How to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time? How to keep tomatoes fresh until the New Year: a simple but effective trick

Most people are under the misconception that tomatoes can be kept fresh for a very short time. This is an extremely delicate, even capricious vegetable. But it turns out that cooking delicious salad from fresh tomatoes you can almost all year round, for this it is not at all necessary to go to the supermarket for expensive imported fruits; you are quite capable of preparing your own harvest. Want to know how to keep tomatoes fresh until the New Year? We will be happy to tell you.

Not every tomato variety can be stored for a long time. Therefore, breeders have identified a special gene responsible for delayed fruit ripening.

Similar hybrid varieties Tomatoes can be more easily transported, and the duration of their storage varies from 30 days or more. The very first representative among tomatoes is considered to be the Giraffe variety. Later, experts developed other varieties with different shelf life:

2−3 months

  • New masterpiece;
  • Oak;
  • Lunar;
  • Japanese crab;
  • Dominator;
  • Radical.

3−5 months

  • New Year;
  • Red Stone;
  • Podzimny;
  • Rio Grande;
  • Kyrgyz late ones.

6−7 months

  • Lyn Keeper;
  • Giraffe;
  • Orange Ball;
  • Vasilisa.

A notable feature of mature tomato varieties is their color. When ripe, the peel turns orange, while the flesh becomes bright red.

Where to store tomatoes

Any housewife wants to forget about going to the grocery store for a long time. That is why everyone wants to preserve as much as possible longer tomatoes and other vegetables. An important issue that worries all housewives is where to store tomatoes. Most often, gardeners recommend storing fruits:

  • In the refrigerator compartment;
  • On the balcony;
  • In the basement.

It doesn’t matter which location is chosen, since keeping the tomato fresh is the first priority of any gardener.

Preparing tomatoes for long-term storage

Only those tomatoes that have been correctly collected from the garden can be stored for a long time. Another important point is the variety of tomatoes. Long-term storage of tomatoes is possible provided the correct varietal variety is selected.

In order for tomatoes to last long enough, you will have to choose the right moment for harvesting, namely, to catch the stage of milky ripeness of the fruit. Of course, you can pick completely green tomatoes: they will last a long time, but will be completely devoid of all taste and nutritional qualities. And if the fruits are fully ripe in the garden, it is unlikely that they will be preserved for a long time.

Harvesting should be carried out on a warm, dry and fine day, paying maximum attention to each tomato: for storage we select only those that have no damage to the skin, they are free of stains or foreign inclusions, and there are no dents on them. For greater safety, the tomatoes are carefully placed in a durable container, lined from the inside. soft material. Try to harvest tomatoes in such a way that the stem remains on the fruit - this will extend the shelf life of vegetables for as long as possible.

How long can tomatoes be stored?

The shelf life of tomatoes largely depends on the chosen storage method, as well as on the degree of ripeness of the fruit.

Fresh ripe tomatoes without additional processing will last less than green ones. But their taste will fully correspond to summer products, which is a prerequisite for many.

Temperature and humidity levels in home storage are rarely constant. Therefore, creating an ideal microclimate that would ensure long-term storage of tomatoes is quite difficult. As a result, shelf life indicators can vary greatly.

Approximately refer to the following expiration dates:

  • red tomatoes in storage - up to 3 months depending on the variety;
  • frozen in a household way— 6−8 months or until defrosting;
  • sun-dried tomatoes - 4-8 months;
  • canned fruits under iron lids - up to 2 years.

What conditions are needed to store tomatoes?

  • The storage room (place) should be dark and cool. Ideally, this is a refrigerator shelf intended for vegetables, a cellar or basement.
  • The temperature in the storage should be from +5 to +12°C with a relative humidity of 80%.
  • The fruits must be carefully placed with the stalk up in wooden or plastic containers (boxes, trays).

