We will learn how to store tomatoes at home and enjoy fresh fruits until winter

Now you won't surprise anyone with fresh vegetables in winter. But many will agree that tomatoes grown in their own garden are much tastier than store tomatoes. But is it possible to keep the harvest until the New Year holidays? How to store tomatoes at home in an apartment? In this article, you will learn all about how to please loved ones with fresh tomatoes from the garden in winter.

How to collect and prepare tomatoes for storage

It is real to keep tomatoes fresh for 3-5 months! Of course, not all crops are suitable for long-term storage. Some nightshades are very moody and should be processed right away. An important factor is the thickness of the skin - the thinner it is, the faster the fruit will deteriorate.

Mid-late and late varieties are best used for long-term storage at home - they can last until February.

Tomato varieties suitable for storage:

• Volgograd 5/95;
• New Year;
• De Barao;
• Zhanina;
• Rio Grand;
• Giraffe;
• Kumato;
• San Marzano;
• Long Keeper;
• Khutorsky;
• Masterpiece-1;
• Lazybones;
• hybrid Khrustyk.

How to properly harvest for storage

For long-term storage, only unripe fruits that were grown in the open field are suitable. Greenhouse tomatoes will not be able to maintain their freshness for long. The color of the fruits selected for storage can be from green to delicate milky pink. Tomatoes need to be arranged according to color, since the choice of storage method depends on their color.

Tips for picking tomatoes for storage

To keep tomatoes fresh for a long time, several rules must be followed:

• harvest before the onset of frost;
• harvest fruits in the daytime, as soon as the morning dew dries;
• sort the tomatoes, setting aside the cracked, dented and diseased fruits.

Important! Freshly picked tomatoes must not be washed. They are wiped with a cloth with rubbing alcohol or vodka. Thanks to this method, all bacteria will be destroyed, which will protect the fruit from rotting.

Conditions for storing tomatoes

Storage

An important point in preserving the freshness of tomatoes is the place where they will be stored. A basement or cellar is best for green fruits. Residents of apartments can use loggias, glazed balconies, a common vestibule, a garage or any other room that has the necessary storage conditions. In some cases, it is appropriate to use refrigeratorhowever, its low temperatures deprive tomatoes of their rich taste. Tomatoes can also be stored in a vacuum container.

Temperature

To keep tomatoes fresh until winter, it is important to set a suitable temperature at the place where vegetables are stored.... For tomatoes, it ranges from + 5C to + 12C. You should also pay attention to the humidity of the air - it should not exceed 80%.

If the temperature in the room is more than +30 C, the fruits will acquire a sour taste. Overdried air will shrink the tomato and change the structure of its pulp.Low temperatures combined with humid air will contribute to the development of diseases and fruit rot.

10 days before consumption, the fruits are taken out and placed in a dark place in which the temperature readings are +25 C. This trick is to allow the tomatoes to ripen. Being in an unlit place will help the tomatoes acquire a uniform beautiful shade and rich taste.

Storage of tomatoes of different ripeness

Green tomatoes can be stored in crates, trays or boxes. Every week, you need to revise stocks in order to timely select ripe or spoiled fruits.

Ripe fruits can retain their freshness for more than a month. An important storage condition is the temperature regime - 1-3 degrees Celsius. Reddened tomatoes are unlikely to survive until the New Year holidays when stored in the refrigerator. The maximum shelf life of such fruits is 3-5 days, but it can be extended by months if the tomatoes are rolled up in jars. Also, the fruits can be withered or stored dried.

Read also:

Getting ready for winter: how to freeze beans while retaining their beneficial properties.

Fresh vegetables all year round - how to store beets in a cellar in winter.

What and how to store zucchini for a long time - we create ideal conditions.

How to preserve fully ripe tomatoes

It is possible to increase the shelf life of ripe tomatoes. There are several ways to prolong the freshness of the fruit for a long time.

How to store tomatoes in the refrigerator

Each tomato must be wrapped in clean paper. Place the tomatoes in the herb compartment. However, it is worth noting that this method will result in a loss of fruit flavor. The temperature set in the refrigerator provokes a rapid breakdown of sugars, acids and substances that give the nightshade a rich aroma and taste.

Important! You cannot use bags for storing tomatoes in the refrigerator - polyethylene does not allow air to pass through, because of which the fruits will quickly begin to deteriorate.

Canned tomatoes without preservation

You can store tomatoes in glass containers without preservation. This method will protect the taste of the fruit. Banks can be placed in the basement or any other cool, unlit place.

