Where to store fresh tomatoes in the apartment. Which varieties last the longest?

From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, many housewives work hard in their gardens to grow tasty, healthy and most importantly - natural products. Several beds are certainly occupied by a common favorite - the tomato!

Its bright, ripe and incredibly aromatic fruits, tomatoes, are rich in the hormone serotonin, which gives us a feeling of happiness, vitamins C and A, as well as a whole list of organic acids.

Of course, you can find beautiful, even tomatoes in every store and supermarket. Fortunately, they are full of them all year round.

But is a store-bought copy comparable to a home-made one? Grown with care, incredibly healthy, aromatic and, well, very tasty!

It is no wonder that the goal and dream of many summer residents is to preserve tender multi-nest berries until late autumn. But is it possible? And if so, how to preserve tomatoes at home?

Surprising but true...

From a botanical point of view, tomatoes are nothing more than berries. But in the 19th century, the US Supreme Court ruled that tomato fruits should be treated as vegetables when collecting customs duties.

It is this difference in views that has become the reason for the question so often asked today, what type of crop the tomato belongs to.

Which varieties stay fresh the longest?

The most offensive thing for any housewife is to throw away a product grown with love because it has spoiled. And this, unfortunately, happens, and often. It’s better to play it safe in advance and choose a variety of tomatoes for planting that definitely won’t let you down. As one wise saying goes:

“It’s better to think for one day than to work in vain for a whole week.”

Moreover, nowadays there is plenty to choose from. The number of tomato varieties bred by breeders reaches 25 thousand. Among them there are both mid-late and late varieties. And even a wonderful new product - “bed-beds”, i.e. special long-lasting varieties.

Perhaps many have already had the opportunity to meet some of them:

• "De Barao"- round, slightly oblong fruits of the most different shades: red, green, yellow, black.
• "San Marzano"- fleshy burgundy fruits shaped like plums.
• "Long Keeper"- the fruits will remain juicy and fresh until February.
• "Giraffe"- round juicy fruits. You can decorate the table with them even on March 8th.

Of course, you can choose one of these varieties. But what to do when you really want to plant some special, too beautiful or too tasty and attractive varieties?

Try to create storage for them best conditions, so you will at least prolong their life as much as possible.

How to keep tomatoes healthy and fresh for a long time

Try to find a secluded, dark place in your apartment where the temperature always remains stable and is within 10 °C. The humidity is 80% and there is good air circulation.

This could be a basement, cellar or room, but in no case a refrigerator. In it, tomatoes will lose their herbaceous smell, for which they are so loved, and taste.

Here's the thing! All the flavor of tomatoes comes from acids, sugars and special volatile substances. This entire complex is extremely sensitive to temperature. environment. If it turns out to be lower than required, the aromatic berries will become less aromatic and less tasty.

Recent studies by scientists from France have shown that optimal temperature, at which the production of volatile fragrant substances is enhanced, is 20°C. It is in such warm conditions Tomatoes are left to fully ripen 5 days before consumption.

However, you don’t have to completely forget about the refrigerator. This is a great and easy way to preserve beautiful berries if you intend to eat them within a few days. Or refrigerate before cutting into a salad.

What else is important to know about multi-celled berries in order to keep them fresh for as long as possible:

• Be sure to re-sort your harvest. Do not store whole and damaged, overripe and green fruits together.

Milk ripe tomatoes are best stored when they have reached their natural size, but are not ripe. As a rule, at this moment the berries acquire a pale pink tint.

• Pick tomatoes from the plant before the night air gets colder than 8°C. If ripe fruits freeze right in the garden, they certainly won’t last long.
• It is better to collect during the day, when the berries are already dry after the morning dew.
• There is no need to wash tomatoes before long-term storage; it is better to wipe each fruit with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol. This way you will get rid of all germs at once.

The stem of tomatoes must be cut off immediately before slicing!

How to store tomatoes in trays and boxes

If you have already decided on the place allocated for storing fruits, it’s time to prepare boxes for them. Cover their bottoms with clean paper or fill them with sawdust.

Then wrap the paper around the fruits, each individually, and arrange them in rows. No more than 3 in one box. Cover each layer with paper or sprinkle with sawdust.

Remember to leave small empty spaces between the fruits for free air circulation. You don't need to pack them too tightly.

