How to choose quality tomatoes? How to keep tomatoes fresh for a long time Varieties of tomatoes for long-term storage

It is a vegetable of the nightshade family, originating from South America, and occupying a leading position in the world among vegetable crops.

In 1519, the conquistador Fernando Cortes first saw the bright red fruit in the gardens of Montezuma. Impressed, he brought tomato seeds to Europe, where they began to grow it as an ornamental plant.

In France, the tomato was called the "apple of love" (" pomme d'amour”), as it was believed to have aphrodisiac properties.

Latin name for tomato Lycopersicum esculent, was introduced by the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in the 17th century and meant " wolf peach". Round and juicy, the tomato fruit was mistakenly equated with belladonna berries and was considered poisonous - hence the name.

Tomato, in turn, comes from the Spanish tomate- derived from the ancient Aztec word tomatl. The name tomato came to us from the Italian language, " Golden Apple"- pomo d'oro, since, probably, yellow varieties of the fruit were originally used in Europe. The first country to start cultivating tomatoes was Italy. From a botanical point of view, tomato fruits are considered berries, but in everyday life and in the way they are used, they have long taken their position among vegetables.

There are hundreds of types of tomatoes - small cherry tomatoes the size of grapes, huge tomatoes " bull heart» weighing 600-800 grams, juicy for salads and fleshy for pasta, campari And " cream”, are only the most famous of the many varieties. Fruit color other than red can vary from white, orange, yellow, green to purple and chocolate.

The plant can be annual or perennial.

annual bush reaches a height of 60-90 centimeters, at the tips of the branches instead of leaves - buds. The fruits ripen, as a rule, all at once, and after ripening the plant dies.

perennial tomato- a climbing plant that requires support with stakes or a cage. Such a tomato will bear fruit until it freezes. The fruit usually ripens later than the annual plant, but generally yields more. The flower is usually found on the main branches. The height reaches 1.5-3 meters, provided that the plant is constantly supported and climbs.

Tomato is a rather whimsical plant. He likes space, warmth (temperature about 25 degrees) and a lot of light. Seeds should be placed at a sufficient distance from each other so that the branches can break through without interfering with each other. Free air circulation is necessary for the full growth of the tomato, as well as warm soil. Sufficient moisture is also very important. The best time for planting is late spring and early summer, but seed preparation begins at the end of January by heating and processing. In the first half of February, the seeds are planted, and seedlings appear in March. You can grow a tomato in the ground, in a greenhouse or in pots, upside down. The latter method is convenient where there is little space or infertile soil.

How to choose a good tomato?

Ripe tomatoes have a fairly rich flavor. If there is no smell, most likely the tomatoes were picked unripe. The stem should be small. When choosing tomatoes, you need to pay attention to the smoothness of the skin, the absence of cracks, spots and bump marks.

A fully ripe tomato is soft and springy, but you can only opt for it if it is consumed immediately. An overripe tomato is always good for sauces and soups. In healthy fruits, the skin is thin, and the flesh is plain.

If white thin veins are visible in the pulp, there are white spots in the core, and it is “plastic” to the touch, then there are nitrates in the tomato.

How to store tomatoes

The storage conditions of a tomato directly depend on how ripe it is. Room temperature will speed up the ripening process. Therefore, if you want the tomato to ripen, feel free to leave it warm. Ripe tomatoes are best stored at around 12 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the tomato will stop ripening, but will not lose its taste and useful properties.

Useful properties of tomato

Composition and calories

100 g of ripe raw tomatoes contains:
Main substances:	G	Minerals:	mg	Vitamins:	mg
Water	93,76	Potassium	223	Vitamin A	43
Squirrels	0,85	Phosphorus	24	Vitamin C	19
Fats	0,33	Magnesium	11	Vitamin E	0,38
Carbohydrates	4,64	Calcium	5	Vitamin PP	0,628
Calories (Kcal)	21

100 g of freshly squeezed tomato juice contains:
Main substances:	G	Minerals:	mg	Vitamins:	mg
Water	93,9	Potassium	220	Vitamin A	38,5
Squirrels	0,76	Phosphorus	19	Vitamin C	18,3
Fats	0,06	Magnesium	11	Vitamin E	0,91
Carbohydrates	4,23	Calcium	9	Vitamin PP	0,67
Calories (Kcal)	17

100 g of ripe canned tomatoes in their own juice contains:
Main substances:	G	Minerals:	mg	Vitamins:	mg
Water	93,65	Potassium	221	Vitamin A	41
Squirrels	0,92	Phosphorus	18	Vitamin C	14,2
Fats	0,13	Magnesium	12	Vitamin E	0,32
Carbohydrates	4,37	Calcium	30	Vitamin PP	0,73
Calories (Kcal)	19

Medicinal properties

Tomato has in its composition a set of elements that have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and help cleanse the body. Tomato is an important source of lycopene (a powerful antioxidant that has immunostimulating and antitumor effects, slows down the aging of the body) and glutathione (a substance that protects cells from toxic free radicals). Thanks to these properties, tomato is an indispensable food in any balanced diet, as well as in a low-fat diet, anti-cancer diet, etc.

