How and where to store fresh tomatoes
For a long time, French scientists have studied at what temperature to store tomatoes so that their structure does not break down and the beneficial properties are not lost. So, at a temperature of 20 ° C, the same volatile substances that were already discussed, not only did not break down, but also began to be produced even more intensively. That is, the tomato became even more flavorful. And when it was placed in conditions where the temperature did not rise above 4 degrees Celsius, volatile compounds were immediately ceased to be released, and those already present in the tomato composition instantly began to collapse.
About storage temperature
Milk tomatoes should be stored at 8 - 10 degrees, red ones - from 4 to 6 degrees, but brown tomatoes are best tolerated by the cold - it is better to store them at 0 - 2 degrees above zero.
As a rule, storing tomatoes for a long time is not recommended, and few people go for it. The most suitable for storage are fleshy, small-chambered and thick-walled fruits. Storage conditions mainly depend on the degree of maturity, that is, the ripening temperature will be determined based on which tomato is green, milk, red or brown. For example, green tomatoes will certainly not ripen at low temperatures.
So how do you store tomatoes in your apartment before processing? As a rule, green tomatoes can lie from 21 to 70 days, but ripe ones - from 7 to 10 days (of course, if you know how and where to store tomatoes).
You need to store tomatoes in one layer, it is better to lay them with the top to the bottom of the container. By the way, few people know that red tomatoes emit ethylene, thanks to which you can accelerate the ripening of other fruits.
Long term storage
Properly organized conditions will allow you to store fish for up to 1 year! It is important to take into account that the taste will gradually weaken, so you will not be able to enjoy the same ram as when buying. The inside will not collect moisture due to the lack of oxygen, and the fish will lie for at least several months, provided that it is in the refrigerator.
The inside will not collect moisture due to the lack of oxygen, and the fish will lie for at least several months, provided that it is in the refrigerator.
Vacuum packaging
Due to the lack of oxygen, moisture will not collect inside the bag and the fish will be stored for 2-4 months. In this case, you will definitely have to store it in the refrigerator. In order to pack fish, you will have to purchase a special device - a vacuum cleaner. Without it, it will be impossible to achieve similar storage conditions.
Note that the fatty and less salty varieties will lie less than the leaner and saltier varieties.
Glass jar
This home storage technology is similar to evacuation but will take longer to implement. There is no need to purchase additional equipment here.
How to store dried fish in a jar:
- Sprinkle a thin layer of salt on the bottom of the container.
- Large fish must be cut into pieces to fit into the jar. Small (roach, sabrefish) can be laid like this.
- A lighted candle should be placed in the center of the jar.
- The can is sealed with a lid. The oxygen remaining inside will burn out, and a vacuum is formed in the free space.
The method works by analogy with a vacuum, but does not require additional equipment.
Such a container with fish must be kept in the refrigerator. At temperatures up to +5 degrees, she can stay there for up to 12 months.
In the freezer
There is no maximum shelf life at sub-zero temperatures - the fish can lie in the freezer for at least a year. Before laying it, you need to pack it in bags, so that you can get it out in portions later.Before eating, the fish will have to be thawed - it is possible that the meat will lose its elasticity and become watery.
In the freezer, dried fish can lie for as long as possible, at least a year.
In brine
The fish must be poured with a strong saline solution - 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water. Before sending for storage, it will be correct to remove the tails and fins from the carcasses, if necessary, cut large fish into pieces. After the rams are placed in a container, they need to be filled with saline and the lid closed (rolled into a jar).
Such fish should be stored exclusively in a cool, but not damp and dark place. Before eating it, you need to soak it from the remnants of salt and send it to drying for a couple of days.
It is important to ensure that the fish does not have time to dry out under the influence of sunlight and does not harden.
Soak and dry the required number of carcasses before use to the desired consistency.
