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Storing tomatoes in the apartment (in the refrigerator, freezer, for the winter). Secrets of long-term storage of fresh tomatoes: how to store tomatoes until the New Year? How to store tomatoes at home

When the season of vegetables passes, we need to try to preserve them as long as possible, so that even the cold does not prevent us from eating vitamins and pampering our loved ones with various goodies. But it is very difficult to save a product like a tomato, but it is possible. The main thing is to purchase (or pick from the garden) high-quality tomatoes, make sure that there are no crushed barrels or damaged, rotten or spoiled places. By the way, you can make delicious tomato juice from spoiled tomatoes, which can be stored well all winter. In fact, any variety of tomatoes can be stored for a long time; plum tomatoes are best stored; they are strong and last a long time, even without outside help. And the most important advice! Don’t make a lot of preparations for the winter at once, try preserving several tomatoes in different ways. After all, the cellars are different and the tomato varieties are different, experiment and choose for yourself the best way to keep tomatoes fresh until the New Year.

How to preserve tomatoes: Method with mustard

The answer to the question of how to keep tomatoes fresh may be jars. Yes, yes, regular 3 liter jars. It is also necessary to prepare dry mustard powder. We wash the tomatoes, remove the roots, and dry them. We take sheets of paper and use them to transfer vegetables. We stack the tomatoes carefully so as not to crush or press them against each other. There is no need to cram the vegetables too tightly; they should have some space. Sprinkle each layer of tomatoes with dry mustard, add paper, tomatoes, then again. Roll up the lids and immediately hide them in the basement.

How to preserve tomatoes: Method with alcohol

Take jars, tomatoes, a few tablespoons of alcohol, and a thick thread for the wick. So, we sterilize the jars, put the tomatoes in there, pour 2 tablespoons of alcohol, cover with a lid, swirl the jar a little so that the alcohol saturates each vegetable. We light the wick and lower it into the jar, immediately roll the lids tightly. Now we know how to keep tomatoes fresh using jars and improvised means.

There is another opinion on this matter. Tomatoes will last longer if they are not supplied with oxygen. Therefore, simply rolling them into jars without any additives is possible and necessary. But before this, you need to boil each tomato for 2 minutes, dry it and simply lower them, loosely, into jars, roll them up with a lid, and open them in winter. It must be stored in the cellar.

How to preserve tomatoes: Method in the newspaper

We will store the tomatoes in the refrigerator for 2 weeks using regular newspaper. You can wrap each vegetable in paper, you can make envelopes, like for seeds, and store them in 3 pieces. The easiest way to keep tomatoes fresh is to keep them dry, change the newspaper more often, and keep the refrigerator and shelf dry. If each fruit is in paper or newspaper, it will be stored for a very long time and not in the refrigerator. If you wrap the tomatoes individually and change the sheets every week, they will sit all winter just in boxes or baskets. The main thing is not to pile tomatoes one on top of another in numerous layers; 1 or 2 will be enough.

How to preserve tomatoes: Sawdust method

We store tomatoes in boxes using sawdust. If you purchased or harvested a crop that is not yet very ripe, place the tomatoes in a box, preferably a wooden one, just lay them in rows, back to back so that they do not crush each other, with the place where the stalk (tail) was facing up. Layer each layer with paper and sprinkle with sawdust, which absorbs moisture and prevents the tomatoes from rotting or spoiling. For this method of keeping tomatoes fresh to be effective, you need to provide the fruits with a minimum of moisture, no sunlight and a temperature above +10 degrees. Place the boxes in the cellar or basement, or store them on the balcony; if the side is not sunny, cover with paper.

How to preserve tomatoes: The paper method

This method of keeping tomatoes fresh is similar to the previous one. The difference is that still green tomatoes need to be washed well and dried completely on a towel, without the help of the sun. The tomatoes do not need to be wiped; they must dry on their own. Take a cotton swab, moisten it well with alcohol, wipe each vegetable, wrap it in paper, newspaper, put it in a box in rows, roots up. Don't pack tightly, let the tomatoes have some space. Be sure to store the box in a well-ventilated room; the temperature should not exceed +10 degrees. Such fruits can be saved until winter, New Year, and if the variety is strong, then until spring. The main thing is not to take ripe vegetables, let them be greenish, dense and strong.

