Q: How can I salvage tomatoes that are in awful shape? What happens when they mold? Can you cut the mold away? Kathy S., Plymouth, Mich.
A: You can thank this year's hot temperature for an abundant tomato crop. But having all those tomatoes has brought on some problems with some blight (both early and late in the season), mold and cracking that makes for some not so pretty tomatoes.
Tomatoes that have black spots or white mold on them should be tossed out, says MSU's Oakland County extension educator in food safety and nutrition. "Some of the molds that grow on fruits, they can be dangerous and they can make you sick."
So the best practice is to be safe and pitch them.
Although I didn't plant tomatoes this year, all of the tomatoes I've bought at area markets have been great. I have struggled to hold back on buying too many. Another bonus for consumers is prices have been great.
The only problem I've had is leaving them on the counter too long and having them go bad, which brings me to the storage issue. We've always been told, and I've advised so many times in this column, never to store tomatoes in the refrigerator. Refrigerating tomatoes makes their texture mealy and the flavor wanes because of the cold.
But there's been lots of talk about storing them in the refrigerator. One of the stories most referred to is a 2014 one on the Serious Eats website which found refrigerating tomatoes is not such a bad thing. The key is to know when to refrigerate them. Serious eats found that refrigerating ripe tomatoes was perfectly fine. When ready to use, bring them to room temperature before using.
Having said that, except for sliced tomatoes, I am sticking with the no-fridge rule and will become more aware of using tomatoes up. And if I have an abundance, because I am not a canner, I will freeze them.
Here's how to freeze peeled or unpeeled tomatoes:
You can freeze fresh tomatoes, peeled or unpeeled. Tomatoes stored this way are best used in cooked dishes. Use them in soups, chilis or casseroles. To peel tomatoes, remove the stems, score an "X" on the bottom and blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove using a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Or, you could quarter tomatoes. Either way, place them in freezer bags. Seal and date.
The list for using fresh tomatoes goes on and on, from a classic BLT to tossing in salads to making a quick tomato sauce. Try today's recipes that utilize fresh tomatoes.