Hanging
This method is only suitable if the fish is planned to be stored for no more than a month. It must be hung on ropes or metal hooks, excluding direct sunlight. To protect against insects, it is advisable to wrap the carcasses with gauze or place them in cotton bags that allow air to pass through.
If stored for too long, dried carcasses run the risk of becoming dry or even deteriorating.
This storage method is suitable if you want to consume the product within 3-4 weeks.
Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator
Only ripe fruits are stored in the refrigerator. For 1-1.5 weeks, tomatoes are able to retain all their taste and appearance. Under the influence of temperature and due to their maturity, after this time they begin to deteriorate. Tomatoes should be stored in the designated vegetable section. Each fruit can be wrapped in paper. Thanks to this compartment, vegetables receive optimal air circulation, which allows the tomato to remain tasty and edible for as long as possible.
Due to its properties to improve digestion and metabolic processes of the body, as well as thanks to phytoncides, which have an antibacterial effect, tomatoes are used not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology. How can you not love such a creation of nature.
Especially knowing the fact that tomatoes contain, in addition to all other useful substances, serotonin. It is this hormone that causes joy and happiness in the human body, which means that it can be used as an antidepressant, which does not cause heaviness in the stomach and is not deposited on the sides. In order for a tomato to delight us in the winter and cold season, it should simply be stored correctly.
You can also watch a video that will tell you how to save tomatoes until spring.
How to store different varieties of tomatoes
Storing tomatoes at home varies depending on the variety, degree of ripeness, and size of tomatoes.
How to store brown tomatoes
Place the brown tomatoes with their stalks on top, 8-10 kg in each box. They should not touch, shift them with sawdust. Wrapping in thin paper will do.
Cover the box with a lid, place in a room with a temperature of 4-6 degrees.
How to store cherry tomatoes correctly
Cherry is a well-known variety, ideal for fresh consumption, making salads, especially in winter.
Store cherry blossoms in wicker baskets, away from light sources. Freeze small fruits and consume them immediately after thawing.
How to store dairy and green tomatoes
Up to three months it is easier to preserve tomatoes that have not yet passed the entire ripening cycle. This applies to milky, green specimens. They have sufficient weight, shape, but remain green.
Keep tomatoes in the basement, on shelves, out of sunlight. Pre-wrap with paper, put in a container covered with burlap, sprinkled with sawdust or onion husks.
How to store sun-dried tomatoes
Store dried product like dried fruit - in the kitchen or in the closet. Place the fruits in linen bags.
Important subtleties:
- protect dried tomatoes from moisture;
- make sure that insect pests do not get inside;
- beware of the neighborhood with fragrant seasonings, they can transmit their smells to the tomatoes.
Some housewives put sun-dried tomatoes in plastic containers, fill them with olive oil and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
How to store dried tomatoes
Store dried vegetables like dried ones. Pouches or containers filled with oil will do. When there is a lot of such a product, use boxes made of wood or plastic. They are placed on the lower basement shelves. Small containers are kept in the refrigerator.
Basic rules for storing tomatoes
The tomato is very susceptible to light and temperature extremes.
To keep the fruits as long as possible, you need to know some of the subtleties of saving:
- you need to choose varieties with a dense skin, they are less susceptible to external factors;
- fruits cannot be washed before laying;
- if the tomatoes were collected together with the stalks, you do not need to pick them off;
- overripe vegetables must be consumed immediately, they will not stand for a long time;
- when laying for storage, the stalk should look up;
- vegetables need access to oxygen, the storage room must be ventilated;
- the best temperature mode in the room where the fruits are located is from +8 to +12 ° С, air humidity indicators are 80%;
- if the fruits need to be arranged in several layers, relieve each one with thick paper;
- protects against disease and rotting tomato layers with wood shavings or peat chips;
- onions and garlic secrete phytoncides that kill microbes, therefore, the joint storage of crops is also the prevention of rotting.
Important! Dry air, temperatures above +12 ° C and lack of ventilation will turn tomatoes into a wrinkled and tasteless product, the pulp will become tough and dry.
