How to store ripe tomatoes at home. How to properly store tomatoes - keeping fresh fruits until winter. Storage area for fresh crops

Common scab develops on any part of the root crop. The affected areas are covered with a dark brown rough crust 2-3 mm thick. Small or deep cracks form in it. With a strong manifestation of the disease, the crust dries up and sometimes lags behind in large parts, resembling peeling of the dry bark of a tree. The root crop takes on the appearance of being eaten away. In deep cracks and grooves, fungi develop, mainly from the genus Fusarium Link, which cause rotting of root crops. Therefore, it is often observed first the disease of root crops with scab, and subsequently their defeat with dry fusarium rot. In these cases, crushed loose tissues with a noticeable white cobweb coating of the Fusarium fungus are formed in the tail part of the root crop. These tissues easily fall off, and when the root is pulled out of the soil, they remain in the ground. Undecayed parts often acquire a rounded shape, with a cut of which the border between the affected and healthy tissue is clearly visible.

The causative agents of common scab are soil fungi Actinomycetes: Actinomyces scabies (Krassil), A. cretaceus (Gussow), A. albus (Gasp.) Wr., and A. violacea (Gasp.) (V. P. Muravyov, 1959).

Most often, it manifests itself when the soil is compacted after heavy rainfall and elevated temperatures. This causes, on the one hand, a stronger development of actinomycetes, on the other hand, a weakening of the vital activity of the surface tissues of beet root crops with a deterioration in aeration.

Scab is observed mainly in areas with heavy soils. It affects root crops on alkaline soils more strongly. The most favorable environment for the development of actinomycetes is pH 7.5-8. These fungi cannot decompose fiber, as a result of which they are not able to penetrate into the tissues of the root (V. P. Muravyov, 1959).

Common scab is a harmful disease of sugar beets. The defeat of the integumentary tissues of the root causes its slow growth. Under the influence of the disease, the mass of root crops is lower by 50, and sugar content - by 1-3%, and sometimes more, depending on the intensity of its development.

Root crops affected by scab have an increased amount of nitrogen (including harmful), in connection with which the loss of sugar in production increases (V. P. Muravyov, 1959). The harmfulness of the disease especially increases with its strong development, when deep cracks form and the tissue of the root crop rots. Severely affected root crops can become foci of clamp rot during storage of uterine and factory beets.

The development of common scab is enhanced by the permanent cultivation of beets and its frequent return (in a year) to its original place. Compliance with the correct crop rotation and sowing of beets after the best predecessors, excluding its permanent cultivation, helps to limit the development of the disease.

Prevention of the appearance of common scab is achieved as a result of improved plant nutrition. According to the Verkhnyachskaya Experimental Breeding Station, on a fertilized background, the disease developed 35% less than on an unfertilized one. Research Tishchenko E. I. and Shendrik R. Ya. in 1976-1978. at the Chernigov Agricultural Experimental Station, it was found that when only 20 t/ha of manure and 60 kg/ha of NPK were applied to the soil, there were 2.5 times less affected root crops compared to unfertilized plots (5% of affected root crops versus 12.5%) . A further increase in NPK doses to 90 and 120 kg/ha against the background of the same doses of manure contributed to limiting the development of the disease by 5 times compared to the control variant (unfertilized beets). The introduction of only manure or some mineral fertilizers contributes to a smaller increase in their stability.

The development of common scab is reduced with timely care of crops, maintaining the soil in a loosened state and preventing its excessive compaction. It is especially important to loosen the soil when swimming after precipitation.

The most popular lean dish of our time is a vegetable salad. And the most flavorful salad ingredient is, of course, the tomato. How to choose, store and cook tomatoes, tells the new chef of the restaurant "Vanil" Kamel Benamar.

There are so many different types of tomatoes, which are the best?

Well, the best tomatoes, in my opinion, are tuanobahi, Baku tomatoes, and bull's heart. By the way, oxheart tomatoes should be very large and pink. They are incredibly sweet, meaty and juicy at the same time. But they can be obtained in this form only in May-June. So for now, Baku is in the first place. Choose these medium-sized ones, they themselves are always small and red. Pay attention to the aroma - what it is, such is the taste. The smell should not be subtle, but strong. And what is fundamentally important for me personally is that Baku tomatoes should be sold on a branch.