For successful and long-term storage, we should remember the following rules. All fruits must be checked for integrity, so that there are no rotten or diseased tomatoes among them. All tomatoes are thoroughly wiped and placed in a container with the stalk facing up, preferably in one layer. A box or basket works well as a container, the main thing is that the tomatoes are well ventilated in it. After placing it in a container, it should be placed in a cool and dry room with a temperature of 8−10 °C. If the temperature is higher, the fruits will ripen quickly and will need to be eaten, otherwise they will spoil. Otherwise, at low temperatures they may not ripen at all and the risk of developing diseases will also increase. But, regardless of which location you choose, you need to take into account the harvesting conditions and carry out preliminary preparation of the tomatoes.

How to keep tomatoes fresh with a jar until the New Year

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar

  • 5−6 tbsp. l. mustard powder
  • tomatoes

Preparation

  1. Sterilize the jars. Wash the tomatoes and dry thoroughly.
  2. Using a dry, clean spoon, generously scoop up mustard powder and pour into the bottom of a dry jar.
  3. Trying not to press them against each other, lay out the tomatoes in 1 layer, placing the place where the stem was at the top. Sprinkle with mustard again.
  4. Repeat layers until the jar is full. At the end, add another portion of powder and close the lid (sterile and dry).
  5. After this, tilt the jar and carefully roll it on the table so that the mustard is evenly distributed.
  6. Store the workpiece in a cool, dark place.

The essential oils contained in mustard inhibit the growth of putrefactive bacteria, allowing tomatoes to remain fresh. Try preparing a portion of tomatoes this way and be sure: the method will not let you down!

How to keep tomatoes fresh with boxes until the New Year

  1. Take wooden or plastic boxes with lattice bottoms. Boxes must be clean and dry. Cover them with paper.
  2. Place the vegetables with the stems facing up, intersecting each row with paper.
  3. For a better effect, you can wrap each fruit in paper.
  4. Fill the box with sawdust or wood peat.
  1. Select milk-ripe tomatoes.
  2. Wrap each vegetable in black paper.
  3. Place it in a box.
  4. Cover with straw.
  5. Store tomatoes in a dark, well-ventilated area at a temperature of +8... +10 °C.
  6. To ripen, place the required number of tomatoes in a light and warm room for 5−10 days.

If you follow all these rules, perhaps on New Year’s holidays you will delight your guests with a salad of fresh tomatoes.

With the purchase of a summer house, I also learned the science of long-term storage of not only tomatoes, but also other vegetables, for example, eggplant, which I already wrote about here. Tomatoes are a more capricious vegetable, but their shelf life can be extended for a long time.

When harvesting tomatoes, you do not need to remove the stems. This way they will last longer. Let's roll up the canned food and prepare tomato juice. But on the New Year's table I would like to put a salad of fresh vegetables grown with my own hands. Let's try to figure out how to properly store fruits and preparations so that our labors are not in vain.

How to store tomatoes?

Vegetables that we are not going to process in the near future need to be sorted out and sorted according to their degree of ripeness. The storage method depends on the color of the picked tomato.

Rules for storing red tomatoes

Ripe tomatoes cannot be stored for long periods of time, especially for fruits with thin skin. Only brown tomatoes can be preserved longer. But still we will describe a few main points.

The refrigerator is a great place to easily maintain desired temperature and humidity. But it is precisely for this red-sided vegetable that the conditions are rather unsuitable.

At low temperatures, tomatoes lose the taste and smell for which we love them, and begin to produce harmful substances. Therefore, you should not keep them in the refrigerator for more than 5 days.


It is better to put them in a freshness zone; if there is none, it will do top shelf, but the product must be placed in plastic bag. You can also use a vegetable drawer for several days, covering each layer of tomatoes with paper.

It is even more difficult to preserve ripe tomatoes in conditions ordinary apartment. If you need to preserve red tomatoes for more than 4 days, you cannot do without special preparation. You can use the following methods:

  1. Place in a saucepan, pour vegetable oil so that the top layer is at least a centimeter.
  2. Pour the washed vegetables into a solution of 8 parts water, 1 part vinegar and 1 part salt.
  3. Place the tomatoes, stems side up, in pre-sterilized and dried jars, the bottoms of which are coated with mustard powder. Each layer also needs to be sprinkled with mustard. Do not compact vegetables under any circumstances!
  4. Place vegetables in a vacuum container.

