We will tell and show you how to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time: interesting life hacks from experienced owners

Tomatoes are one of the most sought-after foods in the world. This vegetable is found in almost every kitchen. The housewives prepare delicious and healthy salads, winter preparations from it. Tomatoes contain vitamins A, B2, E, PP and even a rare vitamin K, which normalizes the work of blood vessels. But in order to enjoy these juicy vegetables a little longer, you need to know how to store the skimmed tomatoes.

Long-term storage varieties

In order for the crop to be stored for a long time, those varieties that are distinguished by high keeping quality are chosen for planting. Do not wash tomatoes, wipe heavily soiled with a soft cloth, trying not to ruin the skin.

Experienced growers pick lightly immature varieties of tomatoes:

1. De Barao - mid-season tomato, the height of the bush reaches 3 m. Fruits are oblong, of different colors - from yellow to brown.
2. San Marzano - a variety with dense, juicy fruits of bright red color, plum-shaped, weighing up to 140 g.
3. Rio grande - mid-season variety with high productivity.

There are special varieties and hybrids bred for long-term storage:

1. Giraffe - a variety that reaches a height of 1.2 m. It belongs to the late-ripening variety, it is cultivated in open ground and under film shelters. The fruits are stored until the end of spring.
2. Long Keeper - late-ripening variety, tomatoes reach 450 g. Fresh are stored until spring.
3. Masterpiece-1 - a late-ripening undersized hybrid, its bush grows up to 65 cm. Red flat fruits weighing about 200 g persist until March.

How many tomatoes are stored

At home, red fruits are stored for 3-4 days, pink - up to 5 days, brown - about a week, milk and green - about 10 days.

In the refrigerator, tomatoes keep their freshness for up to two weeks. The longest shelf life for tomatoes is given by the freezer. But it is only worth freezing ripe, thoroughly washed, undamaged fruits.

Proper storage factors

One of the main factors affecting the shelf life of tomatoes is the variety. Choose those that are suitable for long-term storage.

Tomatoes are stored in a dark, cool place - a refrigerator or cellar is suitable for this. Air humidity should not exceed 80%. The fruits are kept in wooden boxes. To increase the shelf life, many summer residents stock up on immature fruits, which ripen already during storage.

How to properly harvest tomatoes for storage

The crop is harvested before night frosts, since the frozen fruits will not be stored for a long time. Basic collection rules:

• tomatoes are harvested during the day, when there is no morning dew on them;
• to extend the shelf life, the harvested fruits are sorted;
• choose only ripe vegetables and fruits, ripened to milk ripeness;
• all collected tomatoes are wiped with alcohol for disinfection.

How to store crops

Fleshy, sugary tomatoes are stored worst of all, as they quickly begin to ferment and become unusable.Slightly unripe tomatoes retain their freshness for 2-3 days longer than ripe ones because their flesh is still firm. Overripe fruits are eaten immediately, since they do not lie for a long time.

On a note... Regardless of the variety, tomatoes grown outdoors are better preserved than greenhouse ones.

How to store tomatoes in a cellar or basement

The appropriate temperature range for keeping tomatoes fresh is + 10-15 ° C, so the best place to store plucked tomatoes is in the basement or cellar. In the cellar, tomatoes are placed in wooden boxes in layers, separating the layers with paper. If possible, each tomato is wrapped in a paper wrapper. Do not put more than three layers in the boxes, otherwise the lower row will deteriorate from the weight of the upper ones.

If there is no cellar, then vegetables are stored on the floor - for example, in the pantry. Unripe tomatoes are left at room temperature, where they mature over time.

Features of storage on the balcony

A suitable place for storing ripe tomatoes is a balcony, if the air temperature does not exceed + 15 ° C. Tomatoes are stored there in the same way as in a cellar or basement: they are stacked in layers, laying each of them with cloth or paper. The boxes themselves are also covered with a cloth to protect them from sunlight.

How to keep fresh tomatoes in jars

Canning is a long-term storage method. In jars, tomatoes remain usable for 4-6 months.

