
Choosing perfect produce is no joke, and no one wants to come home from the grocery store only to discover bruised bananas or browning lettuce. Tomatoes, though, might be one of the hardest pieces of produce to choose.
When it comes to choosing a tomato, though, there are three key elements to look for in your perfect fruit.
First, you should examine the tomato’s overall color. Avoid fruits that have yellow or green patches. This typically means the tomato was picked before reaching ripeness so that it could be packed and shipped. That process could affect flavor.
AYCCNH Fruit and Vegetable Storage Containers
Keep your tomatoes (and other produce) safe in these handy containers.
Next, consider the tomato’s weight. Don’t squeeze it to fill its firmness, though. Instead, place it in your hand and feel how heavy it is. Tomatoes, since they contain a large percentage of water, should feel heavy for their size. Basically, if you think, it’s heavier than how it looks, that’s a good sign.
Finally, smell it. If you’ve seen people smell tomatoes in the grocery store, there’s a reason why. They should have a sweet, earthy scent, and the stronger the smell, the more flavor the tomato will have.
If you’ve brought home tomatoes recently only to discover they can really only be used to make tomato sauce, not as the sandwich topping you wanted, these simple steps should help you bring home the best from now on.