Attention! First of all, the tomatoes must be carefully sorted, discarding overripe or damaged ones, washed and dried.

What to do with green tomatoes?

It is green, unripe fruits that are suitable for long-term storage. And with the right approach, it’s not at all difficult to surprise your guests on New Year’s Eve. delicious dishes from fresh tomatoes, for example.


The main key to success is on time harvested. This should be done right before the first frost. If you grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, then it’s a little easier, but if you grow them on the ground, you’ll have to carefully monitor weather forecasts.

Carefully inspect each vegetable. If the peel is intact, there is no dark spots– the main sign of late blight – feel free to send it to the bins. Spoiled tomatoes must be thrown away immediately, otherwise they will contaminate all the vegetables in the neighborhood.

Sort tomatoes by size, because small fruits take longer to ripen than large ones.

The storage container must be wiped with alcohol for disinfection and dried thoroughly, the bottom covered with sawdust. Place the vegetables with their stems facing up and line them with clean paper or shavings so that they do not touch each other. You can wrap each tomato in dark paper, then they will last even longer.

Important! It is necessary to provide vegetables with access to oxygen, so you should not choose boxes with solid walls.

Let's choose a place for storage. This should be a well-ventilated, dark room, with a temperature no higher than 10 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 80-90%. If country house far away, and there is no way to keep supplies in the basement, a cabinet on the loggia is quite suitable, where the tomatoes will lie for several weeks, remaining green. Periodically sort through the tomatoes, pull out ripened or spoiled ones.


On the twentieth of December, place green vegetables to ripen in a dark place at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. In bright light, the tomatoes will ripen much faster, in just three days, but when grown in the dark, they will color evenly and look more beautiful. As a child, I was lucky enough to spend the summer with my grandmother and I remember how she filled felt boots with green tomatoes, not forgetting to put one red one with them.

Indeed, in order for the tomatoes to ripen faster, you should add the red vegetable to its green counterparts. Ethylene, which is released by a tomato that is ready to eat, accelerates the ripening of vegetables. By the way, a ripe apple is also suitable for these purposes.

How to store homemade tomato preparations?

Another storage method is to roll tomatoes into jars. There are thousands of recipes! There is plenty to choose from to suit your taste. Especially popular in my family, and

Each type of workpiece has its own storage features:

Pickled tomatoes store well at room temperature. It’s just important to remember that this is not wine; it won’t get better in 10 years. Moreover, if canned food is stored for more than a year, it may spoil. Write the expiration date on each jar and dispose of expired products on time.

Sun-dried tomatoes can be stored in a kitchen cabinet, packaged in cotton bags. There is another way to store it - put it in a plastic food container with a lid, add olive oil and put it in the refrigerator on a shelf. When stored in freezer sun-dried tomatoes will lose color.


Tomato juice own production especially tasty and rich in very healthy succinic acid, if it is squeezed from overripe tomatoes. Freshly squeezed juice can be poured into glasses and stored in the freezer for several months. If the drink is sterilized, it will not lose its properties for three years if placed in a cool, dark place.

Is it possible to keep tomatoes fresh in a jar?

If you have been interested in the issue of storing tomatoes for a long time, then you have probably come across unusual ways, for example, storage in jars without liquids, heat treatments, etc. The essence of these methods is that oxygen burns out in a hermetically sealed container with tomatoes. Like in this video:

There are recommendations with both alcohol and a candle. This supposedly preserves it for several months. Theoretically it seems plausible, but in practice it hasn’t worked out for me personally and for all my friends. The experiments ended disastrously - after a few weeks the contents of the jars spoiled.
Have you tried that?

Kira Stoletova

Many of us love salads made from fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes. In this article we will look at how to keep tomatoes fresh for as long as possible at home.

Rules for storing tomatoes

At 5-6º red vegetables lose everything beneficial features. The optimal storage temperature is above 20º. In such conditions, tomatoes became more useful and rich in composition.

Red, ripe fruits can be stored for about a week. Again, the shelf life of tomatoes depends on their degree of ripeness, appearance and transportation conditions.

Storing green tomatoes

Green tomatoes cannot be stored in the refrigerator. They will spoil or remain green.