Wherever your berries are stored, visit them at least occasionally. Check the condition of each fruit, keep spoiled ones away from healthy ones. There is no need to feel sorry for them, otherwise you may lose the entire harvest.

Make your decision to try delicious tomatoes in advance. A week before, take the selected fruits to a bright and warm room for complete, final ripening.

How to preserve tomatoes in jars

You can increase the shelf life of berries to five months by placing them in simple glass jars. This method is suitable for both ripe and milk fruits.

1 option. Rinse and dry the tomatoes thoroughly. Place them in a sterilized jar, but do not press too tightly. Add a few spoons of alcohol and cover with a nylon lid.

Roll the jar in your hands. But there is no need to be cowardly and thereby damage the tomatoes. Perform the operation carefully, so that all the fruits get wet.

After this, insert the wick inside the jar and light it with outside. As soon as the alcohol in the jar catches fire, quickly and carefully roll it up.

Option 2. You will need approximately 6 tbsp. l. dry mustard. Pour the first 2 into the bottom of a sterilized jar immediately. Then arrange the tomatoes, adding more to each layer. At the end add another 1 liter. mustard and roll up the jar.

Option 3. Place 9 mm in a sterilized jar. layer of chopped tomatoes and salt. Next we put the whole fruits to the end of the jar, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let's roll up.

How to Preserve Tomatoes That Are Fully Ripe and Ready to Eat

It also happens that the red berries are already overripe, you don’t want to eat them yet, but it’s a pity to throw them away. In this case, use the following method.

Mix water with salt and 9% vinegar in a ratio of 8x1x1. Place clean tomatoes in a jar or pan and fill with the resulting mixture.

Pour vegetable oil on top so that it covers 1 cm of food.

What's the best way to store tomatoes in the refrigerator?

You also need to know how to store fruits in the refrigerator. Each of them has a special shelf for vegetables, and that’s where they need to be placed. The cuttings should face upwards, and between each fruit it is necessary to leave very little space for air to enter.

We must cover each layer with paper, or even better, wrap it around each individual fruit.

Tomatoes should not be stored in the cold for more than 3-4 days, otherwise they will become useless and tasteless.

How to save tomatoes that have started to spoil

The first sign of a tomato “disease” is the appearance of brown or other spots.

But you can fight them too. True, in a more radical way - through pasteurization.

Heat the water to 60°C. It will become like this about 7 minutes after boiling. And immerse the tomatoes in it for literally 3 minutes. After this, dry the wet fruits in the fresh air.

Save your efforts and store food correctly. Enjoy natural, tasty and aromatic tomatoes all year round!

When going to the country, every gardener dreams of growing a rich harvest of fruits and vegetables. With the onset of the first warm days and until late autumn, summer residents work on their plots to get the maximum amount of tasty and healthy fruits. Undoubtedly, several beds are also allocated for growing tomatoes. After all, bright, ripe and aromatic vegetables are rich in serotonin, which is often called the hormone of happiness, vitamins A and C, as well as big amount organic acids. Unfortunately, a tomato may not retain its elasticity and original beauty for long on its own, but with a little effort, the juicy fruits can last all winter.

Which tomatoes can be stored for a long time?

Not every tomato can last a long time after being picked. For winter storage fit late-ripening species. Thanks to the work of breeders, a special gene was discovered that is responsible for delayed ripening, and the bred hybrid varieties They tolerate transportation better and can be stored for a month or more.

The very first hybrid suitable for winter storage is the Giraffe. Over time, scientists have grown a large number of varieties with varying shelf life:

Before storing tomatoes, they must pass preliminary preparation, as this will increase the chance of successful and long-term storage.

Processing methods

Whatever method is chosen, vegetables must undergo simple preparation. This will increase shelf life and maintain a fresh aroma.

1. 1. First of all, it is necessary to sort the fruits by size and degree of ripeness. Since ripe and unripe tomatoes are stored at different temperatures, and large specimens mature much earlier than small ones.
2. 2. For storage, choose undamaged and strong tomatoes, since the slightest rot can damage the entire crop.
3. 3. To ensure that tomatoes last a long time, they are removed from the bush before the first frost, along with the stalks.
4. 4. Before laying, the fruits are dried and treated with a 0.3% solution boric acid or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After sorting and processing, you can proceed to the second stage - bookmarking.

Cherries are not suitable for long-term storage due to their thin peel.

