How to Identify Naturally Ripened Tomatoes Without Chemicals to Protect Your Health

Tomatoes are a common food that frequently appears in family meals. Nowadays, to make tomatoes ripen quickly and look more appealing, many suppliers choose to spray chemicals on tomatoes. However, this practice is very dangerous to human health. It's essential to be able to distinguish naturally ripened tomatoes from those that are chemically ripened to protect your health.

How to Recognize Naturally Ripened Tomatoes Without Chemicals

Ripened tomatoes, treated with chemicals, usually ripen fully all over the fruit. Even in the area near the stem, where sunlight exposure is limited, they ripen unnaturally red.

To differentiate naturally ripened tomatoes from chemically ripened ones, you need to observe a few characteristics:

+ Observe the Color

Although chemically treated tomatoes tend to have a smooth and uniform red color, you can still notice some differences in their color.

Naturally ripened tomatoes, due to sunlight exposure during their growth, will show uneven color, especially near the stem, where the color is slightly green and ripens gradually to red.

On the other hand, chemically ripened tomatoes usually ripen uniformly, even in the areas where they receive little sunlight.

+ Look at the Stem

This is another "hint" to distinguish natural tomatoes from those treated with chemicals. Tomatoes with round shapes, slightly wrinkled stems, and a little dent at the top typically indicate good natural growth and natural ripening.

In contrast, tomatoes with shriveled or abnormal shapes, or those with distorted stems, may have been ripened using chemicals or have grown in unnatural conditions.

+ Observe the Tomato's Navel

Tomatoes with dark green navels, fresh stems, and slightly dented tops are usually naturally ripened, fresh, and flavorful.

If the tomatoes have shriveled or poorly developed navels, it is likely they have been treated with chemicals or have been stored for a long time.

+ Check the Firmness of the Tomato

Besides using visual inspection, you can also gently squeeze the tomato to determine its ripeness. Naturally ripened tomatoes are usually firmer. When holding them, you will notice that naturally ripened tomatoes are soft, while chemically ripened ones tend to be firmer and harder to press.

If you cut the tomato open, you will find that naturally ripened tomatoes have many seeds, which are larger and darker in color, while chemically ripened tomatoes usually have fewer seeds, and their seeds are green.

How to Store Tomatoes

After purchase, tomatoes still need to be stored properly to maintain their freshness for as long as possible. It is best to store tomatoes outside rather than in the refrigerator. Tomatoes will be well preserved at room temperature (around 25°C) and should be used within a week.

If the tomatoes are fully ripened or the weather is too hot, you should place them in the refrigerator to prevent them from spoiling quickly.