People make this mistake every day, that’s why tomatoes get spoiled in winter, know the way to prevent it.

It is generally seen that whether it is a hotel or a restaurant or the kitchen of your own home, tomato is the most visible vegetable. Tomato is a very important part of the kitchen. Many dishes like dal, vegetable, chutney, curry or biryani are considered incomplete without tomato. Tomato not only enhances the taste of food but also provides color and nutrition. However, tomato is a perishable vegetable. Especially in the winter season, due to moisture and cold, tomatoes quickly become soft and start rotting. Many times, within two-three days, black spots start appearing on tomatoes, due to which they become unfit for eating.

The biggest reason for tomatoes spoiling quickly is their thin skin and high water content. As beautiful as tomatoes look, they are equally delicate. Even slight pressure or moisture can damage them. Due to excess water, bacteria grow quickly inside tomatoes, due to which they start rotting. If tomatoes are not stored properly, their taste, texture and freshness are lost quickly. Therefore, to increase the shelf life of tomatoes, it is very important to adopt the right storage method.

Often people keep tomatoes in the refrigerator to preserve them for a long time, but this habit can prove harmful. The cold air of the refrigerator spoils the natural taste and color of tomatoes. By keeping them in the fridge, the texture of tomatoes also changes and they start ripening quickly. Due to this, tomatoes become soft from inside and tasteless from outside. According to experts, it is better to keep tomatoes at normal room temperature instead of refrigerator. Tomatoes kept in an airy and dry place remain fresh for a longer time.

While storing tomatoes, their direction also matters a lot. Tomatoes should always be stored with the stalk side upwards. By doing this, air entry into tomatoes is reduced and they get spoiled late. Along with this, moisture is controlled by keeping tomatoes wrapped in light paper. Paper absorbs moisture, which prevents tomatoes from rotting. In this way, tomatoes remain fresh, hard and tasty for a long time, which makes it easy to use on a daily basis.

Airtight containers can also be used to keep tomatoes safe. Such a container protects tomatoes from dust, moisture and external dirt. However, it is necessary to have a small vent in the container for air circulation. It is beneficial to wash tomatoes with water mixed with vinegar before storing them. This eliminates the fungus and bacteria on the tomato skin. With this home remedy, tomatoes remain safe for a long time and do not rot quickly.

To ensure long shelf life of tomatoes, one should be careful while purchasing. Always avoid buying fully ripe tomatoes. It is better to buy light green or slightly unripe tomatoes. Such tomatoes ripen slowly at home in 4 to 5 days and do not spoil for long. By adopting correct temperature and correct storage methods, tomatoes can be used for a long time. This reduces the loss of vegetables and the kitchen budget also remains balanced.