How to cook sun-dried tomatoes at home?
For drying, you need to choose the right tomatoes. Southern fruits are well suited for this - they are fleshy, dense, with a thick skin. Seeds are removed from tomatoes that are watery and only the pulp is left to dry.
Dried tomatoes in the oven do this: each tomato is washed, wiped off with a towel and cut into halves. Preference should be given to small tomatoes in order to shorten the cooking time. Sprinkle each half with salt and spices. Season the tomatoes well with basil, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, black pepper, paprika.
The best option is to use an oven with a convection function, since a lot of steam is generated during the drying of tomatoes. If there is no such functionality of the oven, drying should be carried out with the door slightly ajar. The fruits, cut in half, are laid out on a baking sheet or wire rack, the cut is facing up. Drying lasts at least 4 hours, the duration is determined by the size of the fruit and their juiciness.
For the manufacture of sun-dried tomatoes, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 80 ° C in the oven. Then the drying procedure will not turn into baking tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes lose a lot in weight. By sending 2.5 kg of fresh fruit to the oven, the hostess will receive a little more than 0.5 kg of dried product after drying.
If you dry tomatoes to a state similar to chips, then you can store them like any dried food. More often, however, cooked tomatoes are used as a snack. Then, after the oven, they should remain soft. Such a product is laid out in jars and poured with oil.
It is good if the farm has an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits. For drying tomatoes, you can use this electrical appliance. The process is similar to drying them in the oven - tomatoes are placed on baking sheets of a special electric dryer, which will control the drying temperature and its duration.The duration of their preparation in this way will be at least 8 hours.
The recipe allows you to dry tomatoes even in the microwave. The fruits, cut in half and dried with a paper towel, are sent to the oven for 5 minutes, after which they are kept for the same time at room temperature. The procedure is repeated several times, periodically draining the resulting juice. The finished tomatoes are laid out in jars, sprinkling each layer with herbs to taste. For further storage, they are poured with oil, cold or heated.
How to prepare
After the vegetables have dried well, you need to make sure they are free of moisture. If excess water remains, then the workpiece will begin to rot and will be unusable for consumption. To do this, a sun-dried tomato is bent in half. If its parts are elastic, juice does not drip from them, then the tomatoes are well dried. Of course, it is best to store dry tomatoes - they do not have water, but they must be soaked before adding to food, because they taste hard.
Sun-dried tomatoes are sprinkled with a bite, which prevents the development of pathogenic microflora and protects vegetables from rotting. Dilute 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 100 ml of water and drizzle over all the slices. Then, in order for the moisture to evaporate, let the slices lie in the open air for literally 20-30 minutes.
How to store dried tomatoes
Dried tomatoes can be stored in the same way as dried tomatoes, that is, in a cotton bag. You can put them in glass jars, which must first be sterilized and dried. It is advisable to add spices, garlic, herbs, salt, and only then - dried tomatoes. Then refined oil must be added to the jar so that it completely covers the tomatoes, and the neck of the container must be tightened with cling film and a clean plastic lid.
Another way to store dried tomatoes is to put them in jars, close them with wax paper or ground corks, or pour them over with pitch, resin or wax.
Dried tomatoes are also packed in boxes made of wood, plywood, cardboard, dense fabric bags, cardboard boxes, sieve, baskets, etc. They will be well stored if the bottom of the container is lined with thick paper and placed in a cool ventilated room where the temperature is in the range of 1 to 10 degrees Celsius. It is also allowed to send dried tomatoes for storage in the refrigerator.
How to store tomatoes correctly
Different storage conditions are suitable for fresh, unripe, dried and other varieties of tomatoes.
Mature
The optimum temperature for ripe tomatoes is 4-6 degrees Celsius. You can put ripe vegetables in the refrigerator or in drawers. It is recommended to use the crop for fresh consumption or processing within a few weeks after harvest.