Note

If you have learned how to keep tomatoes fresh using boxes and paper, and decide to use this method, remember that periodically, about once a week, you need to sort through the fruits, take away ripe, overripe, and damaged ones. The same thing is that red tomatoes need to be separated from green ones, since unripe vegetables are not so saturated with folic acid, which contributes to the rapid reddening and ripening of the fruit. And we need to slow down this process. You know about the trick: “If you want green tomatoes to ripen faster, be sure to add a few red tomatoes to them.” Therefore, red tomatoes need to be quickly removed from green ones.

It is also necessary to inspect tomatoes for rot, so that one tomato does not infect the others. Change the paper, it becomes damp, and this is contraindicated for long-term storage. Keep an eye on the boxes and your tomatoes will be stored until spring.

If you have straw, then it is better to lay it on the bottom of the box; it is advisable to periodically change it for a new, dry one. Straw generally helps housewives to preserve ripe, tasty vegetables until the New Year holidays, especially in the matter of how to keep tomatoes fresh. Therefore, stock up on it and get rid of disposable plastic bags. They collect moisture and spoil the tomatoes.

You can use all the methods how to keep tomatoes fresh. That is, put green or slightly ripe fruits in boiling water for 2 minutes, dry, wipe with alcohol, wrap in paper, fold with the roots up in a row, in two layers, sprinkle with sawdust and cover with straw. This way, in the spring, before the season starts, you will be able to eat delicious, aromatic tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes is under the constant control of every vegetable grower. Very often, ripe or unripe fruits have to be removed en masse from the bushes. Let's look at how to store tomatoes at home in an apartment so that they remain juicy and fresh for a long time.

Reasons for picking tomatoes early

There are many reasons that can force you to pick unripe tomatoes from the bush.

There are many reasons for harvesting tomatoes in quantities exceeding the current needs of the vegetable grower:

• Theft.
• The plant is overloaded with fruits.
• The fruits are too heavy and break branches.
• The tomatoes have ripened en masse.
• Threat of frost, signs of serious tomato diseases.

Collection rules

It is important not only to harvest tomatoes on time, but also to do it correctly so that the fruits are well stored.

Unripe tomatoes can be stored much longer than ripe ones.

The collection rules apply to all tomatoes, regardless of the degree and timing of their ripeness.

Important to remember: Not all varieties of tomatoes are intended for storage.. Early ripening thin-skinned or so-called “salad” tomatoes should be used for food or processed into sauces and lecho first.

Preparation

Transportation of ripe tomatoes should be very careful, as there is a high probability of crushing the fruits. Ripe tomatoes can be stored at home without loss of taste for about 3–8 days.

For long-term storage, tomatoes that are harvested at the stage of milky ripeness, have reached the size characteristic of their variety, but are green, are preferred.

The fruits of milky ripeness are practically green tomatoes, just beginning to turn red.

Tomatoes at the stage of partial ripening - blanzhe ripeness , will ripen in 1.5-2 weeks. Therefore, you should not put them in the “distant drawer”.

These tomatoes are already ripe and won’t last long!

Conditions

Optimal storage conditions:

• Compliance with temperature and humidity conditions. The room temperature should not fall below +10 °C and rise higher +22 °C. Intermediate values ​​are optimal 15–18 °C. Required humidity approx. 70–80% .
• Lighting. Good lighting stimulates fruit ripening. If a vegetable grower is faced with the task of long-term storage rather than quick ripening of tomatoes, they should be put in a dark place.

  If the apartment does not have a storage room, supplies can be stored under the bed.

