up or down?

encore · August 21, 2015

after picking tomatoes to further ripen on the counter do you leave the blossom end up or down? or don't it matter?
tom

AlittleSalt · August 21, 2015

I've seen many pictures of them upside down.

FarmerShawn · August 21, 2015

I've read that since they ripen from the bottom up, the shoulders stay firmer longer, so placing them stem down slightly reduces the chance of bruising on the more tender bottom. Makes sense to me, so that's how I do it (when I remember...). There's also some argument that storing stem down reduces moisture loss, but I don't really buy that one.

Carriehelene · August 21, 2015

IME they ripen better stem down.

JLJ_ · August 21, 2015

I agree with the reasoning of those who advocate stem side down . . . but I've also found that occasionally stem side down seems to encourage a moldy spot at the stem . . . not always, just now and then. I suspect that it happens when the shape of the tomato causes a moist spot to develop near the stem.

So what I do with the several hundred tomatoes that we usually ripen inside is just put them however seems best when I'm doing it. I probably put them stem side up more often that the reverse, but I also often turn them if they take an extended period to ripen.

If I have a rule, it's probably stem side up unless the shape or condition of the tomato suggests otherwise and *always* -- if there's any spot I'm even a little suspicious might be a bad spot -- I keep that up where I can keep an eye on it.

Gardeneer · August 21, 2015

BE up. It looks more natural.
BE is like head, SE is like butt. hehe

Gardeneer

August 21, 2015	#1
encore Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: wisconsin Posts: 536	up or down? after picking tomatoes to further ripen on the counter do you leave the blossom end up or down? or don't it matter? tom

August 21, 2015	#3
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I've read that since they ripen from the bottom up, the shoulders stay firmer longer, so placing them stem down slightly reduces the chance of bruising on the more tender bottom. Makes sense to me, so that's how I do it (when I remember...). There's also some argument that storing stem down reduces moisture loss, but I don't really buy that one. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

August 21, 2015	#2
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I've seen many pictures of them upside down.

August 21, 2015	#4
Carriehelene Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 300	IME they ripen better stem down.

August 21, 2015	#5
JLJ_ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 759	I agree with the reasoning of those who advocate stem side down . . . but I've also found that occasionally stem side down seems to encourage a moldy spot at the stem . . . not always, just now and then. I suspect that it happens when the shape of the tomato causes a moist spot to develop near the stem. So what I do with the several hundred tomatoes that we usually ripen inside is just put them however seems best when I'm doing it. I probably put them stem side up more often that the reverse, but I also often turn them if they take an extended period to ripen. If I have a rule, it's probably stem side up unless the shape or condition of the tomato suggests otherwise and always -- if there's any spot I'm even a little suspicious might be a bad spot -- I keep that up where I can keep an eye on it.

August 21, 2015	#6
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	BE up. It looks more natural. BE is like head, SE is like butt. hehe Gardeneer