Ripening Tomatoes

From an unidentified newspaper clipping.

Use fully ripe tomatoes quickly. Tomatoes ripen at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. To hasten ripening, put them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple; the fruit gives off ethylene gas, which speeds ripening. If you must refrigerate tomatoes, bring them back to room temperature before eating, to restore flavor.

It makes sense to add tomatoes to sandwiches made with nitrate-cured meats, such as hot dogs, ham, bacon, and cold cuts. Tomatoes' vitamin C as well as chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid, may block formation of carcinogens for the nitrate, according to Cornell University tests.