To store tomatoes:

Do not refrigerate tomatoes. Store them at room temperature out of the sun stem side down. Putting them in a paper bag will accelerate the ripening process. Heirloom tomatoes will have strange shapes and cracks. These are highly perishable and should be eaten within 1-2 days.

To prep tomatoes:

If you’ll be cooking tomatoes, consider removing the skins so they don’t float around in your dish. To do so, score the  end of the tomato with an “X,” dunk whole tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, lift out with slotted spoon, plunge into ice water, and the skins will slide off.

To freeze tomatoes:

Tomatoes can be frozen whole with the skin on. The skins will slide right off when they thaw. Simply pop the washed tomatoes whole into a Ziploc bag. Thawed tomatoes are appropriate only for cooking sauces, salsas, or purees.