Ripe tomatoes are washed and dried, then placed in a three-liter sterilized jar. Pour 3-4 tbsp. l. alcohol, close with a nylon lid and shake so that all the tomatoes are well wet. Then a thread soaked with alcohol is placed in the middle and set on fire from the outside. When the alcohol starts to burn, the can is immediately rolled up with a metal lid.

On a note. For long-term storage, jars are placed in a dark, cool place.

In boxes

Tomatoes are kept in wooden boxes with slots so that oxygen can be supplied to them. The boxes are covered with gauze, cotton cloth, but not a lid. The container should be free of foreign odors. To protect tomatoes from moisture, dry hay is placed on the bottom.

In sawdust

To keep the tomatoes in boxes longer, sawdust is used. If the crop is still slightly unripe, it is placed in boxes, if possible in wooden boxes, top to top (where the stalk was - this is the top). Paper is laid under each layer and sawdust is poured, which will pick up moisture and protect the fruits from rot.

To make this storage method more efficient, the boxes are placed in a dry and dark place at an air temperature of no more than + 10-15 ° C. It is best to store tomatoes in a cellar, basement, or balcony if the side is not sunny. The box is covered with gauze or paper.

Indoor storage

Ripe tomatoes do not store well at temperatures higher than + 22 ° C. Due to the high sugar and juice content in tomatoes, the warm conditions create a favorable fermentation environment. Fleshy fruits with a thin peel at room temperature are stored for no more than 2-3 days. If the tomato has a thick shell and dense pulp, then vegetables will be stored for up to 6-7 days.

Important! In order not to be poisoned by stale products, tomatoes do not store more than these terms under room conditions.

In paper

If the fruits are in the newspaper or paper, they will be stored for a long time not only in the refrigerator, but also in a box or basket. The main thing is not to lay a large number of tomatoes on top of each other, 1-2 layers will be enough.

Storage in a pot

For long-term storage, tomatoes are salted in a saucepan. To do this, cut half of the tomatoes into equal parts. A layer of chopped vegetables is placed in a saucepan, sprinkled with salt, then a layer of whole. And so several times, until the container is completely filled.

On a note. Regardless of the method chosen, periodically inspect the stock. If a tomato begins to deteriorate, remove it immediately so that it does not infect others.

In cans of mustard

Tomatoes are washed thoroughly with hot water and dried.Pour 2 tbsp into a sterilized jar. l. mustard powder. Tomatoes are placed in it and each layer is sprinkled with mustard. A three-liter can should take no more than 7 tbsp. l. powder. The jar is sealed and stored in a cool place.

Cold storage

Where is the best place to store ripe tomatoes? Using a regular newspaper in the refrigerator, tomatoes are stored for up to two weeks. Each vegetable is wrapped in a paper roll or combined in three pieces in an envelope. The goal is to keep the tomatoes from getting damp. The best place to store tomatoes in the refrigerator is on the lower vegetable rack. The newspaper is periodically changed, and the shelf in the refrigerator is wiped dry.

On a note... Tomatoes should not be stored in a sealed plastic bag, as they can quickly deteriorate due to condensation.

But when stored in the refrigerator, tomatoes lose their fresh taste. The volatile substances contained in them, which give the aroma and familiar taste, do not withstand low temperatures and are destroyed.

How to store red, brown and milk tomatoes

For storing red tomatoes, vegetables are stacked upside down in shallow boxes in 2-3 rows. To prevent the tomatoes from touching, they are wrapped in thin paper or sprinkled with sawdust. The boxes are covered with a thin film, but make sure that oxygen gets to the vegetables. Red fruits are stored at a temperature of + 1-2 ° C. The shelf life is 1–2 months.

Brown tomatoes are placed with their petioles upwards in clean boxes of 8-12 kg. The fruits are also sprinkled with sawdust or wrapped in thin paper. Close with a lid and store at + 4-6 ° C.

