Brits have been left red-faced by a tomato revelation - it turns out we've been storing them wrong.

Despite their familir taste and all-round averageness, have been the subject of many a debate. First, there were back-and-forths around whether the food was a fruit or a vegetable and now it transpires we could be ruining the taste of the fruit due to a common mistake.

Foodie Pete, aka Early Pete on , has amassed a whopping 504,000 followers online thanks to his culinary advice and recipes. In a recent viral video, he said he could 'almost guarantee' we've all been storing our in the wrong place - and it is ruining the taste.

"Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts with cold temperatures," he said. "This actually causes the cell membranes to break down, which creates a much less desirable, mushy and mealy tomato. In reality, to get the best tasting tomato, you should store it at room temperature."

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Pete added that if your tomato is going bad then it's okay to extend its lifespan by popping it in the fridge. However, he advised letting the food get 'back up to room temperature' before using it to cook with.

And according to Science, Pete isn't wrong. A from the US found that chilling tomatoes for a week reduced the 'activity of genes that code for enzymes needed to synthesise flavour and fragrance chemicals known as 'volatiles'. This is what gives tomatoes a more complex and sweeter taste.

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"A 2013 study found that tomatoes stored at 4˚C showed a drastic decrease in the concentrations of volatile compounds; after 30 days of storage at this temperature, they found that the overall concentration had decreased by 66 per cent," reports . "They discovered that the low temperature storage was in particular detrimental to the aroma of the tomatoes, whilst, by contrast, storage at 20˚C resulted in an increase in volatile compound production."

Swathes of baffled viewers flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts - with many admitting they've been guilty of the tomato faux pas. "I guess I've been using broken down enzyme tomatoes all my life," one person wrote. Another commented: "Table flip, my parents where right on this one," while a third added 'noted' along with the stunned emoji. Others insisted they will still store the tomatoes in the fridge, otherwise they'll go off before they have chance to eat them all. Need to use up your cupboard-stored tomatoes? Check out this that uses just five ingredients - and has been approved by TV chef Jamie Oliver.

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