Red fruits
It is recommended to store red tomatoes in shallow boxes, stacked with stalks upward in 2-3 rows. Between the rows, you need to pour sawdust and cover the containers with a thin plastic wrap, which is able to let fresh air inside. They contain red tomatoes at a temperature of 1-2 degrees for no more than a couple of months.
Brown tomatoes
The brown variety of tomatoes is placed in wooden boxes of 10-12 kg each. To prevent the fruits from touching each other, they can be wrapped in thin paper. The boxes are covered with a lid and kept at a temperature of no more than 6 degrees.
Dairy and green vegetables
In order for milk tomatoes to ripen, it is necessary to leave them in a room with a temperature ranging from 15 to 20 degrees. At higher temperatures, vegetables will not produce coloring matter and will taste less juicy. Periodically, it is worth inspecting the crop and selecting ripening specimens.
Storing processed tomatoes for the winter
Processed vegetables can also be stored during the winter.
Taking into account the processing method, it is important to observe the peculiarities of the storage conditions.
Dried products
It is recommended to keep ready-made sun-dried tomatoes in tight cotton bags. You can also preserve taste and freshness by using a food container with a sealed lid as a container. When placing sun-dried vegetables in a container, you must first pour olive oil into it. The container is placed in the refrigerator or freezer, but it should be borne in mind that when defrosting, the vegetables will lose their original color.
Dried tomatoes
Dried fruits can, by analogy with dried fruits, be packed in cotton bags or placed in sterilized glass jars. If desired, add garlic, pepper, salt and other spices to the container. Then vegetable oil is poured into the jar and the neck is covered with plastic wrap and a sealed lid.
Canned tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are kept at room temperature in a dark place or in a pantry. The maximum shelf life is 12 months. If the term is violated, an oxidative reaction may begin, and the crop will lose its taste characteristics.
How to properly store tomatoes in an apartment
There are several options for storing this vegetable at home. We will talk about them further.
Important! If you want to store tomatoes in a box for as long as possible, then each of them should be wrapped in paper and sprinkled with chopped tops. It will prevent bacteria from developing
In boxes
When storing tomatoes in boxes, it is important to choose the right container. It can be plastic or wooden, but it must be completely lattice
The container should be lined with clean paper, without a seal. You can stack the fruits in a maximum of 3 layers, separating each layer with paper or straw. Do not stack tomatoes tightly - it is necessary that there is an air space between the fruits for ventilation. The box with tomatoes must be taken out to a cool place. Fruits folded in this way can lie for several months (it all depends on ripeness), provided that you pick them regularly.
In the straw
This method also requires a lattice box. It is covered with straw. The fruits are laid out in layers, delimited with straw. There should be a maximum of 3 layers. In a cool place, green and dairy tomatoes can lie for 3-4 months, ripe ones - 1-2 months.
In banks
There are several ways to store crops in a jar:
- Ripe. Fold in a jar and fill with vegetable oil so that its level is 1 cm higher than the level of the fruit.
- Overripe. Wash the fruits, chop coarsely and put them in a saucepan or jar in a layer of 10 cm, sprinkle with salt and put a layer of tomatoes again. So, alternating layers, fill the entire container. Tomatoes are stored in this form for several weeks.
- Dairy. Wash whole vegetables, dry and put in a sterile jar. You do not need to ram them. Pour in 3 tablespoons of alcohol, close the container and rotate well in your hands in order to alcohol all the tomatoes. Open the lid, immerse the wick in the jar and light. As soon as the alcohol flares up, the jar must be immediately rolled up with a metal lid.
- Green and pink. Wash the tomatoes and dry them outdoors. Pour 2 tbsp into a sterile jar. tablespoons of mustard powder. Fold the tomatoes into a container, sprinkling each layer with a little powder. Finally, add another 1 tbsp. spoon of powder and roll up the lid. This will keep the vegetable in a cool place for 4–5 months.