And if a person comes to the market or to the supermarket now, in March, he sees in front of him placers of tomatoes of different sizes and colors, how can he understand which ones are delicious?

First of all, you need to ask where the tomatoes come from. If from Italy - good. And there is really a problem with Russian tomatoes - there are such healthy, red tomatoes, and if you take a bite - real cotton wool, it's just disgusting. This is all because today tomatoes are grown in greenhouses on compost, and not in a normal vegetable garden with natural soil. You can arrange it so that the tomato is beautiful, red and large - the hand stretches, but it is completely tasteless, a real deception. Some establishments use these, and even try to improve the taste with vinegar or olive oil - for me, this is a waste of products.

So, quality can only be determined by trying?

To my great joy, you can determine the ripeness and taste of a tomato by just smelling it. In general, there is a certain number of products, which you can choose by smell. So, tomatoes in this row.

How long have we been making cherry tomatoes?

Ten years, maximum 20 years ago. Before that, they were prepared only in the south of Italy and in Spain. In Russia, they have become popular because of their rich rich taste, and also because of the ease of preparation. At the same time, cherry must be chosen carefully. In many supermarkets, they are sold in transparent plastic containers, without a branch. Well, I personally would never buy grapes by individual berries! And you? It's the same with cherry tomatoes. Those that are sold in bulk have a completely different taste - apparently, they were collected from branches with spoiled or, conversely, with green fruits. Cherries should always be on a branch to see that the whole bunch is healthy.

What is the best way to store tomatoes?

I am totally against the refrigerator. If you want to spoil even the most first-class tomato - put it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and you're done. Store in the kitchen on the windowsill, on the shelves in the cabinets - yes, anywhere, most importantly, do not freeze. This is actually blasphemy. Tomatoes love the heat.

Does this also mean that they can be cooked at a high temperature?

Well, I wouldn’t do it on a very high one, but frying it for a short time on low heat is just right. A wok is a great way to make a vegetarian vegetable dish. You can use any vegetables: broccoli, peppers, eggplant. The main thing is to put the tomatoes at the very end, because they are soft, and we want to keep the juice. Fry a little at a low temperature, do not forget about salt, spices, garlic. You can also make my favorite confit tomatoes. It's a bit like sun-dried tomatoes but cooks faster. So, I cut each tomato in half, put the halves cut side down in the oven, drizzle with plenty of olive oil, add garlic and sprinkle with sea salt. For some time they are cooked at an average temperature of 150 degrees, until they wrinkle a little, it is important not to overdo it here. As a result, they lose water and become very concentrated in taste.

Are confit tomatoes an independent dish or are they used as a side dish?

Yes, whatever. I garnish them with lamb, you can also chicken. Such tomatoes in general will be good in any salad - it's a matter of taste. By the way, since we are talking about salads, I like to add Baku tomatoes there. And I choose the smallest in size and the reddest. And the basis can be any lettuce leaves and other ingredients. As dressing - olive oil with red wine vinegar, minced garlic and Italian white onion.

When it comes to recipes with tomatoes, you often think about garlic, why?

He, even olive oil, the same vinegar perfectly emphasizes the own taste of a tomato, which is why I almost always combine them. Tomatoes go very well with cheese. Their taste - both slightly sour and sweet - goes very well with both insipid soft cheese, such as mozzarella, and salty, as in Greek salad with feta cheese, and Parmesan.

What about tomato juice? Can you cook it at home yourself?

Personally, I won’t cook tomato juice myself - I’ve already tried it, something is clearly missing, well, it’s not tasty, no matter how hard you try. Therefore, I recommend simply buying high-quality juice in supermarkets. But with him already and create. Bloody Mary, for example, is a great cocktail. Just do not forget to add Tabasco, pepper and sea salt to the tomato juice in addition to vodka.