Lycopene- the component due to which the tomato acquires a red color. Accordingly, the “redder” the tomato, the more of this substance in it. This microelement has properties similar to beta-carotene (contained in carrots), namely, an anti-carcinogenic effect. Studies show that this flavonoid stimulates bone formation. It is recommended for people diagnosed with osteoporosis, menopause or brittle bones. Lycopene reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, such as prostate, stomach, bladder, and uterine cancer. It is found in fresh tomatoes, but it is especially abundant in tomatoes that have undergone heat treatment, as the cooking process helps to release lycopene and improve its absorption in the body.

Glutathione- has the properties of a powerful antioxidant, helps to get rid of free radicals that provoke many diseases. A large amount of glutathione is found in the skin of many vegetables, so it is useful to eat a tomato also raw, in salads. This is a very important element that removes toxins, especially heavy metals (which, when accumulated, lead to a deterioration in the body's condition).

Scientific studies have shown that tomato and tomato sauce help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This effect is observed due to the antioxidant properties of tomato. It is assumed that lycopene and glutathione attach to prostate tissues and thus reduce the risk of damage to its DNA.

Fetal use

Outwardly, tomato is used as a bactericidal agent for purulent wounds, in the form of gruel. For varicose veins, tomato slices are applied to problem areas, fixed with a bandage and held until a tingling sensation appears. Then the feet are washed with cold water. It is believed that such procedures should be carried out daily for a month.

With sluggish and dry facial skin, tomato is used as a cosmetic. In addition, tomato pulp can be used as a hair growth stimulant. Tomato can be used in creams and masks. Nourishing tomato cream with the addition of lanolin and oatmeal is suitable for all skin types. As one of the components of face masks, tomato can be used for dry, normal, oily, combination and aging skin. Also, tomato is used in body masks and peels.

Freshly squeezed tomato juice can be used for liver diseases (together with honey), loss of strength (adding chopped parsley, dill and salt), atherosclerosis, obesity, anemia, constipation. Tomato juice enhances the secretion of gastric juice and intestinal peristalsis, suppresses the action of unfavorable intestinal microflora.

Use in oriental medicine

In traditional oriental medicine, the tomato is of particular importance because it can be used both as a fruit and as a vegetable. In one of the ancient Chinese dietary books, the tomato is described as " sweet and sour in taste, cold in nature". The book also mentions that tomato is good for health, as it cools the body and reduces the "heat of the liver", thereby maintaining its balance and removing toxins. Therefore, a tomato is indispensable in the following cases:

for people with high blood pressure, which is believed in Chinese medicine to be often caused by " fever of the liver»;
for those who suffer from decreased appetite or indigestion, a feeling of a full stomach, discomfort in the abdomen or constipation. Cooked tomato is especially good for children with poor appetites;
for people who drink alcohol. Tomato juice drunk before, during or after drinking helps the liver absorb it and quickly eliminate toxins from the liver and the body as a whole;
The tomato is "cold" in nature, so it is more useful than ever on hot days and in summer. Chinese medicine has an understanding of the body and nature as one inseparable whole, therefore, in the heat, the body will especially suffer from external heat. Heat causes changes in the body and can lead to symptoms such as dry skin, thirst, dark urine, sweat, overheating of the body, emotional volatility, and insomnia. The cooling qualities of tomatoes help to ease these symptoms and avoid heat stroke. The tomato is a summer fruit and is especially suitable for consumption during the hot season.

plant in scientific research

Despite the abundance of modern plant species and the already studied data on the beneficial properties of tomatoes, scientists continue to explore many aspects related to the tomato. So, for example, much attention is paid to artificial cultivation and genetic engineering to improve the taste properties of a plant, its resistance, the presence of nutrients, growth rate, and aroma.

An important place in research is also occupied by the study of the origin of the tomato and, in particular, some of its species. For example, genes responsible for the production of stem cells are being studied, studies that, as a result, can optimize the size of a fetus of any kind. The difference between organically grown tomatoes and large scale farming is also being explored.

In 2017, scientists in their work on assessing the biofilm-forming properties of bacteria Listeria monocytogenes(the causative agent of a severe infectious disease), the tomato was one of the vegetables that was studied in three categories of interaction (deceleration or acceleration of growth, no effect). As a result of this study, it turned out that the strain that is present on the surface of a tomato (as well as daikon, apple and lettuce) stimulates the growth of the studied bacterium.

In addition, it is worth noting that the tomato, as one of the most common products in the domestic diet, often becomes the object of research in economics, nutrition, innovative science, and agricultural sciences. For example, when analyzing the diversification of agricultural production, the cultivation of tomatoes is considered as one of the promising branches of agriculture. It is expected that the development of this industry has the potential to bring high income, tax benefits, lack of competition in the domestic market and a good harvest throughout the year when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse.

Tomatoes are also mentioned in interdisciplinary research - for example, in work on the images of plants in artists' paintings as a resource for information on the history of agronomy. This study provides an example of paintings by L. E. Melendez (1772) and P. Lacroix (1864), which show how the tomato changed its shape as a result of selection towards smoother and less ribbed (for more convenient transportation and harvesting).