• Storage container. Wooden boxes and wicker baskets are ideal for storing tomatoes as they have many holes. Air should circulate freely between the fruits. The skin of a tomato is always dry. When storing tomatoes in boxes, it is necessary to cut vent holes in the cardboard so that the fruits inside do not rot.

  The more free space there is between the fruits, the longer the harvest will last.

• Auxiliary materials. It is recommended to place paper between the tomatoes or sprinkle them with loose materials (sawdust, peat, straw). If the tomatoes do not touch each other, then if one fruit rots, the neighboring ones will remain intact.

  Straw perfectly protects fruits from rotting.

• Protective film. To protect the tomato from the effects of negative external factors, a thin layer of wax is applied to its surface, forming a protective film. These tomatoes must be blanched before use.

After harvesting, all fruits are carefully inspected and sorted by size, varietal early ripening (mid-ripening, late-ripening), and by visual signs of ripening (green, white, brown, pink).

You should not harvest from the bushes.

Diseased plants

The harvest from diseased plants is collected separately, in the absence of signs of disease on the fruits themselves (rot, pigmentation).

Cracked tomatoes will not last long and are eaten first.

Tomatoes are lowered onto 1.5-2 minutes hot (about 60°C) water and wipe dry. You can try to prevent it by wiping the fruits with vodka or a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate.

Unfortunately, if a tomato is infected, then no type of treatment will be effective. You need to get rid of the tomato immediately.

Accelerate the ripening of tomatoes

Tomatoes will ripen as quickly as possible if you place them on a radiator.

It’s nice to pamper yourself and your loved ones with fresh, ripe tomatoes until late autumn or even winter, but not everyone has the opportunity to create optimal conditions for long-term storage of a rich harvest of tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes contain poison - solanine, which can cause serious poisoning in humans and lead to death. Therefore, gardeners have a need to quickly produce tomatoes for processing.

Secrets of accelerated ripening of tomatoes:

• Uninterrupted source of light and heat . The higher the room temperature, the more intensely the tomatoes ripen. The best range is 25–30 °C. The apartment has a lot of light and heat on the window sills, next to which there are heating radiators. In the absence of sun, tomatoes are illuminated with a lamp.
• Ripe provocateur . It has long been noted that placing a pair of ripe red fruits among its green counterparts provokes the others to ripen. This is explained by the fact that ripe tomato berries emit ethylene gas, which triggers the chemical processes of aging (ripening) in other fruits. Ripe bananas or apples can be used as a provoking factor. You can speed up the process if you cover ripening tomatoes with a ripe “lining” with a thick cloth or close them in a paper bag.

  Green tomatoes will ripen faster if you place red fruits among them.

• On the bushes. An interesting way is to ripen tomatoes on bushes suspended with their roots up. The entire plants are pulled out (dug up) from the ridges and hung under the ceiling of the utility room (veranda, garage, bathhouse) along with the fruits. The remainder of the nutrients goes into the fruits, and they actually ripen faster.

  Storing tomatoes on branches.

Tomatoes find a second life in preparations for the winter. There are a lot of methods for pickling, pickling, drying, drying and other processing, but only shock freezing in the freezer keeps ripe tomatoes “fresh”.

Can tomatoes be stored in the refrigerator?

In the refrigerator, tomatoes are stored in a special vegetable compartment.

Scientists have proven that storing ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator worsens their taste.. Green tomatoes will never ripen on the refrigerator shelf, and ripe ones will become tasteless.

If there is an urgent need, you can store tomatoes in a refrigerator, but no more than a week (up to 8–12 days). To do this, you must follow a number of rules:

• Store in the designated compartment (area). At a temperature not lower than +5–8 °C Heat-loving crops get frostbite and quickly spoil.
• Do not seal or tie airtight plastic bags.
• Store separately from other vegetables and fruits.

Tomatoes need to be removed from the refrigerator in 12–24 hours before use and let them warm up at room temperature, then the lost aroma will be partially restored and the taste will improve.

Tomatoes in cans without preservation

Recently, some methods of preserving ripe tomatoes without heat treatment in various containers (mainly 3-liter jars) have become very popular.