With the onset of spring, the personal plot comes to life: vegetables are planted everywhere. Juicy tomatoes occupy a leading position among all vegetables. They are used in all kinds of preservation recipes, but the most delicious option for serving a tomato is a fresh juicy fruit.

Unfortunately, the tomato can not keep its strength and original beauty for long. But with a little effort, it will become quite possible.

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

A notable feature of maturing varieties of tomatoes is their color. When ripe, the skin turns orange, while the flesh turns bright red.

Storage duration

Ripe tomatoes can last a week if stored at 1-2°C. Refrigerators cannot keep fresh tomatoes firm for a long time. The maximum period is up to 3 days. Therefore, the best option for storing a tomato will be laying an unripe fruit on the shelf of the refrigerator. Green tomatoes in such conditions can withstand a couple of weeks.

Creating conditions for ripening

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

Therefore, when creating a cozy microclimate, tomatoes can extend their "life" for a significant time.

The ideal conditions for fruit storage without loss of taste are:

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

During storage, the fruits evaporate excess moisture, so regular ventilation of the room becomes a decisive factor in protecting the tomato from spoilage. Timely selection of damaged and ripe fruits is also important.

Storage area for fresh crops

When choosing a suitable place to store fresh tomatoes, you should take into account the optimal conditions for fruit maturation. Based on this, the best option would be:

cellar or basement in a private house;
garage, if it does not contain dampness and toxic substances;
balcony or loggia in the apartment;
bathroom while maintaining optimal conditions;
dark unheated room or pantry.

Ways to store tomatoes in the cellar and in the refrigerator

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

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

Only healthy and strong tomatoes are suitable for lying.

A little preparation

Of particular importance is the preparation of fruits for "wintering". Before laying, vegetables should not be washed and the stalk should not be torn off from them. Preservation of the original appearance will extend the duration of the maturation of the tomato. All the necessary inventory is prepared before being sent for storage. Each type of tomato has its own ways of "preservation".

Storing mature tomatoes

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

But effective and interesting ways to “storage” a tomato will allow you to treat guests with homemade vegetables for the holidays for the new year.

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 put the tomatoes in one layer on top.

No need to try to squeeze a lot of fruit into the jar. Vegetables should be in contact with each other with minimal force. This is how each layer is laid, alternately sprinkled with fragrant powder. Once the jar is full, it must be rolled up with a dry and sterilized lid. Carefully roll the glass container on the table and hide it in a suitable place.

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

Loosely place clean and dried tomatoes in 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 evenly distribute the liquid. Further, everything must 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 instantly cover the jar with a lid and roll up the container. Such a vacuum can keep juicy tomatoes fresh for a long time.

Storing green tomatoes until the New Year

Unripe fruits have the greatest chance of staying fresh for the New Year holidays. "Milky ripe" tomatoes are great for long-term storage, but subject to strict recommendations.

The easiest way to keep tomatoes is to store vegetables in a slatted box. Its walls and bottom are lined with parchment paper. It is permissible to lay out the tomatoes in several layers, but then they need to be sprinkled with sawdust, peat or shifted with paper. The boxes are placed in a suitable room with little ventilation.
You can wrap each fruit in parchment paper and put the tomatoes in a box made of wood. Tomatoes are stacked in several layers, which are sprinkled with dry straw. A container with vegetables is determined 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 stalks up. The fruits should be wiped with a dry cloth. Crowding is not the best solution for the green "inhabitants" of the box, so the tomatoes should be laid out freely.

From above, the container is closed with a lid or cardboard, but with the obligatory access of air. The optimum storage temperature for green tomatoes is 7-14°C.

How to store tomatoes in the refrigerator?

The refrigerator compartment is not the best way to keep tomatoes for a long time. However, it is allowed to put the tomato in the refrigerator, but only in a basket designed for this. A plastic container is filled with vegetables in one row. You should not put a large number of fruits in the basket - they will overwhelm each other.

The shelf life of a tomato 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 a day.

