pistachios

fresh basil leaves

black pepper

finger salt

Pesto:

2 pots of fresh basil

50 g Parmesan

80 g pistachios

1 dl olive oil

a pinch of salt

black pepper

plus good olive oil

1. Rinse the tomatoes and cut them into blocks or, if you use mini tomatoes, into halves.

2. Prepare the pesto by measuring all the ingredients in a blender and grinding the ingredients into a coarse pesto.

3. Assemble the salad in a large serving dish. Place the buffalo mozzarella on a plate in the middle of the tomatoes and decorate the salad with roasted pine nuts and basil leaves. Sprinkle olive oil on top and finish the treat with basil pesto. Serve with crusty country bread or baguette.

Recipe: Mari Moilanen