The vacuum method does not always work and has many negative reviews.

Conclusion

Successful storage of tomatoes largely depends on the correct choice of variety.

If stored properly, late (especially hybrid) tomatoes can gradually mature until February, maintaining its freshness. Cultivated tomatoes require constant monitoring: selection of actively ripening and spoiling fruits.

If a vegetable grower has managed to independently grow a rich harvest of tomatoes, then he will have the patience to preserve it until the right moment or ripen it for processing, following simple, time-tested rules for storing tomatoes at home.

Video on how to prepare tomatoes for the winter without canning

How to store tomatoes at home? Everyone, without exception, knows that conservation is our everything! And few people realize that tomatoes can be stored without much effort until February. You just need to know a few secrets.

Which tomatoes to choose

Ultra-early ripening and early varieties of tomatoes are not suitable for long-term storage. You need to choose late-ripening ones or those whose packaging says in black and white that they are shelf-stable. In turn, you need to set aside whole tomatoes without signs of disease or wilting, with intact skin. Soft ones are not suitable, they are already overripe or beaten off.

Tomatoes should be brown or milky ripe. Fully ripened “golden apples” cannot be stored for a long time without special treatment.

It is better not to wash vegetables before storing them. You can wipe each fruit with a cloth soaked in alcohol or good vodka. This will remove pathogens from the surface. There was advice to inject each tomato with alcohol at the point where the stalk attaches. But there was no answer on how to clean the needle puncture wound so that bacteria would not penetrate there.

Advice. If you don’t have alcohol on hand, you can wipe the tomatoes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

What are the different methods for storing tomatoes?

Depending on the degree of ripeness, you can preserve tomatoes in several ways:

• wilting
• drying
• basement method
• preservation without heat treatment
• in a refrigerator

All options are good, you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.

Advice. It may happen that each method is needed. For example, the barrels of many tomatoes in the basement began to deteriorate. It is impossible to eat all the fruits; it would be a shame to throw them away. After cutting off the sore spots, the tasty “remains” can be dried or preserved.

Sun-dried tomatoes

Wither whole fruits in the oven at a temperature of 40-60°C. Select ripe tomatoes, wash them thoroughly, and place them in one layer on a baking sheet greased with oil. Turn on the heat and leave the vegetables for 4-6 hours. Check occasionally to ensure the fruits do not dry out.

Then, after cooling, the dried tomatoes are placed in a glass jar in layers with vegetable oil. You can add your favorite spices to the bottom. These tomatoes can be stored for up to 8 months.

Advice. For a good result, cut the tomatoes in half and add a little salt.

The preparation of tomatoes is the same as for wilting. Drying alone takes about 10-15 hours, depending on the thickness of the fruit. You can dry tomatoes in the sun, but this will take at least 6-8 days. Or in an electric dryer, 8 hours.

These fruits are stored in glass jars with a tight lid. Shelf life up to a year. They say that dried vegetables taste like fresh ones.

Advice. Tomatoes are not salted before drying. It's better to add a pinch of sugar.

Basement storage method

Basically, it's just a name. In this way, you can store tomatoes in the basement, on the balcony, in the pantry, shed, under the bed. Main conditions: good ventilation, darkness, temperature 9-12°C, humidity not higher than 65-70%.

High-quality ventilation is needed to remove excess carbon dioxide and ethylene. Because of them, tomatoes ripen quickly and then begin to deteriorate.

Darkness is required to slow down metabolic processes in tomatoes. This way they will last longer, and will begin to ripen when they are brought into the light. For the same purposes, a lower temperature is needed.

Air humidity must be observed as accurately as possible. If it goes down, the tomatoes will wither and begin to dry out. If it increases, harmful and putrefactive bacteria are activated, and you can lose the entire harvest.