Thus, the tomato as a subject of comprehensive scientific research does not lose its relevance and importance.

Use in dietetics

Nutritionists value tomatoes primarily for their beneficial and medicinal properties. They include sugars (mainly fructose and glucose), mineral salts (iodine, potassium, phosphorus, boron, magnesium, sodium, manganese, calcium, iron, copper, zinc). Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins - A, B, B2, B6, C, E, K, P, beta-carotene. Tomatoes contain organic acids and a powerful antioxidant lycopene, which can protect against prostate and cervical cancer, stop tumor cell division and DNA mutation, and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Thermally processed tomatoes contain even more lycopene than raw tomatoes, which is why cooked tomatoes are often recommended by nutritionists.

Tomatoes regulate the functioning of the nervous system, have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, improve metabolism and digestion, help with asthenia and atherosclerosis, and are also a good diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder.

Many organic acids are present in tomatoes, especially malic and citric acids. Salts of organic acids in the process of assimilation leave a significant reserve of alkaline mineral components in the body and thus contribute to the alkalization of the body and the prevention of acid shifts. Thus, tomatoes maintain the necessary acid-base balance in the body. The low content of purines in tomatoes is an important link in the structure of purine-free nutrition for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Tomatoes contain folic acid, which plays an important role in hematopoiesis, and also contributes to the formation of choline in the body, a substance that normalizes cholesterol metabolism. Thus, tomatoes can be widely used in the diet of mature and elderly people, as well as patients with impaired uric acid metabolism (gout).

Use in cooking

Tomatoes are widely used in cooking. They are used as an ingredient in appetizers, first and second courses, salads - both raw and cooked. We have become completely familiar with salads with fresh tomatoes, tomato soups, sauces, pizza and pasta with tomato dressing. Tomatoes are successfully used for the preparation of various types of canned food. The fruits contain a significant amount of acid, which makes it possible in the manufacture of canned food to be limited to sterilizing them in boiling water. Depending on what taste the hostess wants to achieve, tomatoes can be pickled, salted, boiled sweet sauce, juice or compote. As a rule, sugar, salt, vinegar, citric acid and all kinds of spices are used in any kind of canning. With proper preparation, the product can be stored in a dark, cool place for several years. Preservation data is always a great addition to side dishes, meat, fish, salads and an independent snack. A well-known tomato product is ketchup, a spicy tomato sauce with seasonings.

Combination with other products

According to the rules of a healthy diet, it is not advisable to combine a tomato with starchy and cereal products. It is recommended to eat tomatoes with herbs and vegetables that do not contain starch. It is advised to take tomatoes with proteins and fats, thus improving their absorption. A healthy combination is considered tomato and avocado, as well as broccoli.

The combination of tomatoes and cucumbers that we are used to is not as useful as it seems - the components of these vegetables, according to recent studies, mutually interfere with the absorption of each other's medicinal components.

Tomato drinks

The most famous tomato drink, as you might expect, is tomato juice. It is consumed both in its natural form and with the addition of salt, pepper, celery, Worcester sauce, lemon juice and lime. In addition, tomato juice is used as a component of several alcoholic cocktails. Tomatoes can be added to vegetable smoothies based on yogurt or kefir, and you can also make compote with spices from them.

In 1959, the American magazine Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine published a story about how a cook, a political supporter of Britain, tried to poison American President George Washington with a dish of tomatoes. In those days, in the 18th century, the tomato was considered poisonous. The cook, taking advantage of Mr. Washington's cold and impaired taste perception, added tomato pulp to the stew. After serving the dish, the cook committed suicide. In the last letter, he wrote: “As a cook, I do not believe in suicide by poison; I'm too fat to hang; but, by vocation, I masterfully manage a knife. As it turned out later, the story was fiction, but it could very well be true, because the tomato was indeed considered poisonous for a long time.

The tomato is often found in folk art, for example in proverbs. In German they say that someone who does not see the real situation - " tomatoes in the eyes» . In Arabic be like a tomato"means" be a friendly and pleasant person» . Well, in Russian we remember tomatoes when we talk about the most important thing - about love. After all, alas, love has passed - the tomatoes have withered».

And in our article on record-breaking products, you can look at giant tomatoes and other vegetables that diligent gardeners managed to grow.

The huge national love for tomato around the world is proved by numerous festivals, museums and monuments dedicated to this wonderful product. Here are just a few of them:

Dangerous properties of tomatoes

Despite all the useful properties of tomatoes, there are several contraindications to their use:

You need to be as careful as possible with the leaves of the plant bush, as they are poisonous.
People who are prone to heartburn and high acidity should be wary of tomato fruits.
Also, tomato can cause severe allergies.
According to some studies, people with chronic kidney disease should eat tomatoes with caution due to their high potassium content.
Tomatoes can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea, and are also contraindicated in gallstone disease.
It is not recommended to use store-bought tomato paste, as it contains preservatives that are harmful to the body.
With hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, it is not recommended to use pickled and salted tomatoes, as they can provoke the appearance of stones in the bladder. In addition, kidney stones can appear with the regular use of canned tomato juice, as it contains starch.
With pancreatitis and ulcers, moderate consumption of tomatoes is shown, as they can provoke an exacerbation.

