Summer may be ending, but the height of tomato season is upon us! A few tips for picking, keeping and eating these summer fruits:

Know your types of tomatoes. If you're looking for a thick slab of tomato to top off your burger, go for a substantial variety like the beefsteak. If your salad needs a little sweetness, try halving some cherry or grape tomatoes! More descriptions can for tomato varieties can be found here.
Make sure there are no soft spots. If you don't have a green thumb and are picking your tomatoes from the grocery store or farmer's market, make sure there are no bruises. Unlike other fruits, you make not be able to see a bruise on a tomato, but you can feel it. Skin should be taught and firm all the way around. Soft spots can indicate that the tomato has been sitting on that side for too long.
Tomatoes should smell like, well, tomatoes. Everyone knows what a tomato should smells like. Before placing them in your cart, pick it up and take a whiff of the stem. It should be fragrant and fill your mind with summer thoughts.
The fridge and tomatoes are NOT friends. The cold temperatures of the fridge can turn your tomatoes mealy. Instead, keep them on a place or in a shallow bowl to foster air circulation and out of direct sunlight. If you are saving one that you have already cut into, cover the cut end with saran wrap.