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I know that avocados are supposed to keep longer with the stalks; I would like to know if it is also true for tomatoes?

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Ripe, or green? Green'll keep for a month or more in a box at room temp. Add a ripe apple, and by the end of the month your green tomato will be ripe too. Never tried this w tomatoes on stems, a month or two being long enough for my purposes; fresh, tasty tomatoes thru November. – Wayfaring Stranger Apr 13 '12 at 16:57

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Removing the stem from a tomato opens up a hole where air, moisture, and bacteria can pass through. Keeping the stem in, or somehow sealing the "scar" from the stem, will prolong shelf life.

(Published in Cook's Illustrated - requires subscription - http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/detail.asp?docid=1173)

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Yes, leave the stalks in. It was by accident that I discovered this works. I was in a rush and I picked a bunch with all the stalks attached. By the time I got home one was knocked off. It turns bad much faster. So I purposely did it again, with the same results. Once the stalk dries out, that’s when I notice the tomato starts to turn. Sometimes I had them for a couple of weeks to my surprise. If you would have told me, I wouldn’t have believed it.

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The tomatoes may continue ripening if you keep the stalks in.

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Are you sure that the ripening rate with stalks is the different from the one without stalks? – rumtscho♦ Apr 13 '12 at 9:39

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