Storage conditions and location

Tomatoes are very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, and if the thermal balance is disturbed, they become lethargic and lose their unforgettable aroma.

The location chosen for storage also plays an important role. Any dark room is suitable for this: a basement, a pantry, a closed vegetable compartment in the refrigerator, or the space under the bed.

How to preserve tomatoes

We will consider the most common storage options in a house and apartment below.

In boxes

The lightest and effective method. Wooden or plastic boxes with a lattice bottom, thoroughly washed and treated on all sides with alcohol, are suitable for this.

The bottom is covered with paper and the sorted vegetables are carefully laid out with the stalks facing up. The main thing is to make sure that they do not touch each other. Each row must be lined with paper.

The stacked fruits are covered with dry sawdust or wood peat.

In the straw

Select milk fruits and wrap them in dark paper. Carefully place in a box and sprinkle with straw. The container is placed in a dark, well-ventilated room, where the air temperature will be between +8–10 degrees. To make the fruits ripen faster, they can be moved to a warm, bright room for several days.

In banks

Photo	Description
	For the first method, small fruits are suitable. Place the vegetables in sterile jars and fill with brine prepared from water, vinegar and salt in a ratio of 8:1:1. Seal the jars with lids and, after cooling, store them in a cool room.
	In the second case, wash the tomatoes thoroughly, place them in prepared jars and pour sunflower oil so that it covers the tomatoes by 1 cm. Cover with lids and put in the refrigerator
	When choosing this option, place clean and small fruits in a jar. Sprinkle each layer with dry mustard. A three-liter jar should take at least 6 tablespoons of mustard powder. We seal the jars with lids and store them in a cool place.

In a saucepan

Ripe and overripe tomatoes are suitable for this method.

We sort vegetables by degree of ripeness. We cut the overripe ones into large slices and place them in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt, lay out the whole fruits, and also sprinkle with salt. We carry out this alternate procedure until the container is completely filled. Store in a cool, dry place.

In a refrigerator

When stored in this way, tomatoes can only be kept fresh for a week.

To prevent the tomatoes from rotting, we wrap each fruit in dark paper and place it in the vegetable compartment, making sure that they do not touch each other.

Plastic bags are not used for storage, as they retain moisture, which leads to rapid spoilage of the product.

You can also store tomatoes in the freezer. To do this, ripe fruits without signs of rot are cut into small pieces and placed in an airtight container. These tomatoes will be an excellent addition to the preparation of soups, sauces and adjika.

Ripening

Unripe tomatoes are laid out with their stalks facing up in a bright, well-ventilated room. To make them turn red faster, you need to place ripe specimens nearby.

Storage of workpieces

Tomatoes retain their taste and aroma even in canned form. Sun-dried, marinated, pickled and salted tomatoes will be a good addition to any dish.

Photo	Description
	There are three ways to store sun-dried tomatoes: in cotton or linen bags; V plastic containers, previously filled with olive oil; in the freezer, but when defrosting the tomatoes lose their color
	Dried tomatoes can be stored in 3 ways: in linen bags; Place vegetables in jars, cover wax paper and seal with wax or resin; dried tomatoes are placed in jars and filled with refined oil. You can add any spices if you wish. Cover the jar with a lid and store in a cool, dark place.
	Preservation is stored for no more than one year. Pickled or salted tomatoes can be stored in a barrel for no more than 8 months. Canned tomatoes, like cucumbers, thanks to vinegar, can be stored at a temperature of +15–18 degrees, pickled and salted only in a cool place

In order not to ruin the entire crop, during storage you must adhere to simple rules:

1. 1. Once every 7 days you need to check the fruits for rot and mold.
2. 2. To extend shelf life, each copy is wrapped in paraffin or Vaseline.
3. 3. For quick reddening, place straw and ripe tomatoes in the box. Bananas will also work.
4. 4. An intact stalk is the key to long storage.
5. 5. Before placing in boxes, each fruit is wiped with alcohol. This will preserve freshness and aroma.
6. 6. Only those vegetables that are grown in open beds are subject to long-term storage.
7. 7. Onion peels placed in boxes with tomatoes will help prolong freshness.
8. 8. To disinfect, the boxes are treated on all sides with alcohol and dried thoroughly.

How to save spoiling tomatoes

Even if you follow all the storage rules, you cannot insure tomatoes against rot 100%. With sudden changes in temperature and humidity, brown and dark spots may appear on the fruits.