The process of ripening tomatoes should take place at room temperature (15-20º). If the room is too hot, the fruits will stop releasing coloring pigment and will not ripen. It is best if the temperature reaches 13º. Only in this case will they turn red and retain their taste.

It is correct to store fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator in the fruit and vegetable compartment, where the optimum temperature is maintained. You can also store tomatoes on the bottom shelf. This will keep your tomatoes fresh for as long as possible.

Ripe tomatoes are stored for 2-3 days. Unripe - up to 7 days.

  • It is best to store tomatoes by placing them in one row. You can, of course, lay them in two rows, but so that the bottom row is not too compressed.
  • If a tomato sits in the refrigerator for several days and then goes indoors room temperature, then it begins to release useful substances.
  • Wrap each tomato in paper. This will preserve the strength for a long time. In addition, the paper does not squeeze the tomato if the fruits were arranged in two rows.

Storing tomatoes in a plastic bag will not lead to anything good. The fruits do not breathe, the humidity in the bag increases and after a few hours such vegetables can simply rot.

Storage in a glass jar

Storing tomatoes in glass jars allows you to preserve the fruit for several months. The main thing is to choose tomatoes that do not contain rot or mechanical damage.

A new way that allows you to store tomatoes in this form is as follows. Fresh tomatoes should be thoroughly washed and dried. Next, put them in a glass jar, which must be sterilized. When the jar is full, pour in 3 tbsp. l. alcohol After that, close it with a plastic lid and twirl it well in your hands. Then we need to lower the wick inside the jar and set it on fire. When the alcohol starts to burn, you need to roll up the jar with a metal lid.

Storage on the balcony

You can store tomatoes on the balcony at temperatures from 5 to 12º. How to do it correctly.

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With the onset of spring, the garden plot comes to life: vegetables are planted everywhere. Juicy tomatoes occupy a leading position among all vegetables. They are used in all sorts of canning recipes, but the most delicious way to serve tomatoes is with fresh, juicy fruit.

Unfortunately, a tomato cannot retain its strength and original beauty for long. But with a little effort, it will become quite possible.

Not every tomato variety can be stored for a long time. Therefore, breeders have identified a special gene responsible for delayed fruit ripening. Such hybrid varieties of tomatoes can be more easily transported, and their storage duration varies from 30 days or more. The very first representative among tomatoes is considered to be the Giraffe variety. Later, experts developed other varieties with different shelf life:

A notable feature of mature tomato varieties is their color. When ripe, the peel turns orange, while the flesh becomes bright red.

Storage duration

Ripe tomatoes can last for a week if stored at a temperature of 1-2° C. The refrigerator is not able to preserve the strength of fresh tomatoes for a long time. The maximum period is up to 3 days. That's why the best option The best way to store a tomato is to place the unripe fruit on the refrigerator shelf. Green tomatoes can be kept in such conditions for a couple of weeks.

Creating conditions for ripening

Depending on certain storage conditions, the shelf life of fresh tomatoes may vary.

Therefore, by creating a cozy microclimate for tomatoes, their “life” can be extended for a considerable time.

Ideal conditions for fruit maturation without loss taste qualities are considered:

  • temperature within 10-12°C;
  • humidity not exceeding 80-85%;
  • absence of light rays.

During storage, the fruits evaporate excess moisture Therefore, regular ventilation of the room becomes a decisive factor in protecting tomatoes from spoilage. It is important to timely select damaged and ripe fruits.

Fresh harvest storage area

When choosing a suitable place to store fresh tomatoes, you should consider optimal conditions maturation of fruits. Based on this, the best option will become:

  • cellar or basement in a private house;
  • garage, if it is free of dampness and toxic substances;
  • balcony or loggia in the apartment;
  • bathroom while maintaining optimal conditions;
  • dark unheated room or pantry.

Methods for storing tomatoes in the cellar and in the refrigerator

To serve fresh tomatoes on the table in the frosty winter, you need to properly collect them for storage.

Fruit harvesting begins before the first frost, and the vegetables must be completely dry, without drops of dew.

Only healthy and strong tomatoes are suitable for storage.