Do you know how to quickly cut cherry tomatoes? Watch the video.

Tomatoes are one of the most common garden crops. They are grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. At the same time, the bulk of the fruits are usually eaten in the summer-autumn period. But you can extend the use of tomatoes for a longer time. Let's figure out how to keep tomatoes fresh for the winter so as not to buy them in the store.

Storing tomatoes at home is a simple matter. Under the right conditions, they can stay fresh for a very long time. However, not all varieties of vegetables are suitable for this.

If you want to eat fresh tomatoes in the winter, plant plants that ripen late. Early and medium varieties finish fruiting very quickly and will not be able to stay until the cold weather. Harvesting of late-ripening tomatoes continues until frost.

Among the many such varieties, choose those that produce fruits with dense pulp and thick skin. Mostly these are oval-shaped tomatoes intended for mechanical harvesting. They contain little juice, tolerate transportation well, and are less damaged by rot and disease.

From a botanical point of view, a tomato is a berry, but it is cultivated as a vegetable crop.

But shelf life is not the only criterion when choosing a variety. Tomatoes should also be delicious. Do you agree?

Refuse the varieties of selection of the last century, give preference to new products, and you will be pleasantly surprised. There are 2,500 varieties in the registry, and only some of them have a long shelf life and excellent taste:

Aisha - retains high commercial qualities and excellent taste for a long time;
Astona - keeping fruits up to 160 g with excellent taste;
Bonus - 100-gram fruits last up to 4 months in excellent condition;
Dragoon - a fruit of only 50-60 g, but soft and tasty;
Ermak - the fruits are not large (up to 100 g), but the keeping quality and taste are excellent;
Pedro - large tomatoes (up to 170 g) and are perfectly stored;
Snowfall - a fruit up to 70 g, definitely lies before the New Year holidays.

In winter, you can lay both ripe tomatoes, as well as milk or blange ripeness. Perfectly green fruits ripen poorly in storage conditions, often deteriorate and rot. Therefore, when choosing seeds for planting, consider the climatic conditions of your region.

If late varieties do not have time to fill up with you, you should abandon them and give preference to mid-ripening options. But then it is unlikely that your own fresh tomatoes will be on your New Year's table.

Do you know that…

There is an opinion that tomatoes grown in garden beds are stored longer than their greenhouse counterparts. The reason allegedly lies in different agricultural practices and growing conditions. But in fact, the only criterion for keeping quality is the variety, and the place of cultivation does not matter.

Methods and conditions of storage

The tomato is an amazing product. Its fruits contain many useful substances, vitamins and minerals, which remain almost unchanged during storage and processing.

Lycopene (the most powerful antioxidant) contained in tomatoes is absorbed into the body after heat treatment of fruits with fats.

There are many options for saving this product. Each hostess herself chooses a way how to store tomatoes at home:

store fresh in storage;
dry and dry;
freeze;
conserve.

Fresh fruits are of particular interest. But they are very demanding on storage conditions, violation of which can lead to rapid deterioration of the product.

Ideal conditions for tomatoes are:

air temperature - 8-11 ° С (for ripe fruits), 13-20 ° С (for fruits of milky ripeness);
air humidity -90-95%;
access to fresh air;
complete absence of light.

In a private house, such conditions can be created in the cellar, basement, garage or on the veranda. In the apartment, fresh tomatoes can be kept on an insulated balcony, in a vestibule or in a cold pantry.

Tip of the day

Do not wash fruits before sending them to storage. Wash off the protective layer, and the tomatoes will quickly rot.

How long can tomatoes be stored

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

The stalk saved during harvesting will increase the shelf life of the fruit

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

Temperature and humidity readings in home storage are rarely constant. Therefore, it is quite difficult to create an ideal microclimate that would ensure long-term storage of tomatoes. As a result, the keeping quality indicators can vary greatly.

Approximately focus on the following expiration dates:

red tomatoes in storage - up to 3 months, depending on the variety;
frozen at home - 6-8 months or until defrosted;
sun-dried and dried tomatoes - 4-8 months;
canned fruits under iron lids - up to 2 years.

Tip of the day

With a large crop of tomatoes, try different ways to harvest them for the winter. This will make it possible to use the product longer. And with a bad experience, you will not find yourself without your favorite tomatoes.

Ways to store fresh tomatoes

There are several options for storing fresh tomatoes at home.

Due to different ripening periods and keeping quality, different varieties of tomatoes should be stored separately from each other.

in boxes

The easiest way to keep tomatoes is in small plastic or slatted boxes. Containers for laying products must be clean and dry.