To save tomatoes, you need to heat the water to 60 degrees, put the fruits in it and leave for 3-5 minutes. After this, the vegetables are wiped and dried.

Knowing all the storage methods, you can easily please your household with delicious and useful fruits until the New Year. This is very economical, because you don’t have to spend money on expensive and not always environmentally friendly clean tomatoes. You just have to choose the right jar or take out juicy and beautiful fruits from the box. If you do not neglect the storage rules at home, you can consume your tomato harvest for up to 7 months.

How to store tomatoes at home? Everyone, without exception, knows that conservation is our everything! And few people realize that tomatoes can be stored without special effort until February. You just need to know a few secrets.

Which tomatoes to choose

Ultra-early and early varieties tomatoes are not suitable for long-term storage. You need to choose late-ripening ones or those on the packaging of which it is written in black and white that they are shelf-stable. In turn, you need to set aside whole tomatoes without signs of disease or wilting, with intact skin. Soft ones are not suitable, they are already overripe or beaten off.

Tomatoes should be brown or milky ripe. Fully ripened “golden apples” cannot be stored for a long time without special treatment.

It is better not to wash vegetables before storing them. You can wipe each fruit with a cloth soaked in alcohol or good vodka. This will remove pathogens from the surface. There was advice to inject each tomato with alcohol at the point where the stalk attaches. But there was no answer on how to clean the needle puncture wound so that bacteria would not penetrate there.

Advice. If you don’t have alcohol on hand, you can wipe the tomatoes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

What are the different methods for storing tomatoes?

Depending on the degree of ripeness, you can preserve tomatoes in several ways:

• wilting
• drying
• basement method
• preservation without heat treatment
• in a refrigerator

All options are good, you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.

Advice. It may happen that each method is needed. For example, the barrels of many tomatoes in the basement began to deteriorate. It’s impossible to eat all the fruits; it’s a shame to throw them away. After cutting off the sore spots, the tasty “remains” can be dried or preserved.

Sun-dried tomatoes

Wither whole fruits in the oven at a temperature of 40-60°C. Select ripe tomatoes, wash them thoroughly, and place them in one layer on a baking sheet greased with oil. Turn on the heat and leave the vegetables for 4-6 hours. Check occasionally to ensure the fruits do not dry out.

Then, after cooling, the dried tomatoes are placed in a glass jar in layers with vegetable oil. You can add your favorite spices to the bottom. These tomatoes can be stored for up to 8 months.

Advice. For good result Cut the tomatoes in half and add a little salt.

The preparation of tomatoes is the same as for wilting. Drying alone takes about 10-15 hours, depending on the thickness of the fruit. You can dry tomatoes in the sun, but this will take at least 6-8 days. Or in an electric dryer, 8 hours.

Such fruits are stored in glass jars with a tight lid. Shelf life up to a year. They say that dried vegetables taste like fresh ones.

Advice. Tomatoes are not salted before drying. It's better to add a pinch of sugar.

Basement storage method

Basically, it's just a name. In this way, you can store tomatoes in the basement, on the balcony, in the pantry, shed, under the bed. Main conditions: good ventilation, darkness, temperature 9-12°C, humidity not higher than 65-70%.

High-quality ventilation is needed to remove excess carbon dioxide and ethylene. Because of them, tomatoes ripen quickly and then begin to deteriorate.

Darkness is required to slow down metabolic processes in tomatoes. This way they will last longer, and will begin to ripen when they are brought into the light. For the same purposes, a lower temperature is needed.

Air humidity must be observed as accurately as possible. If it goes down, the tomatoes will wither and begin to dry out. If it increases, harmful and putrefactive bacteria are activated, and you can lose the entire harvest.

Select brown tomatoes or the first stage of ripeness - milky. Do not wash, wipe with alcohol or potassium permanganate solution. Dry and wrap each tomato separately in parchment paper. If it's black, that's great. Next, place the vegetables in cardboard or wooden boxes in two layers, no more. Instead of boxes, you can use wicker baskets. The “golden apples” are sprinkled with dry straw, sawdust, peat, and onion peels. Put away for storage.

Ventilate regularly and inspect once a week for damage. At the first signs of disease, the tomato is removed so as not to infect other vegetables.

IN Soviet time on industrial enterprises for greater safety, the “golden apples” were covered thin layer diluted gelatin. Nowadays food wax is used for these purposes. It is not always possible to get it, but gelatin is sold almost everywhere. Why not experiment with several fruits?

