It happens to us all: you bought a whole bunch of fresh vegetables and completely forgot all about them. When you reach into your refrigerator, the beautiful tomatoes have become wrinkled and shriveled up. Show
So what do you do: throw them in your dish, or in the trash? Can you eat wrinkled tomatoes? Wrinkled tomatoes are safe to eat as long as there isn’t any mold, breaks in the skin, or soft spots. Older tomatoes, also known as overripe tomatoes, are sweeter and juicier than a firm tomato. Overripe tomatoes are better for cooked dishes such as sauces, salsas, stews, and sautes. Cooking the tomato removes any texture imperfections so a wrinkled tomato will taste better than a firm tomato in a cooked dish. Knowing that overripe tomatoes are a desired trait for cooked tomato dishes – how do we know when a tomato is overripe versus rotten? The Difference Between Overripe And Rotten TomatoesTomatoes have a high water and sugar content, so they spoil much faster than other produce. They become softer, and their skin may become bruised or wrinkled. Overripe tomatoes are easy to spot since their skin is soft and wrinkled. Cosmetics aside, tomatoes get better when they get older. Tomatoes taste sweeter and get juicier when they’re very ripe. These overripe tomatoes are great for sauces, salsas, stews, and sautes. It doesn’t matter if they’re a bit wrinkled and soft, because that’s how any tomato will look like once you cook them. And if you sear them on very high heat, their rich flavour will actually become deeper and more concentrated. When Does A Tomato Actually Start To Rot?We need to be careful when using overripe tomatoes since we don’t want to include any rotten or spoiled tomatoes to our dishes. Some signs that the tomato started to rot are:
So as a rule of thumb: a wrinkled tomato is still safe to eat, but a tomato with skin that has split open is not. When a tomato’s soft inside or pulp is exposed, microorganisms such as mold can spread quickly on its natural sugars. In fact, the USDA recommends throwing away any soft fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, when you spot any mold. Unlike firm fruits and vegetables where you might be able to remove the moldy parts and use the rest of the produce. Tomatoes are soft so the mold can spread quickly through it’s root threads which means the whole tomato is spoiled. So when in doubt, slice the tomato open. Make sure that the inner parts of the tomato look good before including it in your next dish. What’s The Best Way To Use Wrinkled Tomatoes?Once your tomatoes have become soft and wrinkled, you can use them for any dish where they will be thoroughly cooked. Some recipe ideas are:
If you have a huge batch of very ripe, wrinkled tomatoes but aren’t ready to cook with them then try turning them into marinara sauce or salsa. You can then store your excess sauce in a jar and store it in your refrigerator. Now you’ll have ready to use homemade sauce for the next 7 to 10 days. How To Store Tomatoes So They Don’t Go BadHere are the best ways to store tomatoes for the short term so they’ll be ready to use in your next dish.
Check out this article if you’re interested in storing your tomatoes long-term which can range from 6 months to a year. ConclusionTomatoes are versatile ingredients, but since they deteriorate quickly you should only buy what you need. Use firm tomatoes for salads and sandwiches, and use soft and wrinkled tomatoes for cooking. If you aren’t planning to use tomatoes right away, pick the ones that are slightly underripe. They will continue to ripen in your refrigerator. How do you tell if a tomato has gone bad?If you pick up a tomato and notice that there is fluid underneath it, then it has gone bad. Feel – if a tomato is soft or mushy when given a light squeeze, it has gone bad. Smell – if you find that a tomato is producing a bitter or putrid smell, then it has gone bad.
What do you do with over ripe tomatoes?Roast a tray or vine or heirloom tomatoes to create a side dish, or sprinkle sliced tomatoes over a pastry base and bake into a galette or tart. Overripe tomatoes can be batch-cooked into homemade savoury preserves, such as relishes or chutneys, and can also be used in recipes that call for canned diced tomatoes.
Can you eat tomatoes 2 weeks out of date?Tomatoes can be perfectly edible a week or even two past the best-before date; they just get sweeter and riper rather than drying out. If they start to smell badly, or grow mould, it's time to discard.
|