I would eat the unused part while preparing whatever the other bit is going in. Or I'd just use the whole thing. I can't think of a recipe so precise that it would be ruined by a bit of extra tomato. I wouldn't try to keep a cut fruit at all.

I often have a half of a large tomato with breakfast and put the other half cut side down on a plate. I don't refrigerate it, but use it at lunchtime.

Depends on a couple things. First the temp and humidity. If it gets over 70, and especially during the summer when it's more humid, cut tomatoes can go downhill faster. If I'm using the tomato within a few hours, I leave it cut side down on a plate and covered with a towel or paper towel. If its going to be more than a few hours it goes into the fridge.

I don't tend to have part of a tomato hanging around very often though. I tend to use and grow smaller tomatoes like pastes and salads, I don't grow or buy big beefsteaks. And the big meaty hearts I grow are usually for processing more than fresh eating.

I usually keep couple of slicing tomatoes around for sandwiches. Since it is just me, a whole tomato on a sandwich is too much, so there is usually a half or a bit more leftover. I refrigerate what's left until I need it, usually only a day or two. It's fine.

Tomatoes do not have sufficient acid to be safely stored at room temp after slicing. if it were to be used within a couple hours it’s probably fine but not permitted in restaurant kitchens. Even though refrigerating kills the flavor it is the safer choice. I frequently add these bits to other things I cook.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve had part of a tomato left. I would wrap it in plastic wrap and park it in the fridge, then bring back to room temp to use.

My own experience has been the fridge can affect taste and texture, even after returning to room temp. My mom and I never agreed about storing tomatoes, whole or cut. Hers always went in the fridge.

Refridgeration is best as mentioned. Once a fruit or vegetables protective growing 'shell' is compromised, deterioration happens rather quickly. If i just need a couple fresh slices, the other half goes cut side down in a lidded glass bowl.

i usually chop it up and add lime and other crisper drawer veg for a pico or salsa to be used for a salad or fish/chicken next day lunches or dinner.

If i have not used the half tomato on the counter in a few hours, i fridge it covered. No plans to use ripe tomatoes or a half next day, they go sliced into the freezer in a zip-lock for later to roast or a cooked sauce. When a quart zip is full, i start another. I freeze cherry toms whole for pizza and fritattas, etc.

When my garden is flush, i start freezing. --Mid late July.

Completely ripe tomatoes are okay in the fridge. It's underripe ones that go mealy.

I put cut ones in kind of cut side down against the side of a sandwich bag, press out the air and zip, then store in fridge. They do need to be used proptly for fresh, but are fine for cooking at least four days,

If I can't use in a day, I'll place cut side down in a covered glass container and refrigerate. No, they are not as good, but how I hate to waste a great tomato. ALWAYS a problem here, DH does not eat them raw. I still don't know why, he'd live on spaghetti or lasagna and never complains about the sauce but won't eat them raw even on a sandwich.

I thought I might try having him grill some this week, see if that would expand his limitations a bit....

I find completely ripe tomatoes get mealy as fast as under ripe ones do. The only time i refrigerate tomatoes is if I have a half left. But I do refrigerate Pseudo Tomatoes, like you get in the store out of season....because they have already spent time in cool storage.

I agree 100% with the video.

I think it is an older generation or two set in their ways. On a gardening forum a couple older fellas will have none of it. Climacteric vs non-climateric.

One has been selling at a farmers market after retirement. His clients love that he only sells 'vine ripe'. But they only buy one or two. All these years he could have been educating them about full blush. "this one is perfect for tonight. This one will be peak tomorrow. These others that are firm but blushing will peak near the end of the week. Just keep them single layer out of direct sun and check on them. If one seems just less than firm, and feels at peak---refridgerate to buy some time." They would buy many more and even an extra pint or two of cherry tomatoes if they knew how well they freeze whole for so many winter meals.

If we have forecast a couple days of thunderstorms and i have a couple dozen big heirloom beauties in medium-full blush, i pick them. Otherwise they will burst at that stage. Fridge or freeze if i have way too many. Fridge for just a day or two.

Some tomatoes are just not good no matter what. Some farmers just grow hybrids for volume and varieties that are slower to ripen for market.

A farm stand just a couple miles from me only picks vine-ripe. They only had a few dozen that were molding covered in fruit flies. I asked about maybe some blushing tomatoes in the back harvest room. Nope. The 'fresh' corn stack was so old the kernels were concave. Someone had snuck a peek but they yell at you if you touch anything. --i had an early season bbq and needed some tomatoes having a garden full of just flowers but no fruit yet.

-i have another excellent farm stand that gets my business. They pick their corn every morning before 9am in cool temps.

^Good video. I think storage should be whatever seems to work best based on personal experience.

dcarch7, Thank you for the video. It was interesting and taught me something.... as you all have.

darch, thanks for the video. Until a couple of years ago, I was of the ”never refrigerate” school. I have since come around to refrigerating them. Nevertheless, I do not want to eat a cold tomato.

I always refrigerate cut fruit. Bacteria can grow fast at room temperature.

I usually wrap loosely in wax paper.