If all conditions are met, tomatoes can be safely stored until February, remaining fresh.

Before direct use, the fruits are taken out into the light and the temperature is raised to 18-20°C. In 5-7 days, the tomatoes will fully ripen.

Advice. Recently, special sheets for long-term storage of vegetables have appeared. They consist of two layers of fabric, with a special powder between them. It absorbs ethylene, carbon dioxide and pathogenic bacteria. Two such sheets are enough, top and bottom. No other shelters are required.

Conservation

You can store tomatoes in glass jars, without water, vinegar or spices. You will need ripe tomatoes, mustard powder or alcohol. The fruits are sorted, but not washed. Alcohol is poured into the bottom of the jar, 2-3 tablespoons. Place the tomatoes carefully without crushing them. Press the lid and twist the jar so that the alcohol is evenly distributed. Then they carefully set it on fire and immediately roll it up.

If dry mustard is chosen, then it is simply sprinkled with a thin layer on the tomatoes in the jar. Next, roll up the lids.

Tomatoes can be stored for up to 5 months at a temperature of 2-4°C.

Advice. There is no need to turn such jars upside down. Otherwise, all the mustard will fall into one place. And it should be evenly distributed among the fruits.

Tomatoes in the refrigerator

Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator is not very good good idea. There's too much low temperature And high humidity. The fruits may lie on the shelf for about 3 weeks, but the taste will change irreversibly, and the aroma will disappear completely. In order not to lose all the value of tomatoes, it is recommended to keep them in the refrigerator for no longer than a week.

Advice. It is not advisable to store tomatoes in plastic bags. Condensation and bad smell secured.

Useful subtleties

1. It is necessary to collect tomatoes for storage before the onset of frost. External signs There may be no frost damage to the fruit. And on cellular level Irreversible processes will already begin. Such vegetables will spoil almost immediately.
2. It is advisable to store tomatoes with their stems. This way they will last longer.
3. Large tomatoes ripen much faster than small ones. To speed up this process, add a simple fresh apple to the fruit. It releases ethylene, which promotes proper rapid ripening.
4. Before storing, boxes and crates must be thoroughly sprayed. Alcohol, a solution of potassium permanganate or chlorine disinfects containers well. Then you need to dry it thoroughly. And only then use it for long-term storage of tomatoes.
5. It is not advisable to take boxes with lattice bottoms. Vegetables may be crushed against the rods or the skins may break.
6. The fruits are placed strictly with the stalk facing up. This is their natural position.
7. Green tomatoes are only suitable for timely ripening. They are not stored for long-term storage. The taste is very special, few people like it.
8. It is not recommended to store tomatoes beyond the beginning of March. Seeds begin to sprout in them, the taste changes, the pulp becomes loose, and an unpleasant amber reminiscent of soap appears. Everything has its time. Even on new year holidays taste fresh tomatoes own production- already a remarkable achievement.
9. Tomatoes in boxes or crates are not covered with lids so that they do not “suffocate” in their own carbon dioxide. Can't wait to cover your containers? Take a loose fabric, thin paper or non-woven material.
10. Before harvesting for storage, vegetables are sorted by degree of ripeness, size and variety. They are placed in boxes following the same principle.
11. Tomatoes collected from open ground, are preserved much better than greenhouse fruits and those grown under cover.

Of course, over time, the taste of tomatoes changes a little, the aroma becomes weaker. But still, it is much better than those tomatoes that are sold in supermarkets and stores in winter.

Video: how to keep tomatoes fresh for the winter

I used to think that you could only eat tomatoes in summer and autumn. I never even dreamed of preserving them until the New Year, given the tenderness of these fruits. However, after I learned the secrets of storing them, fresh tomato salad is on my table all winter until spring. And if you don’t yet know how to store tomatoes, I can tell you in detail about this process.

A salad containing fresh tomatoes and cucumbers is not only tasty, but also extremely healthy, because it contains a huge amount of vitamins and microelements. It is quite possible to provide yourself with these vegetables for the whole winter, and then you will not have to buy tomatoes and cucumbers in supermarkets, grown in greenhouses and devoid of any taste and aroma.