A little preparation

Of particular importance is the preparation of fruits for wintering. Before planting, vegetables must not be washed or the stems removed from them. Preserving its original appearance will extend the life of the tomato. Before immediate storage, all necessary equipment is prepared. Each type of tomato has its own methods of “preservation”.

Storing ripe tomatoes

Ripe tomatoes are considered a rather capricious vegetable, because their shelf life is short. There is a high probability of tomato rotting and loss of fruit elasticity.

But effective and interesting ways“storing” tomatoes will allow you to treat your guests with homemade vegetables for the New Year holidays.

  1. Prepare and sterilize several 3-liter jars.

Tomatoes must be washed and dried thoroughly. Pour a tablespoon of dry mustard into a completely dry jar, and place the tomatoes on top in one layer.

There is no need to try to press a lot of fruits into the jar. Vegetables should touch each other with minimal force. This is how each layer is laid, alternately sprinkled with aromatic powder. As soon as the jar is filled, it must be rolled up with a dry and sterilized lid. Glass containers roll it carefully on the table and hide it in a suitable place.

  1. This method is more like a trick, but is just as effective as the previous one.

Loosely place clean and dried tomatoes into dry and sterilized jars. Pour 2 tablespoons of alcohol into the container, cover the jar with a lid and roll it on the table to distribute the liquid evenly. Next, everything needs to be done quickly and deftly. Lower the wick prepared in advance into the jar at one end and set it on fire. As soon as the alcohol lights up, you need to immediately cover the jar with a lid and roll up the container. Such a vacuum can preserve the freshness of juicy tomatoes for a long time.

Storing green tomatoes until the New Year

Unripe fruits have the greatest chance of remaining fresh until New Year's holidays. Tomatoes of “milk maturity” are perfect for long-term storage, but subject to strict recommendations.

  1. The easiest way to store tomatoes is to store vegetables in a lattice box. Its walls and bottom are lined with parchment paper. It is permissible to lay out tomatoes in several layers, but then they need to be sprinkled with sawdust, peat or covered with paper. The boxes are placed in a suitable room with little ventilation.
  2. You can wrap each fruit in parchment paper and place the tomatoes in a box made of wood. The tomatoes are stacked in several layers, which are covered with dry straw. The container with vegetables is placed in a dark room with an influx of fresh air and a temperature of about 10°C.

Unripe tomatoes are placed in a clean wooden container with the stems facing up. The fruits should be wiped with a dry cloth. Tightness - no The best decision for the green “tenants” of the box, so the tomatoes should be laid out freely.

The top of the container is closed with a lid or cardboard, but with mandatory air access. The optimal storage temperature for green tomatoes is 7-14°C.

How to store tomatoes in the refrigerator?

The refrigerator is not the best The best way for long-term storage of tomatoes. However, it is permissible to place tomatoes in the refrigerator, but only in a basket designed for this purpose. A plastic container is filled with vegetables in one row. Should not be applied a large number of fruits in the basket - they will crush each other.

The shelf life of tomatoes in the refrigerator is several days, and if the vegetables were prepared for further “preservation”, then the tomatoes should be removed from the chamber after 24 hours.

When placing a small amount of tomatoes on the refrigerator shelf, you need to wrap each vegetable in clean paper. This will protect the tomatoes from spoilage.

To avoid mistakes when organizing long-term storage of fresh tomatoes and preserve the harvest until the beginning of spring, you need to listen to useful tips experienced summer residents:

  1. To avoid spoilage, fruits should be inspected once a week for mold, rot, or disease development. Removing ripe tomatoes from boxes will prevent the crop from ripening prematurely.
  2. Enveloping each tomato in paraffin or petroleum jelly can prolong the “preservation” of fruits.
  3. To make the “uncanned” tomatoes turn red, you need to put a ripe fruit and a little hay in the box. A banana is also suitable for a similar purpose.
  4. An intact stalk guarantees a long shelf life for the tomato.
  5. Before placing them in wooden boxes, tomatoes can be wiped with alcohol. This is to keep them fresh for a long time.
  6. When choosing a landing site vegetable crop, it is necessary to give preference to the bed on open ground. Tomatoes from a greenhouse are not able to maintain freshness long time.
  7. You can extend the shelf life of tomatoes by sprinkling onion peels on the fruits placed in boxes.
  8. The wooden box should be pre-treated with alcohol and dried. This will reduce the likelihood of harmful microorganisms appearing.