Remove healthy, strong, undamaged fruits from the bushes when the daytime air temperature drops to 8-10 ° C, but there are no night frosts yet.
Harvest in dry weather during the day when the dew has left the plants. Tomatoes must be dry.
Sort the fruits by size, degree of ripeness and put them in boxes in 2-3 layers.
You can sprinkle them with dry peat, hay, straw, sawdust, onion peel, perlite or vermiculite (see). With the last two fillers, tomatoes are stored especially for a long time.

Throw away rotten fruits from boxes immediately, they can cause damage to the entire crop.

Tip of the day

Some advise wrapping tomatoes in paper. You shouldn't do that. If the fetus begins to rot, you will not be able to notice it in time, and it will become a breeding ground for infection.

In mustard jars

Select ripe tight fruits, wash them and dry them.
Pour a little mustard powder into a sterile, dry 3-liter jar, and then place the tomatoes loosely.
Add preservative as the container fills up. In total, you will need 5-6 tbsp. l. mustard.
Roll up the jars and store them in a cool place.

This option of harvesting can be used both in the apartment and in your home. It is very simple, and most importantly - convenient.

This is something from the realm of myths. Creating a complete vacuum at home will not work. And anaerobic bacteria (for example, botulinum) develop even better in the absence of air. And the condensate released by the fruits will not go anywhere.

Although you can try to prepare one jar in this way as an experiment. Please share your results in the comments.

Tomatoes in the fridge

Keeping fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator will not work for a long time. The maximum that you can count on is 1-2 weeks.

At temperatures below 8 ° C, the tomato loses its unique taste and aroma.

You need to keep the product in the vegetable box, putting the fruits in paper bags or wrapping each with paper. But is it worth it to take up space if tomatoes remain fresh for the same period at room temperature?

But still, this period can be extended if, before storing tomatoes in the refrigerator, they are properly withered or frozen. In this form, they will stand much longer.

Sun-dried tomatoes. For cooking, use the oven or electric dryer. Fold the prepared product into 0.5 or 1.0 l jars and pour hot or. Close the lids and send to the refrigerator. When drying, you can add spices to taste.
Frozen whole. Lay the washed and dried tomatoes in a single layer in the freezer. When they are frozen, put them in a plastic bag. Get the semi-finished product just before cooking. The method is suitable for owners of capacious autonomous freezers.
Chopped and frozen. Finely chop ripe fruits, add greens and. Fold the resulting mass into molds and send to the freezer. To save space in the chamber, take out the blanks for a few minutes the next day, remove the molds, and put the freeze in bags or containers. Use without defrosting for cooking first and second courses.
As a dressing for borscht. Grind 2 kg of sweet pepper and 10 large tomatoes in a meat grinder, add finely chopped and salt to taste. Spread the mass into sterile 0.5 l jars, close with thick nylon lids and send to the main chamber of the refrigerator. Add 1-2 scoops of dressing every 5 minutes. before cooking. Unfortunately, such a blank is not stored for a long time, so it makes no sense to make it in large volumes.

Do you know that…

Thawed tomatoes cannot be re-frozen.

Other ways to store tomatoes at home

canning

The most common option is conservation. Tomatoes are perfectly processed and combined with other products. At the same time, there are many recipes for preparing both ripe and green fruits:

Salted or pickled tomatoes. According to the old technology, they are kept in a cellar or basement, and fermented in barrels or tubs. Modern housewives use buckets and plastic bags for cooking. You can also cook salted tomatoes for the winter in jars.
Pickled tomatoes. Such seamings are not only stored for a long time, but are also quickly eaten. If desired, the fruits can be placed in jars with other vegetables, such as peppers, small heads.

Try to cook a very tasty salad for the winter, as in this video:

Drying

Drying can be used for long-term storage of tomatoes. For cooking, an oven or electric dryer is suitable. Wash ripe fruits, dry, cut into slices, cubes or straws, and then dry well. The finished product should have a minimum of moisture, but at the same time not crumble into crumbs.

There are no difficulties in how to store dried tomatoes:

Put the workpiece in clean, sterile, glass containers and tightly close the lid. You can also use special ziplock bags.
Keep dried tomatoes in your kitchen cabinet or pantry. Refrigerator is allowed.
To prevent the blanks from losing their appearance, exclude light and moisture from entering them.

There is nothing easier than eating homemade tomatoes all year round. A few simple recipes will allow you to keep fresh tomatoes until the New Year and even longer. Choose and try in practice which method suits you best.

Store properly and be healthy!

Tomatoes of any size and variety can be processed using a meat grinder.

This method allows you to prepare delicious tomato snacks that are not suitable for pickling.

By twisting the tomatoes in a meat grinder, you can cook ketchup, adjika or other preparations. This method allows you to preserve the natural taste and aroma of tomatoes.

Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter - the basic principles of cooking

Tomatoes are washed, cut into several pieces and twisted in a meat grinder. You can do this both with the skin, and after removing it. Then the tomato mass is put on the stove, boiled, and only after that vegetables, herbs and spices are added. Boil everything together for a few minutes and pour into jars. The blanks are sterilized, if it is provided for in the recipe.

Garlic, onion, sweet bell pepper or other vegetables can be added to tomatoes ground in a meat grinder.