If you want to learn how to preserve fresh tomatoes for as long as possible, you need to start not with storage, but with harvesting. Remember that not all varieties are suitable for long-term storage, but only those that were specially bred for these purposes. Varieties of such tomatoes are divided into:

• Medium-season varieties that can be stored for a short time, up to two months: “Oak”, “Lunarium”, “New Masterpiece”, “Japanese Crab”.
• Keeping varieties that are guaranteed to last until the New Year: “New Year’s”, “Zhanna”, “Podzimny”, “Rio Grande”.
• Long-lasting varieties that favorable conditions will be stored all winter: “Giraffe”, “Vasilisa”, “Orange Ball”, “Long Keeper”.

In order to preserve these vegetables for the winter, it is necessary to catch the moment when the fruits reach the milky stage of ripeness. Completely green tomatoes during the ripening process will not be able to acquire the full range of tastes and aromas that are inherent in ripe tomatoes. Tomatoes that have reached biological maturity by the time of harvesting will not be stored for long.

It is necessary to collect fruits in dry and clear weather, carefully selecting whole tomatoes with completely intact skins, without spots, cracks or dents. To avoid mechanical damage, vegetables are placed in containers lined with soft cloth on the inside. It is advisable to pick them from the bush along with the stalk - this way they will be stored for as long as possible: as long as the characteristics of the variety allow them.

Storing green tomatoes

To preserve shelf-stable varieties of green tomatoes until the New Year, or even longer, they need to be properly processed. To do this, place the fruits in water heated to 60 ºC for a few minutes, and then thoroughly dry each specimen in a ventilated room or outdoors in the shade.

Wooden or plastic shallow boxes work well for long-term storage, as long as they are clean and dry. At the bottom of the container, you need to pour a layer of shavings and put paper soaked in alcohol. It would be a good idea to treat the fruits themselves with alcohol if you want to preserve them until the end of winter.

Tomatoes should be placed correctly: with the stems facing up. Specimens intended for long-term storage should be wrapped in alcohol-soaked napkins and then sprinkled with straw or shavings to prevent the fruit from becoming crushed under the weight. upper layers. Medium-season and long-lasting varieties can be preserved by simply placing them in a box and laying alcohol-preserved paper between the layers.

You can store the boxes in a cellar or even an apartment, provided that the room is darkened, well ventilated, the humidity does not exceed 80%, and the temperature ranges from 7 to 14 ºС. If your tomatoes are not green, but already reddish, the temperature should be reduced to 4-6 ºС. Ripe vegetables can be stored at a temperature of no more than 1-2 ºС.

Fruits need to be regularly inspected, removing rotten specimens, as well as tomatoes that have turned red ahead of time. The fact is that if at least one ripe fruit lies next to the green tomatoes, this will greatly speed up the ripening of the remaining vegetables.

This property can be used if you decide to prepare a salad with fresh vegetables, but there were no ripe tomatoes on hand. Just take the box with green tomatoes into a bright room with a temperature of 15-20 ºС and place one ripe fruit next to them, preferably with a damaged skin. The folic acid released by a ripe tomato will allow green vegetables to ripen much faster. You can use tomato instead ripe apple or banana - the ethanol gas released by these fruits also perfectly accelerates the ripening of fruits and vegetables.

Storing ripe tomatoes

We figured out how to store green tomatoes, now I’ll tell you how and for how long you can store ripe tomatoes. Since you won’t be able to chop a large amount of vegetables into a salad at once, there is a temptation to put them in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic out of habit. It is unlikely that it will be possible to preserve the fruits in this way, since, being in a plastic bag, they will not be able to “breathe” normally and will deteriorate and rot faster.

At a temperature of 4-6 ºС fresh tomatoes can be stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator without any packaging for about a month, and at 1-3 ºС - up to 40 days. However, the fruits will lose their aroma and become loose and tasteless. In order for ripe vegetables to retain their taste at home, it is better to use one of the following storage methods.

