Why You Shouldn't Put Your Fresh Pico De Gallo In The Refrigerator
Pico de gallo is a refreshing, tomato-based snack that gets most of its flavor from jalapeños, cilantro, and the all-important sea salt. Think of it as a heartier salsa: Pico de gallo is made with similar ingredients but uses diced tomatoes and less water than traditional Mexican salsa. For this reason, it should be treated a bit differently in its storage process, and it's best made fresh as opposed to prepared ahead of time. If you're planning to serve it at a gathering, don't prepare it until it's time to dig in — that's because keeping your pico de gallo in the refrigerator will only weaken the ingredients, resulting in a less flavorful dish.
Pico de gallo is made with elements that hold up best when not refrigerated, and storing it the same way you'd store any other sauce compromises the dish's overall flavor profile. Next time you're whipping up a batch, don't prepare it more than a couple of hours in advance, and leave it at room temperature until it's ready to serve.
Pico de gallo is best kept unrefrigerated
Not all fruits and vegetables are meant to be refrigerated, and tomatoes are a fruit that should always be kept at room temperature for best flavor. Tomatoes have a delicate texture, and harsh temperatures such as the refrigerator's 40-degree-Fahrenheit maximum can negatively impact that texture. If you slice a tomato from the refrigerator compared to one that's been on the counter, you'll almost immediately notice that the cold tomato is mushier than the unrefrigerated version. Plus, refrigeration also weakens the tomato's flavor.
Since tomatoes are the base for pico de gallo, refrigerating the pico de gallo results in a less-than-desirable flavor and texture; those tomatoes won't hold up for long against the cold temperatures. Lorena Garcia, a chef and restaurateur known for competing on "Top Chef Masters," told Food & Wine that by refrigerating this delicate dish "you will lose the integrity of the ingredients, and it won't taste as good."
Don't prepare pico de gallo more than two hours in advance
While it's ill-advised to store pico de gallo in the refrigerator, you also have to make sure you're following basic food safety rules. Primarily, the USDA says not to leave perishable foods out at room temperature for more than two hours. Of course, there's nothing substantially harmful in pico de gallo (no raw meat or dairy, for example), but produce that's meant to be kept in the refrigerator, such as cilantro and jalapeños, can quickly spoil if they're not properly stored.
Though your pico de gallo might be fine sitting out for a few hours, it's not worth taking any chances on early spoilage. Plus, the longer pico de gallo sits, the more the salt will naturally draw water from the tomatoes, leaving you with a watery salsa. If not for spoilage, watery pico de gallo isn't exactly appetizing, so your best bet is to prepare it as close to serving time as possible.