Recipe 1. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with pepper

Ingredients

five kilograms of tomatoes;

300 g sweet bell pepper;

300 g carrots;

parsley - a bunch;

salt, bay leaf and peppercorns.

Cooking method

1. Cut the washed tomatoes into large slices and grind in a meat grinder. Transfer the resulting tomato mass to an enameled container and put on low heat.

2. Peel the carrots and grate with small chips. Wash the sweet peppers, cut the tails and clean from the partitions and seeds. Cut them into half rings. Rinse the greens, dry slightly and finely chop with a knife.

3. Half an hour after the tomato boils, put carrots and half rings of sweet pepper into it. Salt, season with bay leaf and black peppercorns. Simmer the tomato over low heat for another quarter of an hour. Then pour it into sterile jars and twist. Turn over the snack jars, cover with a blanket and cool throughout the day.

Recipe 2. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with garlic

Ingredients

100 g of garlic;

kilogram of ripe tomatoes;

salt, pepper and sugar.

Cooking method

1. Rinse the tomatoes, remove the stalks and cut them into small slices. Grind the tomatoes with a meat grinder. Pour the resulting tomato mass into an enameled container.

2. Disassemble the garlic into slices and peel them. Grate the garlic on a fine grater, or crush with a garlic press. Put the chopped garlic in the tomato, add the bulk ingredients according to the recipe, mix everything well and cover with a lid. Put the tomato mixture on the stove and boil.

3. Pour the boiling tomato into jars and roll up. Cover the inverted preservation with a blanket. Cool for a day, then put in the cellar.

Recipe 3. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter

Ingredients

three kg of tomatoes;

sugar - a little more than half a glass;

table vinegar 9% - 80 ml;

10 cloves;

black pepper - 10 peas;

two cloves of garlic.

Cooking method

1. Wash the soda cans, rinse and sterilize in the oven for half an hour. Boil the lids.

2. Rinse ripe tomatoes, pour over boiling water and peel. Cut into large slices and twist in a meat grinder. Pour the tomato mass into a thick-walled saucepan and put it on medium heat to cook for half an hour. Remove the foam, reduce the heat and boil for a couple more hours over low heat.

3. Peel the garlic and also grind it in a meat grinder. After the mass has been reduced by half, add garlic, bulk ingredients, cloves and pepper. Pour in the vinegar, wait until the tomato boils, and pour into prepared jars. Roll up the appetizer, turn over, cover with an old coat and leave for a day.

Recipe 4. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with garlic and horseradish

Ingredients

kg of red tomatoes;

root horseradish and garlic - 100 grams each;

two st. l. salt;

granulated sugar - 20 g.

Cooking method

1. Rinse ripened tomatoes, dip in boiling water for a few seconds and remove the skin. Cut them into large pieces. Remove the skin from the horseradish and cut into pieces. Squeeze the peeled garlic through a garlic press.

2. Grind tomatoes and horseradish root in a meat grinder. Transfer the mass of tomato and horseradish to an enameled container, add garlic and dry ingredients here. Mix very well so that the garlic and horseradish are well connected with the tomato.

3. Arrange the seasoning in jars, close with plastic lids and store in the cellar or in the refrigerator.

Recipe 5. Green tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter

Ingredients

1300 g of green or brown tomatoes;

half a kilogram of onion;

carrot - 400 g;

bell pepper - three pcs.;

chilli;

two apples;

granulated sugar - 60 g;

lean refined oil - 50 ml;

half tsp essences of vinegar.

Cooking method

1. We wash the green tomatoes and cut them into large slices. Grind them in a meat grinder. We transfer them to a saucepan. Peel the onion and cut into quarters. We cut the stalks of sweet peppers, clean them from partitions and seeds and cut them into wide strips. We wash the apples and cut into four parts, cut out the seed boxes. We clean the garlic from the husk.

2. Grind peeled and chopped vegetables in a meat grinder. Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press and finely chop the chili pepper with a knife. We shift everything to the tomato mass. Pour sugar and salt here, pour in the oil. Okay, let's put everything together.

3. We put the saucepan on moderate heat and cook for about forty minutes. We taste, and, if necessary, add spices. Ten minutes before readiness, pour in the essence. Pour the appetizer into sterilized jars and roll up. Cool the preservation by wrapping it in a blanket throughout the day.

Recipe 6. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with bell pepper

Ingredients

kg of tomatoes;

kg of fleshy bell pepper;

garlic - 5 cloves;

salt and black pepper.

Cooking method

1. Peppers and tomatoes are washed. We clean the inside of the peppers. We cut all the vegetables into fairly large pieces. Grind all the vegetables in a meat grinder. We shift the resulting mixture into an enameled container and put it on fire.

2. We free the garlic from the husk and crush it with a special press. Put the garlic in the mixture of tomatoes and vegetables and boil. We lay out the boiling snack in a glass container and roll it up. We cool the appetizer by covering it with a blanket.

Recipe 7. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with apples

Ingredients

three kg of ripe tomatoes;

apples - 3 pcs.;

two chili pods;

200 g of granulated sugar;

salt - two tbsp. spoons;

150 ml of vinegar 9%;

vegetable oil - 50 ml;

5 g of cloves, black pepper and cumin.