Select brown tomatoes or the first stage of ripeness - milky. Do not wash, wipe with alcohol or potassium permanganate solution. Dry and wrap each tomato separately in parchment paper. If it's black, that's great. Next, place the vegetables in cardboard or wooden boxes in two layers, no more. Instead of boxes, you can use wicker baskets. The “golden apples” are sprinkled with dry straw, sawdust, peat, and onion peels. Put away for storage.

Ventilate regularly and inspect once a week for damage. At the first signs of disease, the tomato is removed so as not to infect other vegetables.

In Soviet times, at industrial enterprises, for greater safety, “golden apples” were covered with a thin layer of diluted gelatin. Nowadays food wax is used for these purposes. It is not always possible to get it, but gelatin is sold almost everywhere. Why not experiment with several fruits?

If all conditions are met, tomatoes can be safely stored until February, remaining fresh.

Before direct use, the fruits are taken out into the light and the temperature is raised to 18-20°C. In 5-7 days, the tomatoes will fully ripen.

Advice. Recently, special sheets for long-term storage of vegetables have appeared. They consist of two layers of fabric, with a special powder between them. It absorbs ethylene, carbon dioxide and pathogenic bacteria. Two such sheets are enough, top and bottom. No other shelters are required.

Conservation

You can store tomatoes in glass jars, without water, vinegar or spices. You will need ripe tomatoes, mustard powder or alcohol. The fruits are sorted, but not washed. Alcohol is poured into the bottom of the jar, 2-3 tablespoons. Place the tomatoes carefully without crushing them. Press the lid and twist the jar so that the alcohol is evenly distributed. Then they carefully set it on fire and immediately roll it up.

If dry mustard is chosen, then it is simply sprinkled with a thin layer on the tomatoes in the jar. Next, roll up the lids.

Tomatoes can be stored for up to 5 months at a temperature of 2-4°C.

Advice. There is no need to turn such jars upside down. Otherwise, all the mustard will fall into one place. And it should be evenly distributed among the fruits.

Tomatoes in the refrigerator

Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator is not a good idea. The temperature there is too low and the humidity is too high. The fruits may lie on the shelf for about 3 weeks, but the taste will change irreversibly, and the aroma will disappear completely. In order not to lose all the value of tomatoes, it is recommended to keep them in the refrigerator for no longer than a week.

Advice. It is not advisable to store tomatoes in plastic bags. Condensation and unpleasant odor are guaranteed.

Useful subtleties

1. It is necessary to collect tomatoes for storage before the onset of frost. There may be no external signs of frost damage to the fruit. And at the cellular level, irreversible processes will already begin. Such vegetables will spoil almost immediately.
2. It is advisable to store tomatoes with their stems. This way they will last longer.
3. Large tomatoes ripen much faster than small ones. To speed up this process, add a simple fresh apple to the fruit. It releases ethylene, which promotes proper rapid ripening.
4. Before storing, boxes and crates must be thoroughly sprayed. Alcohol, a solution of potassium permanganate or chlorine disinfects containers well. Then you need to dry it thoroughly. And only then use it for long-term storage of tomatoes.
5. It is not advisable to take boxes with lattice bottoms. Vegetables may be crushed against the rods or the skins may break.
6. The fruits are placed strictly with the stalk facing up. This is their natural position.
7. Green tomatoes are only suitable for timely ripening. They are not stored for long-term storage. The taste is very special, few people like it.
8. It is not recommended to store tomatoes beyond the beginning of March. Seeds begin to sprout in them, the taste changes, the pulp becomes loose, and an unpleasant amber reminiscent of soap appears. Everything has its time. Even on New Year's holidays, tasting fresh tomatoes from your own production is already a remarkable achievement.
9. Tomatoes in boxes or crates are not covered with lids so that they do not “suffocate” in their own carbon dioxide. Can't wait to cover your containers? Take a loose fabric, thin paper or non-woven material.
10. Before harvesting for storage, vegetables are sorted by degree of ripeness, size and variety. They are placed in boxes following the same principle.
11. Tomatoes collected from open ground are preserved much better than greenhouse fruits and those grown under cover.

