You've been storing tomatoes in the wrong place

Brits have been left blushing over a kitchen clanger – it turns out we've been storing tomatoes all wrong. Amidst its familiar flavour and run-of-the-mill stature, the humble tomato has sparked rows aplenty over the best method for keeping it fresher for longer. Past wrangles included whether this staple is a fruit or veg, but now there’s buzz that we're dulling down their zest by a slip-up in storage .

TikTok food guru Pete, better known by his handle Early Pete, has racked up an impressive 504,000 fans for his nifty nosh tips and dish demos. In a trending clip, he claims to "almost guarantee" that our tomatoes are tucked away in the incorrect spot, turning them unpalatably soft and grainy. "Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts with cold temperatures," Pete explained.

"This actually causes the cell membranes to break down, which creates a much less desirable, mushy and mealy tomato. In reality, to get the best-tasting tomato, you should store it at room temperature." Pete further suggested that if a tomato is on the brink of spoiling, it's alright to buy some time by chilling it, but urges that it’s best to let the fruit warm to room temperature before whipping it into any culinary concoction.

And it seems BBC Science gives the thumbs up to Pete's pronouncements. A 2016 study from the States discovered that chilling tomatoes over seven days diminished the gene action needed for forging substances that contribute to aroma and tang, those "volatiles" that endow tomatoes with a richer and sweeter palatability, reports the Mirror . "A 2013 study found that tomatoes stored at 4 ̊C showed a drastic decrease in the concentrations of volatile compounds; after 30 days of storage at this temperature, they found that the overall concentration had decreased by 66 per cent," reports Compound Interest.

"They discovered that the low temperature storage was in particular detrimental to the aroma of the tomatoes, whilst, by contrast, storage at 20 ̊C resulted in an increase in volatile compound production." Swathes of perplexed viewers took to the comments section to express their surprise, with many confessing to making the same tomato mistake. "I guess I've been using broken-down enzyme tomatoes all my life," one user admitted.

Another exclaimed: "Table flip, my parents were right on this one," while a third simply wrote 'noted' alongside a shocked emoji. Nevertheless, some still vow to keep their tomatoes cool, fearing they would spoil too quickly otherwise..