When laying a small amount of tomato on the shelf of the refrigerator, it is necessary to wrap each vegetable with clean paper. This will keep the tomatoes from spoiling.

To avoid mistakes when organizing long-term storage of fresh tomatoes and preserve the crop until the beginning of spring, you need to heed the useful advice of experienced gardeners:

Fruit should be inspected once a week for mold, rot, or disease development to avoid spoilage. Removing ripe tomatoes from boxes will prevent the crop from ripening ahead of time.
Extend the "preservation" of the fruit can envelop each tomato in paraffin or petroleum jelly.
In order for the “re-canned” tomatoes to turn red, you need to put a ripe fruit and some hay in the box. A banana is also suitable for a similar purpose.
An intact stalk is the guarantor of a long maturation of a tomato.
Before laying in wooden boxes, tomatoes can be wiped with alcohol. This will keep them fresh for a long time.
When choosing a place for planting a vegetable crop, it is necessary to give preference to a garden bed in the open field. Tomatoes from a greenhouse are not able to maintain freshness for a long time.
You can extend the shelf life of tomatoes by sprinkling onion peel on fruits packed in boxes.
The wooden box should be pretreated with alcohol and dried. This will reduce the likelihood of harmful microorganisms.

Now you can easily delight your family with fresh vegetables throughout the winter. This is quite economical, because you do not need to buy tomatoes out of season for big money. One has only to get to the cherished jar or box and get a juicy fruit from there. Do not neglect the exact rules for storing tomatoes. This will keep your own crop fresh even for six months.

Way harvesting tomatoes for the winter, which we propose to use, does not imply the use of salt, vinegar, or water. No hint of fermentation or pickling!

Tomatoes remain elastic and fresh, as if only from the garden. Everyone will be surprised when you serve not greenhouse tomatoes to the New Year's table, but those that have ripened under the summer sun!

For such a preparation, choose tomatoes that are dense, fleshy, small in size, without bruises and other damage.

How to save tomatoes

INGREDIENTS PER 3 L JAR

5–6 art. l. mustard powder
tomatoes

COOKING

1. Sterilize the jars. Wash the tomatoes and dry thoroughly.

2. With a dry and clean spoon, generously scoop mustard powder and pour into the bottom of a dry jar.

3. Trying not to press against each other, put the tomatoes in 1 layer, placing up the place where the petiole was. Sprinkle with mustard again.

4. Repeat layers until the jar is full. At the end, pour in another portion of the powder and close the lid (sterile and dry).

5. After that, tilt the jar and gently roll it on the table so that the mustard is evenly distributed.

6. Store the workpiece in a cool, dark place.

Essential oils contained in mustard inhibit the growth of putrefactive bacteria, allowing tomatoes to stay fresh. Try to prepare a portion of tomatoes in this way and be sure: the method will not fail!

Tomatoes are a favorite vegetable used by many as the main component of salads and as an addition to hot dishes. At the end of the season, I really want to find the best way to store tomatoes so that they stay juicy and tasty longer. In our article, we will talk about how to properly preserve the harvest of ripe tomatoes at home, and also talk about storing green fruits at the ripening stage.

Storage conditions

To keep tomatoes fresh for a long time, you need to create the right conditions. Without certain requirements, for example, in a bag in the kitchen cabinet, tomatoes lie for only a few days, after which they begin to deteriorate quickly.

For many, it is customary to store tomatoes in the refrigerator, where they can lie for up to 10 days. But if you want to save tomatoes longer, for example, until the new year, you need to consider the following factors:

choose for storage only whole fruits, without the slightest damage and traces of damage;
give preference immature tomatoes, not ripe specimens;
take care of the right temperature regime. It will depend on the degree of ripeness and the specific method of storage;
ensure regular air ventilation in room.

Methods for long-term storage of tomatoes

Each of the methods below is suitable for tomatoes of varying degrees of maturity, from fully green to ripe and overripe fruits. For savings, both homemade tomatoes, just picked from the garden, and bought on the market, are suitable.