Did you know? In 2003, Oregon farmer Rob Baur grew the tomac crop. It was obtained by grafting tomato onto tobacco. The purpose of the experiment was an attempt to confirm the scientific publication in the journal Scientific American from 1959 on the possibility of creating such an unusual plant. The tests carried out in the same 2003 showed the presence of nicotine in the foliage of the plant, but the next year the tomak was recognized as an unpromising crop.
In fridge
Here, the fresh vegetable is stored in the vegetable tray. The container needs to be covered with paper, lay tomatoes on it, base up, rewire with paper and put the tomatoes again.You can wrap the fruits individually in paper. If tomatoes are late or mid-season varieties, then they can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Gradual maturation
Tomatoes are perfectly capable of ripening in an apartment, only they must be sorted out, since the ripening rate of fruits of each degree of maturity is different. Brown or slightly reddened should ripen first, whitened ones - a little longer, and green ones can lie right up to winter.
The rate of maturation is influenced by temperature. So, at 8–12 ° С, ripening is extremely slow, but at 18–20 ° С - almost instantly.
Important! Adding ripe tomatoes to them will help speed up the ripening of green tomatoes. The vegetable needs to be folded into cardboard or wooden boxes
For this, the bottom of the container is covered with paper, all layers of the fruit are also separated with paper. It is put in the last layer. All stalks are turned in different directions. The box must be placed in a dark place and reviewed 2 times a week: vegetables that have turned red must be moved to the upper layers, and green ones must be lowered down
The vegetable must be folded into cardboard or wooden boxes. For this, the bottom of the container is covered with paper, all layers of the fruit are also separated with paper. It is put in the last layer. All the stalks are turned in different directions. The box must be placed in a dark place and reviewed 2 times a week: vegetables that have turned red must be moved to the upper layers, and green ones must be lowered down.
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.
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, cover 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.
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. There should be no foreign odors in the container. To protect the tomatoes from moisture, dry hay is placed on the bottom.
In sawdust
To keep 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.
In paper
If the fruits are in newspaper or paper, they will remain 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.
Storage in a saucepan
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.
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 jar should take no more than 7 tbsp. l. powder. The jar is sealed and stored in a cool place.
Expiry date of seeds
The shelf life of tomato seeds is 4-5 years. During this period, they do not lose germination if they provide the required conditions:
- first, the seed is poured into cloth bags and rubbed by hand to get rid of excess debris. It is removed by soaking the seeds in a weak saline solution, in which the dirt floats to the surface. The procedure for removing debris by soaking also allows you to get rid of low-quality seed, which will float when it gets into the water. Such seeds are not suitable for planting;
- good seeds are washed, dried in natural conditions and transferred to paper bags on which the variety and date of collection are written. The optimum temperature for seeds is 6-12 ° C, humidity is 55%;
- during storage, sudden changes in temperature and humidity should be avoided. During the winter, seeds are regularly inspected for rot. Rotten specimens are thrown away. If moisture gets in, the seed is again dried and only then stored.
Which varieties are stored the longest
Each variety remains usable over a different period of time. Experts note that fruits grown in open soil are stored longer than ground fruits.
Late-to-mid-ripening tomatoes last longer.
Long-term varieties for long-term storage:
- "De Barao": mid-season variety. Reaches up to 2.5 m in length. Differs in oval-shaped fruits, pink or red. There are striped, yellow and black varieties.
- San Marzano: an interdeterminate variety with high productivity. Its fruits are fleshy, bright red, elongated, plum-shaped.
- "Giraffe": grows up to 1.2 m. Round fruits remain until March.
- "Long Keeper": tomatoes weigh up to 400 g, they can last fresh until March.
- "Masterpiece 1": a late-ripening variety with small bushes. Tomatoes are flat and stay fresh until spring.
Experts have specially bred varieties that enable long-term storage. What to do when your favorite variety does not belong to these categories? The answer is simple: use tricks to extend deadlines and keep vegetables fresh and beautiful.