To prolong the life of your fresh tomatoes, one woman suggests washing them in two common household ingredients to preserve them prior to placing them in the fridge
As the hot weather continues, more and more of us are opting for a light tea, particularly ones that include salad. With that in mind, ideally we’d be able to make our fresh produce last as long as possible to get the most for our money.
One woman claims tomatoes can stay fresh in the fridge for two weeks if you wash them in two common ingredients before you store them. Aveon began a TikTok video by placing her tomatoes in the sink before sprinkling on baking soda and a small amount of distilled vinegar.
She then added water to the basin to rinse – just enough so that the fruits were submerged.
Aveon dabbed the tomatoes dry with kitchen roll before dropping them into a glass preserving jar and putting it into the fridge.
“Take a mason jar, and place a paper towel in the bottom. Put your tomatoes in the jar, and place in the fridge! Voila! Fresh tomatoes for 2 weeks,” she said.
Supporting the advice, meanwhile, experts from Consumer Reports had their say on vinegar and baking soda.
“If you want to remove bacteria, there’s research that shows that soaking greens in vinegar or a vinegar-water solution can reduce bacteria levels, though it won’t kill all bacteria,” they explained online.
Consumer Reports added: “Soaking in baking soda and water can be an effective way of removing some pesticides.
“A 2017 study found that submerging apples in a baking soda solution for 2 minutes removed more pesticides than a 2-minute soak in a bleach solution or a rinse under running tap water.”
They summarised: “As a general rule, we suggest washing all produce, including those that will be peeled, in cold running water for 15 to 20 seconds.
“Make sure you do it before you cut into the fruit or vegetable so that you don’t transfer any bacteria or pesticides from the surface to the flesh. You can also use a vegetable brush or rub the produce with your hands if it has a tougher skin.”
Should you be concerned that your tomatoes have spoiled, there are typically several telltale signs to look out for.
These include visible mould, a mushy or wrinkled texture, and an unusual odour, all of which may suggest the tomatoes are no longer fit for consumption.
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