Slow Down Tomato Ripening and Lettuce Rot

Slow down tomato ripening

Do you ever wonder why tomatoes are displayed with the top side down at the grocery store or farmer's market? That's because it prevents the tomatoes from ripening too quickly at room temperature. And when you get them home and set them on the countertop with the top side up, you promote faster ripening. That's great if you actually want the tomatoes to ripen faster. 

However, if you want to slow ripening for up to 2 weeks, you can actually place the tomatoes in the fridge with the top side down. Remove them from the fridge and place them top side up on your countertop at room temperature for a day or two before you need to actually use them. I just recently did that with one that had been in the fridge for 10 days, and it was perfect 24 hours later when I needed to use it.

Image courtesy of Leilani Angel via Unsplash

Slow down lettuce rot

To slow down lettuce rot, buy a full head instead of packaged lettuce. Packaged lettuce starts turning brown within hours of opening the bag. Hint: this is a sign that the lettuce will soon rot. I have even tried storing the packaged lettuce in a sealed sandwich bag, and it still turns brown quickly. You can store the washed leaves from a head of lettuce in a sealed sandwich bag, and it will last up to 2 weeks. 

I do my grocery shopping every 2 weeks, so this has been a huge discovery for me since I may not have a meal right away to use the tomatoes and lettuce I buy on grocery day. And I want to keep you informed of this type of need-to-know information.

I hope you have a blessed day,

Patricia