Of course, over time, the taste of tomatoes changes a little, the aroma becomes weaker. But still, it is much better than those tomatoes that are sold in supermarkets and stores in winter.

Video: how to keep tomatoes fresh for the winter

How to properly store harvested fruits? After all, even if the harvest was healthy, improper storage can destroy the most delicious and beautiful fruits in a matter of days. Tomatoes are considered a perishable crop, so to preserve their appearance and taste, it is necessary to maintain certain comfortable conditions.

Storage Features

The harvest will ripen depending on the ripening period. Tomato varieties can be early ripening and ripen by mid-summer; there are also later varieties in which ripening begins only in mid-August. In addition to the ripening period, tomato varieties differ in the keeping quality of the fruit. The most persistent varieties that can be stored for a long time include Pink Honey, Alyonushka, Khrustik, Orange Ball.

Fleshy varieties with sugar pulp are the worst to store. They quickly ferment and are no longer suitable for consumption. Slightly unripe fruits are stored for several days longer than ripe ones, since the pulp is still fully ripened. It is better to eat overripe tomatoes immediately; they will not last long.

The optimal temperature for storing tomato crops is in the range of 12-18 degrees. At low temperatures the pulp freezes; at high temperatures, on the contrary, it rots. Therefore, you can put the harvested crop in the cellar, basement or refrigerator. The room must be damp and dark.

Preparation and storage

For convenience, there is a detailed plan on how to properly store tomatoes:

1. Almost ripe fruits with bright colors are collected in a greenhouse or greenhouse. The pulp should be firm to the touch. Be sure to inspect the fruit for dents and cracks. If there is damage on the surface of the skin, such a specimen will instantly rot and infect other fruits.
2. When the desired vegetables are selected, they are wiped with a dry towel and placed in one row in a wooden box with holes or a wicker basket. It is very important not to wash tomatoes with water, as moisture contributes to the onset of rotting of the pulp. Ventilation is also a necessary condition; air circulation is simply necessary for vegetables, otherwise they will suffocate.
3. The basket or box with the harvest is lowered into the cellar or basement. Thus, ripe tomatoes can be stored for up to 2 weeks. You can put the box in the refrigerator, but away from other vegetables and fruits.
4. When the tomatoes are harvested, they are turned over every 3-4 days so that moisture does not accumulate between adjacent fruits. Turn the tomatoes over carefully so as not to damage the skin or leave dents on the fruit itself.

Important!

For storage, select only healthy tomatoes without signs of late blight, rot, powdery mildew and other diseases.

Storing green fruits

When grown outdoors, tomatoes are often picked without waiting for them to fully ripen, when their flesh and skin are still green. In general, green tomatoes store much better and longer than fruits that have reached ripeness. , which is covered with a cloth on top. The basket must be placed in a warm place so that the room temperature does not drop below 20 degrees Celsius. In this state, tomatoes usually ripen in 2-3 weeks. Every 3-4 days, the tomatoes are turned over to the opposite side so that the color changes over the entire surface of the skin.

Some gardeners place green tomatoes to ripen on a sunny windowsill. The process under the influence of the sun occurs more intensely, and vegetables reach maturity within 1.5-2 weeks. Place paper towels on the entire length of the windowsill and place the tomatoes in one row and leave to turn red. Do not forget to turn the tomatoes from side to side after 2-3 days. When the tomato turns brown, it is removed from the window and stored in the refrigerator or at home.

Attention!

If the fruits are lying on the windowsill, then the window cannot be opened, otherwise the vegetables will freeze.

Indoor storage

Ripe vegetables are poorly stored at temperatures above 22 degrees. Since the pulp contains a large amount of juice and sugar, warm conditions create a favorable environment for fermentation to occur. Tomatoes with thin skin and fleshy pulp are stored at room temperature for no more than 2-3 days. If the tomato has dense pulp and thick skin, then the shelf life increases to a week. In any case, to exclude the possibility of poisoning from stale vegetables, it is not recommended to store tomatoes at room conditions.