Dairy fruits are best stored - up to three months. In such tomatoes, the ripening process continues. Tomatoes are put in boxes and each layer is sprinkled with chaff or sawdust. If there is no chaff or sawdust, then they are replaced with onion peel. Vegetables are stored at temperatures from -2 to + 2 ° C until January.

Storing green tomatoes until the New Year

If you want to serve fresh tomatoes to the New Year's table, then you should take care of this in advance. For this purpose, green dairy fruits are suitable, harvested in summer in wooden containers and stored in a dark and cool place. If this was not possible, and you have only red ripe fruits, then use canning in jars. This will help preserve the juiciness of ripe tomatoes for the New Year, give them a piquant taste.

What to do if tomatoes start to spoil

At the first sign that the tomatoes have begun to deteriorate, the crop is sorted into whole and spoiled tomatoes. Overripe fruits will be soft, and the skin will crack. These tomatoes are thrown away or made into tomato sauce (for this, the spoiled parts are cut off). They are used to prepare a salad dressing mixed with any vegetable oil and seasonings.

Storing processed tomatoes

Tomatoes are stored not only fresh. Thermally processed fruits of long storage are used for food. In terms of taste, they are not inferior to fresh vegetables.

Canned, dried and dried fruits are stored much longer and do not require special storage conditions:

1. Hermetically sealed canned tomatoes can be stored for a long time even at room temperature. Such blanks take up to a year.
2. If the vegetables are fermented or salted and are under a nylon cover, they are stored for up to six months.
3. Dried tomatoes are stored in the same way as dried tomatoes. They are placed in natural fabric bags or paper bags to provide oxygen to vegetables and prevent dust and insects from entering. Dried tomatoes are stored in a dry and dark place.

How to store homemade tomato preparations

The main recommendation for homemade products is storage in a dark and cool place. For these purposes, a cellar, a closed balcony or a refrigerator are suitable.

Drying tomatoes for the winter - a delicacy from the Mediterranean

Juicy and aromatic sun-dried tomatoes will be a pleasant addition to the table during the winter cold.They are first dried in an electric dryer and then stored in olive oil with spices.

Ingredients:

• tomatoes - 4 kg;
• sea ​​salt - 1.5 tsp;
• spices "Italian herbs" - 2 tsp;
• garlic - 1.5 heads;
• olive oil - 250 ml.

Preparation:

• cut the tomatoes in half, remove the stalk;
• select seeds with a knife;
• put the tomatoes in a heated electric dryer in rows;
• salt and sprinkle with Italian herbs on each layer on pallets;
• leave to dry at + 70 ° C for 10-12 hours;
• change trays every 2-3 hours for better drying;
• when the tomatoes are completely dry, remove them from the electric dryer;
• cut the garlic into small wedges;
• place sun-dried tomatoes, chopped garlic in pre-sterilized glass jars and cover with olive oil.

Cover the resulting delicacy with a lid and store in a dark, cool place.

Important! For drying, it is better to choose dense, not very watery varieties. Preference is given to fruits 4-5 cm long.

General recommendations

It is not recommended to buy fruits for storage in supermarkets. Better to take those that are grown in the garden or buy them in the market.

Tips from experienced housewives:

1. To keep the fruits longer, they are removed along with the stalk.
2. Vegetables damaged by rot or parasites should not be stored in the same container with whole vegetables.
3. Tomatoes are stored in a cool dark place - in the basement, pantry, under a table, sofa or bed.
4. Tomatoes are periodically checked for rot. The spoiled ones are thrown away so that the rest do not start to rot.
5. Vegetables are placed in storage strictly with the stalk up, since the skin near it is tender, and under the weight of the tomatoes, it can crack, then the tomato will start to deteriorate.
6. For long-term storage, each fruit is wrapped in paper and placed in boxes or baskets in no more than 1-2 rows.
7. Vegetables are not stored in a plastic bag, since it will not be possible to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time due to high humidity.

Conclusion

The storage quality of tomatoes depends on the variety chosen. Subject to simple recommendations, tomatoes are stored for a long time and do not lose their external and taste qualities. Useful fruits will delight the owners for a long time, especially on the table on New Year's holiday.