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

Tomatoes are one of the most popular products in the world. This vegetable is found in almost every kitchen. Housewives prepare delicious and healthy salads and winter preparations from it. Tomatoes contain vitamins A, B2, E, PP and even the rare vitamin K, which normalizes the functioning of blood vessels. But to enjoy these juicy vegetables a little longer, you need to know how to store picked tomatoes.

Varieties for long-term storage

To ensure that the harvest is stored for a long time, those varieties that are characterized by high shelf life are selected for planting. Tomatoes are not washed; heavily soiled ones are wiped with a soft cloth, trying not to spoil the skin.

Experienced vegetable growers harvest lightly unripe tomatoes varieties:

1. De Barao - a mid-season tomato, the height of the bush reaches 3 m. The 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 yield.

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

1. Giraffe – a variety reaching a height of 1.2 m. It is a late-ripening variety; it is cultivated in open ground and under film covers. The fruits are stored until the end of spring.
2. Long Keeper – late-ripening variety, tomatoes reach 450 g. They are stored fresh until spring.
3. Masterpiece-1 - a late-ripening, low-growing hybrid, its bush grows up to 65 cm. Red flat fruits weighing about 200 g are stored until March.

How long can tomatoes be stored?

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

In the refrigerator, tomatoes remain fresh for up to two weeks. The freezer gives tomatoes the longest shelf life. But only ripe, thoroughly washed, undamaged fruits should be frozen.

Factors for proper storage

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

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

How to properly harvest tomatoes for storage

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

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

How to store the harvest

Fleshy, sugary tomatoes are the worst to store, as they quickly begin to ferment and become unsuitable for consumption. Slightly unripe tomatoes stay fresh for 2-3 days longer than ripe ones because their flesh is still hard. Overripe fruits are eaten immediately, as they do not last long.

On a note. Regardless of the variety, tomatoes grown outdoors are better preserved than those grown in greenhouses.

How to store tomatoes in a cellar or basement

The suitable temperature for maintaining the freshness of tomatoes is +10-15°C, so the best place to store picked tomatoes is a 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 paper wrapper. Do not put more than three layers in boxes, otherwise the bottom row will deteriorate from the weight of the top ones.

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

Features of storage on the balcony

A suitable place to store 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 laid in layers, each layer covered with cloth or paper. The boxes themselves are also covered with fabric to protect them from sunlight.

How to store fresh tomatoes in jars

Canning is a method of long-term storage. 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, cover with a nylon lid and shake so that all the tomatoes are well wet. Then a thread soaked in alcohol is placed in the middle and set on fire from the outside. When the alcohol starts to burn, immediately cover the jar with a metal lid.

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

In boxes

Tomatoes are kept in wooden boxes with slits to allow oxygen to reach them. The boxes are covered with gauze or cotton cloth, but not with a lid. There should be no foreign odors in the container. To protect the tomatoes from moisture, dry hay is placed at the bottom.

In the sawdust

To keep tomatoes in boxes longer, use sawdust. If the crop is still slightly unripe, it is placed in boxes, if possible in wooden ones, with the top to the top (where the stalk was - this is the top). Under each layer, paper is placed and sawdust is poured, which will absorb moisture and protect the fruits from rot.

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

Indoor storage

Ripe tomatoes are poorly stored at temperatures higher than +22°C. Because tomatoes contain a lot of sugar and juice, warm conditions create a favorable environment for fermentation. Fleshy fruits with a thin peel are stored at room temperature for no more than 2-3 days. If the tomato has a thick shell and dense pulp, then the vegetables will be stored for up to 6-7 days.

Important! To avoid poisoning from stale products, tomatoes should not be stored at room conditions for longer than this period.

In paper

If the fruits are in 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 put a large number of tomatoes on top of each other; 1-2 layers will be enough.

Storing in a pan

For long-term storage, tomatoes are pickled in a saucepan. To do this, cut half of the tomatoes into equal parts. Place a layer of chopped vegetables in a pan, sprinkle with salt, then a layer of whole ones. And so on several times until the container is completely filled.

On a note. Regardless of the method you choose, inspect your inventory periodically.If a tomato begins to spoil, remove it immediately so that it does not infect others.

In jars with mustard

The tomatoes are thoroughly washed 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 jar 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 regular newspaper, tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Each vegetable is wrapped in a paper bundle or combined in three pieces into an envelope. The goal is to keep the tomatoes from getting soggy. The optimal place to store tomatoes in the refrigerator is the bottom shelf for vegetables. The newspaper is changed periodically, and the shelf in the refrigerator is wiped dry.

On a note. Do not store tomatoes in a closed plastic bag, as they can quickly spoil due to condensation.

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

How to properly store red, brown and milk tomatoes

To store red tomatoes, vegetables are placed with the petioles up 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 care is taken to ensure that oxygen reaches the vegetables. Red fruits are stored at a temperature of +1-2°C. Shelf life – 1–2 months.

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

Dairy fruits are stored best - up to three months. In such tomatoes the ripening process continues. The tomatoes are placed in boxes and each layer is sprinkled with chaff or sawdust. If there is no chaff or sawdust, they are replaced with onion peels. 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, milky green fruits prepared in summer in wooden containers and stored in a dark and cool place are suitable. If this was not possible, and you only have red ripe fruits, then use canning. This will help preserve the juiciness of ripe tomatoes for the New Year and 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 harvest is sorted into whole and spoiled tomatoes. Overripe fruits will be soft and their skin will crack. These tomatoes are thrown away or made into tomato sauce (to do this, the damaged parts are cut off). They are used to prepare salad dressing mixed with any vegetable oil and seasonings.

Storing Processed Tomatoes

Tomatoes are not only stored fresh. Heat-treated, long-storable fruits are used for food. In terms of taste, they are not inferior to fresh vegetables.

Canned, dried and dried fruits last 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 last 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 sun-dried ones. They are placed in bags made of natural fabrics or in paper bags to provide oxygen access to the vegetables and prevent the penetration of dust and insects. Dried tomatoes are stored in a dry and dark place.

How to store homemade tomato preparations

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

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;
• “Italian herbs” spices – 2 tsp;
• garlic – 1.5 heads;
• olive oil – 250 ml.

Preparation:

• cut the tomatoes in half, remove the stem;
• select the seeds using a knife;
• Place the tomatoes in a heated electric dryer in rows;
• salt and sprinkle Italian herbs on each layer on the trays;
• leave to dry at +70°C for 10-12 hours;
• change the 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 pieces;
• Place sun-dried tomatoes, chopped garlic in pre-sterilized glass jars and add olive oil.

Cover the resulting delicacy with a lid and put it 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. It is better to take those grown in the garden or buy them at the market.

Advice 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 as whole ones.
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 stored strictly with the stalk facing up, since the skin around it is tender, and under the weight of the tomatoes it can crack, and then the tomato will begin 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. Do not store vegetables in a plastic bag, since it will not be possible to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time due to high humidity.

Conclusion

The quality of tomato storage depends on the variety chosen. If you follow simple recommendations, tomatoes can be stored for a long time and do not lose their appearance and taste. Healthy fruits will delight the owners for a long time, especially on the table on New Year's holiday.