Cooking method

1. Thoroughly wash the tomatoes and cut into large slices. Grind tomatoes in a meat grinder. Pour the resulting tomato mass into a saucepan with thick walls.

2. We peel the apples, remove the core and also grind in a meat grinder with chili peppers. Pour the apple mixture into the tomatoes. We combine apples with tomatoes well and send the pan to the fire. We wait until the mixture boils and twist the fire to a minimum and simmer for an hour and a half, stirring constantly so that the tomato does not burn.

3. Shortly before the end of cooking, add sugar and salt, season with spices and pour in vegetable oil. A couple of minutes before readiness, pour in the vinegar and lay it out in sterilized jars. We turn the preservation upside down and cool, covering with a blanket.

Recipe 8. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with basil

Ingredients

five kg of fleshy tomatoes;

sugar and salt;

basil (green)

Cooking method

1. We cut the stalks of the washed tomatoes and cut them into small slices. We grind the tomatoes in a meat grinder, and pour the resulting tomato mass into an enameled container.

2. Put it on the fire and cook for 20 minutes from the moment of boiling. Add dry ingredients and mix. Fresh basil greens, rinse and put whole sprigs in a tomato.

3. Pour the boiling tomato mass into jars and roll up. Turned upside down preservation, and cool it under the covers.

Recipe 9. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter in Ukrainian

Ingredients

dense tomatoes - 5 kg;

kilogram of bell pepper;

sour apples - kilogram;

salt - two tbsp. l.;

200 g of sugar;

400 ml sunflower oil;

hot red pepper - 50 g.

Cooking method

1. We wash the tomatoes, cut out the stalks and pour over with boiling water. Peel off the skin and twist in a meat grinder. Cut the apples into quarters and cut out the seed boxes. We rinse the bell peppers, clean the partitions and seeds, cut into long strips. Grind all the vegetables in a meat grinder and put in a tomato.

2. Thoroughly combine the tomato-vegetable mixture, add bulk ingredients and oil. Boil the tomato mass for three hours over low heat. Pour the boiling tomato into sterile jars and roll up. We cool the inverted preservation by wrapping it in a blanket.

Recipe 10. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter "Appetizing"

Ingredients

two kg of fleshy tomatoes;

garlic - 200 g;

four horseradish roots;

dill and parsley - in a bunch;

sweet bell pepper - ten pcs.;

hot pepper - 20 pods;

sugar - 80 g;

salt - 100 g;

vinegar - a glass.

Cooking method

1. Washed tomatoes and cut them into large slices. We cut the tails of sweet and hot peppers and clean the vegetables from the inside. We cut in half. We sort out the greens, rinse and lightly dry. Peel the horseradish and cut into pieces.

2. We twist all the vegetables with a meat grinder, put them in an enameled container and connect everything well. Add dry ingredients, mix again, cover with a lid and leave in a cool place for a couple of days. Pour in the vinegar, and put it in sterile jars. Close with plastic lids and store in a cool place.

Recipe 11. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with vegetables

Ingredients

ripe tomatoes - five kg;

carrots and bell peppers - kg each;

hot pepper - 10 pcs.;

onion - half a kilogram;

vegetable oil - half a liter;

garlic - five heads;

coarse salt.

Cooking method

1. We wash the tomatoes and cut into several parts. Carrots and onions are peeled and rinsed. Wash hot and sweet peppers and clean from the inside.

2. Grind tomatoes and other vegetables in a meat grinder and transfer to a thick-walled pan. Add the bulk ingredients to the tomato-vegetable mixture and pour in the oil. We send the pan to the fire and cook over moderate heat for two hours.

3. We lay out the boiling snack in a dry, sterile glass container and roll it up. We cool the preservation upside down, covering it with a blanket.

Recipe 12. Tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter with plums

Ingredients

two kg of ripe tomatoes;

kg pitted plums;

250 g of onion;

incomplete glass of sugar;

5 g hot red pepper;

two bay leaves;

20 ml 9% vinegar;

100 g of garlic.

Cooking method

1. Wash the plums, cut in half and remove the stone. Washed tomatoes cut into large slices. Finely chop the peeled garlic with a knife. Grind the rest of the vegetables with a meat grinder. We spread it in an enameled container and put it on moderate heat and cook for an hour and a half.

2. 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add bulk ingredients, cloves, garlic and bay leaf. We also spread the garlic here and boil everything together, stirring occasionally so that the appetizer does not burn.

3. We lay out the boiling snack in a glass container, sterilized in advance and roll it up. We leave to cool for a day, turning over and wrapping the jars with a blanket.

Slightly spoiled tomatoes can also be used to prepare tomatoes through a meat grinder for the winter, after cutting out all the rotten parts. In this case, the tomatoes must be boiled.
Garlic, horseradish and hot peppers act as a preservative, so the more of these vegetables in a snack, the longer the shelf life.
It is better to add spices gradually, as they reveal their taste during cooking, so it is better to periodically taste the dish to determine if there are enough spices, sugar and salt.
If carrots are present in the recipe, then the cooking time increases, since an undercooked vegetable can cause spoilage of the snack.