Check the storage location at least twice a week. The point is not only in the possible damage to the fruits, but also in the speed of their ripening. Ripe (or already maturing) tomatoes release ethylene, which activates the ripening process of the rest. Therefore, instances that start to turn red should be removed from storage as soon as possible. For the same reason, apples or pears of autumn harvest should not be kept next to tomatoes.

Ripe fruits perfectly stored in clean slatted boxes made of plastic or wood. Line the bottom of the container with clean paper / parchment and spread the tomatoes on it, additionally shifting each row with paper or wrapping vegetables in it. When all the tomatoes are stacked, cover the contents with peat or sawdust. In this form, tomatoes can stand for several months if the temperature in the room is maintained no more than + 8 ... 12 ℃.

To keep tomatoes fresh for the winter, it is important to harvest at the stage of milk maturity. If the weather permits, green fruits are best removed from the garden as late as possible, for example, in October. Wrap each vegetable in thin black paper and arrange carefully in a wired box, lining each row with straw. The workpiece should be stored in a dry, dark place with a good ventilation system at a temperature of +10 ℃. Subject to all conditions, the tomatoes will gradually ripen and remain until January.

To destroy microbes and extend the shelf life of tomatoes, the boxes must be treated with pharmaceutical alcohol and dried before laying.

in vegetable oil. Put the tomatoes in glass jars and pour in sunflower or other vegetable oil so that it completely covers the vegetables. The oil layer on top should be at least 1 cm. Close the workpiece with an iron or plastic lid;
in brine. Mix water, salt and vinegar in a ratio of 8:1:1. Put the washed tomatoes in a container and pour the prepared solution.

For fast ripening green fruits (5-10 days) spread the tomatoes on the floor in a well-lit place with a temperature of about +25 ℃. You can pick the fruits directly with the stalks and stems and hang in a ventilated room. A small amount of unripe vegetables can be laid out in the apartment right on the windowsill so that they turn red.

To keep tomatoes fresh longer, don't wash them before storing them.

Proven way to store ripe tomatoes - salting. Select strong red fruits for harvesting, free them from the stalks. Separately prepare overripe tomatoes: they need to be cut into large pieces. Put a layer of chopped tomatoes 8-10 cm thick in a saucepan or jar, salt a little, put a layer of whole fruits on top and sprinkle with salt again. Fill the container to the top so that the last layer is salt. Close container tightly and store in a cool place.

For detailed recipes for preparing tomatoes for the winter, see this section of our website.

Where to store tomatoes in the apartment?

Still thinking about how to store tomatoes at home in an apartment? While in rural areas there is almost always a cellar - the best place to save tomatoes - then city dwellers have to choose between storage in the refrigerator and storage at room temperature. The following principles will help determine the best option:

For storing tomatoes, designed for consumption in the near future, suitable any place protected from the sun. Lay the tomatoes flat side down on a windowsill or kitchen counter. In a couple of days they will become more tasty and will not lose their flavor.
To keep ripe red tomatoes for 5-7 days, place them on the vegetable shelf of the refrigerator closer to the door.
Slightly unripe fruits are recommended to be kept at room temperature so that they ripen, and then move the refrigerator.
In autumn and winter, it is convenient to store ripe tomatoes on a glazed balcony or loggia, where the temperature is kept within the range from +10 to +20 ℃. In such conditions, it is enough to lay out the tomatoes in one layer on the floor or other flat surface, covering them with a thick cloth on top to avoid direct sunlight on them.

Tricks

Regardless of where and at what temperature you decide to store your tomatoes, some tricks can extend their shelf life:

the variety of tomatoes is important (plan storage at the seed selection stage);
store ripe tomatoes separately from unripe ones and at different temperatures;
keep in mind that large fruits ripen faster than small ones;
when sorting tomatoes, conduct a thorough inspection of each vegetable, because even the slightest trace of phytophthora can lead to damage to the entire crop;
remember that tomatoes are stored longer without stalks;
dry vegetables before storing;
to keep fresh tomatoes longer, treat them with a 0.3% solution of boric acid or a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

Video

In the following video, you will learn about three different ways to store tomatoes:

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