Now you can easily make your family happy fresh vegetables throughout the winter. This is quite economical, because you don’t need to buy tomatoes out of season for crazy money. You just have to get to the treasured jar or box and take out the juicy fruit from there. Do not neglect the exact rules for storing tomatoes. This will allow you to keep your own harvest fresh even for six months.

Tomatoes are one of the most common and popular types of vegetables grown by gardeners on their personal plots. And preserving the harvest always remains an urgent task.

To successfully solve this problem, there are many fairly simple and available ways that allow you to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time at home.

The main condition for storing tomatoes fresh for a long time is right choice their varieties. As practice shows, it is best to store late and mid-late varieties tomatoes, for example, such as “San Marzano”, “New Year’s”, “De Barao”, “Zhanina”, “Rio Grande”, etc.

In addition, today breeders have developed special varieties specifically designed for long-term storage, for example, “Masterpiece”, “Long Keeper”, “Giraffe”, etc. These varieties, subject to their proper storage, are able to maintain their freshness until the spring of next year.

It should be noted that, regardless of any variety, tomatoes grown not in greenhouse conditions, but in simple beds, are best preserved.

Choosing a convenient storage location

No less an important condition For long-term storage of tomatoes is the right choice of a suitable place for storing them. Such places are best in cool and dark rooms, for example, a basement or cellar in a private house, an insulated loggia or balcony, a storage room, or simply free space on the floor under the bed.

As a last resort, a special drawer for vegetables in the refrigerator is suitable if the tomatoes are planned to be stored for a short time (two to three weeks).

Necessary storage conditions

Based on current practice, optimal temperature for storing tomatoes is 8-15 ° C at a relative humidity of 70-80%, as well as ventilation in the room.

It should be borne in mind that fresh tomato fruits are very sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, therefore an important condition for their preservation is the stability of these parameters, sudden changes in in this case unacceptable. This leads to rapid fading of the form and loss of the original taste of fresh tomatoes.

Unripe fruits are best kept in the light for rapid ripening. At room temperature, tomatoes can last for one and a half to two weeks without losing their shape and specific taste.

Preparing tomatoes for storage

To ensure the long-term preservation of fresh tomatoes, a number of certain conditions must be met:

  • It is necessary to harvest the crop before the temperature drops to 8°C and below;
  • Tomato fruits should be picked together with the tail so that they can be stored longer;
  • It is better to pick tomatoes in the daytime or evening and in dry weather, when the dew has disappeared from them;
  • after harvesting the fruits, they must be carefully sorted, choosing only whole, elastic tomatoes for storage;
  • It is best to select slightly unripe fruits of milky ripeness, beginning to turn red and having a light green or pale pink color;
  • Before placing tomatoes in storage containers, it is advisable to wipe them with an alcohol solution to kill all pathogenic microbes.

Compliance with these simple rules will significantly increase the shelf life of fresh tomatoes.

Basic storage methods

There are quite a few ways to store tomatoes, which can be divided into two main groups:

  1. Ways to preserve tomatoes fresh.
  2. Methods for preserving processed tomatoes.

Let's take a closer look at the most well-known and common methods.

In boxes

Fresh tomatoes are best stored in wooden or plastic boxes; suitable for this purpose and carton boxes. To do this, the bottom of the box is covered with paper and a layer of tomatoes is laid out on it with the tail facing up.

At the same time, the fruits should not be placed closely so that they do not come into contact with each other. For better preservation, each fruit should be wrapped in paper or covered with dry peat or sawdust.

Having laid the first layer, paper is laid on top and the second layer is laid in the same way. In total, no more than three layers should be placed in the box, so as not to crush the tomatoes placed in the lower layers.

Periodically, every 8-10 days, it is advisable to check the contents of the boxes and remove the fruits that are beginning to deteriorate so that they do not infect the rest.

