Keep Tomatoes Fresh Longer by Rinsing in Bleach Water

If you have a large tomato crop, take a few extra minutes to wash your tomatoes in a weak bleach solution. A tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water is a sufficient ratio for the solution. Do not rinse them. Spread your tomatoes out on newspaper in a cool, dry place. (We like to use the concrete floor in the basement.) You will enjoy a greater yield, as far fewer of your tomatoes will rot if treated with this mild bleach solution. Wash your fruit before you eat it.

This also works for nectarines, and other smooth skinned fruits. It does not work for fuzzy ones, such as peaches. I started doing this to my store bought fruit, too, when my bag of nectarines molded overnight. Never refrigerate your tomatoes, as this dulls their flavor.

Source: My mother started this when I was a teenager, and it sure made a difference. It was my job to pick out the rotten fruit, and I worked less once we began the bleach solution rinse.

By Janet Sigurdson from Red Deer, AB