Other storage methods

To preserve, experienced housewives resort to an alternative method - freezing. When frozen, the taste and nutrients in the pulp are completely preserved, and the method itself is simple and requires very little time. Absolutely any variety can be frozen. Varieties with dense pulp, even after defrosting, keep their shape perfectly and retain their appetizing appearance. Thawed tomatoes can be used to prepare various dishes, sauces, pastas, and juices. You can freeze both whole fruits and sliced ​​​​slices.

The tomatoes are washed under water and cut into 4-6 pieces if the size is large. Place the slices in a plastic bag so that they do not touch each other. Place the bag with the contents in the freezer for 3-4 hours. When the time is up, check the slices. If they are well frozen, they are poured into one deep container and sent to the freezer. The shelf life of frozen tomatoes is at least 1 year.

Attention!

Never use a microwave or hot water to defrost tomatoes. The defrosting process should occur naturally.

If you take a little time, you can prepare a convenient preparation in the form of tomato puree, which can then be added to stewed, fried meat or vegetables, or used for frying in soups. The fruits are twisted in a meat grinder and poured into small plastic bottles. The bottles are then frozen. When the preparation is needed, it is taken out of the freezer, the required quantity is selected and put back into the freezer for storage.

Delicious fresh tomatoes are a rarity in winter. They are expensive, and the quality of vegetables sold in the cold season leaves much to be desired. If you know how to freeze tomatoes, you can provide yourself with tasty and healthy products throughout the winter. Frozen vegetables are not much different from fresh ones and are much better than tomato paste or juice. How to freeze tomatoes at home?

General rules for freezing tomatoes

If you decide to store tomatoes in the freezer, you need to follow some rules:

• Before freezing tomatoes, you need to carefully select and prepare them. Choose dense, elastic, but not too hard, fresh fruits without dents, holes or other flaws;
• after the vegetables are washed, they should be dried, otherwise the tomatoes will simply stick together;
• It is better to store large fruits in the freezer, after cutting them into pieces or rings. Small varieties can be frozen whole.
• When placing fruits in a container, pack them as tightly as possible so that the moisture does not evaporate;
• packaging must be sealed;
• freeze in small containers or batches.

Freezing methods

Whole fruits

This is the least labor-intensive process and will take a little time. If you are wondering whether cherry tomatoes can be frozen, you can safely store them whole. Varieties such as “cream”, medium-sized and fleshy, are also suitable.

Tomatoes should be defrosted for use in winter at room temperature, without heat treatment or heating. The fruits are suitable for making sauces, for main courses and stuffing.

You can eat thawed tomatoes fresh, but everything will depend on the quality of storage, shape and consistency of the fruit. If vegetables have been stored correctly, they will retain their taste even after cold treatment.

Pieces

This type of freezing is well suited as a preparation for pizza or salads. Those who don’t know how to freeze tomatoes for the winter can be advised to cut the vegetables into rings. This way they will take up less space and will be ready to use immediately after defrosting.

Tablets

For those who are wondering how to freeze fresh tomatoes, we can offer the “tablet” method of freezing. For this purpose, the fruits are crushed into a puree, which is then molded.

The prepared puree can be frozen in small plastic containers. This measure will help maintain the tightness of the product and its convenient form for storage.

Juice or sauce

Can tomatoes be frozen as sauce or juice? Of course, it is possible if the volume of the freezer allows it and there is suitable containers.

To prepare the juice, you need to pass the well-washed fruits through a juicer and boil for 15-20 minutes to remove the acid. Salt is added to taste. The juice is then placed in small containers and in the freezer.

You can prepare the sauce according to the following recipe:

Before using, dip containers of sauce or juice into hot water and place frozen tomato puree in a large container. To speed up defrosting, warm the dish slightly.

Is it possible to freeze tomatoes in the freezer? Of course, the process is limited only by the volume of the freezer and the desire of the housewife. This is a unique opportunity to provide your family with vitamins throughout the winter. Fresh tomato slices and tomato juice will add an incomparable charm to your dishes.