Fresh vegetables on the table in the winter are no longer a curiosity for anyone, but I really want to enjoy the fruits from my garden, and not grown in greenhouses! How to keep tomatoes fresh - this question worries almost all land owners when they manage to grow a good crop of tomatoes.

Unripe tomatoes: store properly

The result of storage is guaranteed even when choosing seeds for seedlings, because not all tomatoes are suitable for storage for the winter. The following varieties lie for a long time:

"Orange Ball"
"Giraffe",
"Rio Grande"
"Kyrgyz late",
"Janina"
"Underwinter".

It is better to store tomatoes for the winter with the stalk, so make sure that it remains on the vegetable during harvest. Then start sorting:

Sort the fruits, be sure to remove the damaged, stained, soft ones.
If you want to keep tomatoes fresh at home for a long time, sort them according to the degree of ripeness: green, milky, red.

Store ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator, and you will have to tinker a little with green ones.

Interesting! The Russian agronomist A. T. Bolotov in the 18th century, thanks to rigorous research, learned that tomatoes can be eaten. Before that, they were used only as an ornamental plant.

Where to store tomatoes

You need to store tomatoes very carefully, trying not to drop or squeeze.

Put the sorted tomatoes in prepared containers - plastic, wooden boxes, baskets. Be sure to cover the bottom with sawdust. If there is no sawdust, use straw, hay, thick paper, but not newspapers.
Lay the vegetables with the stalks up, transfer each layer with one of the fillers listed above.
To keep tomatoes longer, wrap each tomato in dark, thin paper. And do not put many fruits in one box: under their own weight, they can wrinkle and begin to rot.
Try to stack the tomatoes in only two layers, and even better in one.

The choice of storage space is also a responsible matter. Vegetables prepared for storage for the winter are best taken out to the basement. No basement - can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator or in the coldest room of the house.

Take care of the quality ventilation of the room where you are going to store boxes of green tomatoes. If you live in an apartment, take the boxes to the balcony, but when a cold winter is predicted, try to insulate the container.

To do this, first put heat-insulating material in a box or basket, lay out the tomatoes packed in paper in one layer, fill it with polyurethane foam filler or very fine sawdust, lay another layer, fill it again with filler, close the lid.

Sort vegetables from time to time, throw away spoiled and rumpled fruits - do this once every 10 days, bringing the boxes into a warm room. Those tomatoes that have ripened, it is better to immediately send them to the windowsill or in the refrigerator.

The way is almost exotic

If you have enough space in the basement, store tomatoes in it directly on the bush.

Pull the bush along with the fruits, shake the earth from the roots and hang it in a dark room where the sun's rays do not fall. From time to time, make an audit: cut off blackened leaves, rotten fruits.

If you want to eat ripe tomatoes, remove the tomatoes from the bush, put them in the brightest place in the apartment and wait a few days.

Important Tricks

To speed up the natural ripening of green fruits, apply little tricks:

Between green tomatoes, place a few fully ripened red specimens - the ethylene released by ripe vegetables will cause unripe specimens to evenly turn red.
You can “attach” a ripe apple to green tomatoes, the ripening process will accelerate for the same reason.

Optimum temperature

The main thing is to properly maintain the temperature in the room, balcony, refrigerator in order to keep the tomatoes fresh for as long as possible.

Green fruits are stored for a long time at home at a temperature of 8-12 ° C. If it is too warm, the tomatoes will begin to ripen faster, and with high humidity and poor ventilation, they will also rot, so they will have to be sorted out more often and used faster.

If the temperature drops below the indicated temperature, the vegetables will stop ripening, they may even freeze.

Green tomatoes during proper storage lie up to three months. It is better to keep brown fruits until fully ripened at a temperature of 4-6 ° C, and in order to keep red tomatoes for a long time, keep the temperature in the refrigerator, basement at about 2 ° C.

At low temperatures, the ripening process is suspended, and if you want to speed it up, get the right amount of vegetables from the refrigerator, basement or balcony, and put them on the windowsill, where it is warm and there is a lot of light.

In order for the fruits to be juicy and fragrant, they must not ripen in the refrigerator, but for 5-10 days at a temperature not lower than 20 ° C.

We store ripe specimens

Red tomatoes, without spoiling and without losing their taste, can lie in the refrigerator for about a week with proper storage. To do this, put the fruits in a special box for vegetables and do not use any plastic bags: the excess moisture that collects inside the bag will shorten the shelf life of any ripe vegetable. And remember: the higher the temperature in the refrigerator, the shorter the shelf life of fresh ripe tomatoes. By following these rules, you can enjoy salads from fresh tomatoes grown on your own plot all winter long. If this succeeds, you will be in a welcoming mood during the coldest time of the year, because the lycopene contained in ripe tomatoes improves it significantly. In addition, it is a powerful antioxidant - it slows down the aging of the body, and even improves the appearance, smoothing wrinkles.