• Recipe with salt. Tomatoes must be washed, stems removed, and the ripest and most crushed specimens cut into small pieces. In a dry and clean jar you need to place a layer of chopped tomatoes about 10 cm high, generously add salt, then lay out a layer of whole strong fruits, again sprinkle the vegetables with salt. You can alternate layers several times, and complete the preparation with a layer of chopped and salted fruits. It is better to keep tomatoes in the cellar or refrigerator. Of course, they are not suitable for long-term storage, but these tomatoes can be placed in a salad immediately, without prior preparation.
• Recipe with mustard. Sterilize three-liter jars, dry them and add a thick layer of mustard powder to the bottom. Place a layer of clean, dry tomatoes on top of it, placing them so that the place where the stalk is attached is on top. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with mustard and add the next layer. At the end, cover the top fruits again with powder, roll up the jars and place them in a cool place for storage. For each three-liter jar you will need at least 4 tablespoons of dry mustard. Such preparations can be stored as long as the keeping quality of the variety allows.
• Recipe with vinegar and vegetable oil. Place clean tomatoes in jars and add a mixture of water, vinegar and salt in a ratio of 8:1:1. Pour a layer on top vegetable oil 1 cm high. Such a workpiece must be stored in a cellar or other dark and cool place.
• Vacuum storage. You can organize such storage at home in the following way. Place clean, dry tomatoes in sterilized jars and add 2 tablespoons of alcohol. Gently rotate the jars so that the vegetables are saturated with alcohol. Then place a long wick in the jar and light it. After some time, the alcohol will ignite, and at this moment the can needs to be quickly rolled up. The ignited alcohol will burn all the oxygen, and the tomatoes will end up in a vacuum. If you don't like playing with fire, you can simply use vacuum containers. The shelf life of such a product is at least 3 months.
• Storing in the freezer. By quickly freezing fresh tomatoes, you can store them for 3-4 months without losing their taste. Thawed tomatoes can be used for preparing various dishes or simply added to a salad.

Tomato processing

The story about how to store tomatoes will be incomplete if we forget about the multiple ways to process these fruits. You can choose one recipe for yourself or several at once, the main thing is to observe the shelf life of the preparations, then salted, dried and canned vegetables will generously share with you the nutrients preserved in them.

Sun-dried tomatoes recipe. Wash the fruits, dry them, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Place the preparations on a baking sheet, add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with olive oil and place in the oven for 8 hours, preheated to 100 ºС. After this, place tomatoes and chopped garlic in layers in sterilized jars, not forgetting to season the vegetables with oil. We roll up the blanks and store them in a dark place for about six months. You can keep dried fruits not only in a jar, but also in an airtight bag, placing it in the freezer. After defrosting, tomatoes can be eaten as a snack or added to a salad, but their color will fade somewhat.

Dried tomatoes recipe. Cut the washed fruits into rings, remove seeds, place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, spices and dry in an oven or electric dryer at 80 ºC. In summer you can do this outdoors. Ready dried tomatoes should crumble easily in your hands. Inexperienced owners often wonder how long such preparations can be stored. Their shelf life depends on where they are stored. So, they last in the refrigerator for 2 months, and in the freezer for about six months.

Recipe for salted tomatoes. For 10 kg of tomatoes you will need 50 g of horseradish root, 200 g of dill sprigs, 100 g of horseradish and black currant leaves, 30 g of garlic and about 700 g of salt. Place half of the greens in sterilized jars, fill them with tomatoes, and on top add the remaining greens and chopped or grated horseradish root - this will prevent mold from growing in the preparations. Then dissolve the salt in 10 liters of water, pour cold brine over the tomatoes, cover with plastic lids and let them stand in a warm place for as long as it takes to start the fermentation process (usually 2-3 days). To prevent salted tomatoes from becoming moldy in the jar, sprinkle the brine with fine salt and pour a small layer of vegetable oil on top. After the vegetables begin to ferment, the preparations are tightly closed with lids and stored in a cellar or refrigerator at a temperature of 1-6 ºС. This recipe can be used to salt both red and green tomatoes, and if you add chili pepper to the jars, you will have excellent spicy preparations for the winter. Salted tomatoes can be stored for about 6-8 months.

Canned tomatoes recipe. I like to marinate tomatoes as follows. In a sterilized three-liter jar I put chopped parsley, garlic cloves and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. I fill the jar with tomatoes mixed with rings onions. I prepare the marinade: boil 1.5 liters of water, dissolve 1.5 tablespoons of salt, 4 sugar, a teaspoon of allspice and black peppercorns in it, then remove the pan from the heat and add 70 ml of 9% vinegar. I pour the marinade over the vegetables, sterilize them in a water bath for 15 minutes and roll them up. You can also cover a salad of red or green tomatoes for the winter by cutting them in half and stuffing them with herbs, garlic and red bell pepper. The shelf life of such canned tomatoes is 1-2 years.

Your brownie.