To preserve the tomatoes, you need to prepare a solution - use 125 g of salt and 125 ml of 9% vinegar for 1 liter of water. These ingredients will protect tomatoes from spoilage by acting as a preservative. Put the fruits in jars and pour over the solution.

Mustard method

Mustard allows tomatoes to be stored in a jar for 3-5 months. You will need glass jars with a volume of 1.5-3 liters, whole and unripe tomatoes and mustard powder. The fruits are thoroughly washed and wiped from moisture, the banks are washed and sterilized. One container will need 6-7 tbsp. mustard.

The order of laying tomatoes:

1. Put 2 tbsp at the bottom of the container. l. mustard.
2. Lay out a layer of tomatoes.
3. Sprinkle fruits with 1 tbsp. mustard powder.
4. Alternate layers of tomatoes and mustard, the last layer should be mustard powder.
5. After filling the jar completely, roll it up with a sterile tin lid.

Method with rubbing alcohol

Put clean tomatoes in a jar without squeezing them. After the jar is full, pour 3 tablespoons into it. medical alcohol, tightly close the capron cap. Then you need to twist the container in your hands so that the alcohol can spread evenly throughout the entire jar.

After that, the lid will need to be removed and a wick soaked in alcohol should be placed in the jar. Light the wick, and while it burns, you need to have time to roll up the can with a tin lid. This trick will burn out all the oxygen inside the jar, which will protect against the growth of bacteria.

Tomatoes in a saucepan

You can also store tomatoes in an enamel or ceramic pot. You can preserve the freshness of the fruit for a long time with the help of an vinegar-salt solution or oil. The fruits are placed in a saucepan and covered with refined oil. An important condition is that the oil must cover the top layer of tomatoes by at least 1 cm.

How to store tomatoes in trays and boxes

Fresh tomatoes are not suitable for long-term storage in trays. The fruits very quickly begin to deteriorate, so at most they can lie in such a container for several days. Often, ripe tomatoes are placed in a box to make them turn red faster. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that the container has a sufficient number of air holes.

How to store sun-dried tomatoes

Sun-dried fruits can be packed in cotton bags and stored in a kitchen cabinet. You can also put them in the refrigerator. In this case, the tomatoes are placed in a plastic container, into which olive oil is poured, then covered with a lid and placed in the refrigerator. It is important to consider that with this storage method, tomatoes will lose their bright color.

Storage conditions for green tomatoes

Green fruits are best preserved until winter. Before placing tomatoes for storage, they must be sorted by size. Large fruits ripen faster than small ones.

The procedure for laying tomatoes for storage:

1. Wrap each vegetable in clean wrapping or printing paper.
2. Prepare clean boxes or trays with holes. They can be either wooden or plastic.
3. Put a layer of paper on the bottom of the container and sprinkle it with sawdust.
4. Lay out the tomatoes, leaving free space between the fruits.
5. Cover the first row with paper and sprinkle it with sawdust.
6. Lay out the second row of tomatoes.

Instead of sawdust, you can use onion peel and sphagnum peat. To extend the period, you can spread each tomato with petroleum jelly or paraffin.

Attention! The allowed number of rows in one box is three.

What to do if tomatoes start to rot

Even with proper storage, there is a chance that the crop will start to deteriorate. The main reason for this is late blight. First, brown spots appear on the fruits, and then they begin to rot. It is important at the initial stage to recognize the disease and remove the diseased vegetable.

You can solve the problem of crop rotting by pasteurization. In hot water, at a temperature of 60-65 C, lower the tomatoes for 2 minutes. Overexposed vegetables will soften. After pasteurization, the tomatoes should be dried well and placed in a ventilated area.

Important tricks:

1. Leaving the stalks on the tomatoes will help keep them fresh longer and have a longer shelf life.
2. You can speed up the ripening period of tomatoes by adding ripe fruits to them.
3. Tomatoes will last longer in the box if they are stacked with their stems up.
4. You can store tomatoes with a whole branch - it is hung in a dry ventilated room.
5. Ripe fruits can also be stored - cut the tomato into large pieces and put in a jar or saucepan, cover the first layer with salt, 8-10 cm. Alternate layers of tomatoes and salt until the container is full.

Conclusion

Thanks to the correct collection and choice of storage location, the New Year's table can be decorated with a salad of your own fresh tomatoes. Since the fruits of tomato are very tender, you need to properly organize their storage. It is not difficult to find a place for storing the crop. If there is no cellar or basement, tomatoes can be stored in the apartment. With a little tweaks, they can last 3 months or more.