Instead of paper, the layer between the layers can be made of straw, which is an excellent antibacterial agent and allows you to preserve the crop much longer.

In banks

There are several options for storing fresh tomatoes in glass jars. In any case, the jar must first be pasteurized (pour boiling water over it for a few minutes).

After this, in the first option, two or three tablespoons of dry mustard powder are poured into the bottom of the jar and the tomatoes are laid in layers, sprinkling each layer with dry mustard. After this, the jar is closed with a lid (preferably metal) and sent for long-term storage.

In the second option, tomatoes are placed in a jar in layers and 2-3 tablespoons of alcohol are poured in (depending on the capacity of the jar). Then the jar is shaken vigorously (but gently) so that the alcohol moistens all the fruits and a lit wick is inserted inside the jar. When the alcohol inside the jar catches fire, it is immediately closed with a metal lid, rolled up and stored.

It is also possible to store tomatoes in jars " liquid method" To do this, prepare a solution of water, vinegar and salt in a ratio of 8:1:1, place the fruits in a jar and fill it with this solution. Pour a layer of regular sunflower oil about the thickness of a finger and roll it up with a lid.

In a saucepan

Large-capacity pots are best suited for this method. A layer is poured onto their bottom table salt, then lay out a layer of large tomatoes cut into pieces, then add a layer of salt again and place a layer of whole tomatoes on top of it.

After this, again a layer of chopped tomatoes, salt and whole fruits, and so on, alternating layers until the pan is completely filled. In addition to salt, you can add various spices to the pan: pepper, Bay leaf, dill, etc.

In a refrigerator

The best place in this case is a special shelf (pallet) for storing vegetables. With this storage method, the tomatoes are placed on the shelf in layers with their tails up in such a way as to prevent them from touching each other. For better preservation, it is better to wrap each fruit in paper.

As an option, fresh tomatoes can be put in the freezer. Their shelf life in this case will be practically unlimited. But it is best to use such tomatoes after they have been frozen as an addition to various dishes: soups, stews, etc.

Dried (sun-dried) tomatoes

In this way, it is possible to preserve tomatoes for quite a long time (up to six months).

There are three main ways to prepare them for storage in this form:

  1. In a special electric dryer for fruits and vegetables.
  2. In the oven of a gas or electric stove.
  3. Natural drying in the sun.

To do this, the tomatoes are cut into slices, excess pulp is removed from them, then they are placed on a baking sheet and placed in the dryer or oven. Or they are simply laid out on a tray and exposed to the sun. They are dried until all the moisture comes out of them.

After this, the dried tomato slices are placed in a canvas bag or some suitable container (jar, box, etc.) and left for storage in a cool, dry place.

Salted tomatoes

This method allows you to preserve tomatoes for a long time (up to six months or longer). Salting can be done cold or hot. In any of these options, a solution is prepared from water and salt in the ratio: about 1 liter of water 30-40 grams of salt.

The tomatoes are placed in layers in a prepared container, on the bottom of which various spices are first placed: currant leaves, cherry leaves, horseradish leaves, bay leaves, allspice and black pepper, etc.

After this, the tomatoes are poured with hot or cold marinade and covered with a regular lid. A particularly aromatic taste is obtained if you pickle tomatoes in this way in a wooden, preferably an oak, barrel.

Canned tomatoes

Canning tomatoes allows you to preserve them for as long as possible (up to a year or longer). For this purpose, ripe fruits of medium size are selected that do not have any external defects. They are thoroughly washed and placed in layers in pre-pasteurized glass jar. After this, the jar is filled with boiling water for several minutes.

At the same time, the marinade is prepared in the following proportions: for 5 liters of water, 1 glass of salt, 1 glass of granulated sugar and 1 glass of vinegar. In addition, various spices and seasonings can be added to the jar: lava leaf, garlic, dill, pepper, currant or cherry leaves, etc.

This solution is brought to a boil and poured into a jar with packed tomatoes. After this, the jar is closed with a metal lid and rolled up. Tomatoes prepared this way can be stored in any suitable place: pantry, closet, basement, etc.