What is the best way to store a tomato at room temperature and make it last longer?

It is rarely possible to cook vegetables immediately after purchasing or removing the stalk. How to store tomatoes without freezing and canning? Experienced housewives know exactly what tricks to use to achieve the perfect result, and why tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator. Many problems arise when choosing where to store green tomatoes so that they turn red faster. All it takes is a little effort.

How to properly store tomatoes

An overly long cooling period literally destroys the reserves, turning the round goodies into withered, rotting balls. Experts recommend enjoying fresh fruits or reliably canning them.

Important! Thick-walled fruits with a small number of chambers inside are considered most suitable for storage. The degree of ripeness is key, determining the correct temperature.

The variety of tomato also determines how colored or dairy fruits should ripen. For example, green tomatoes will definitely not ripen if they are strongly refrigerated. The shelf life ranges from 21 to 70 days when it comes to unripe vegetables. Whereas the ripened ones, with the right approach, can lie comfortably for a week.

It is recommended to lay out the tomatoes in a single, even layer, without creating voluminous pyramids. The tomato top should fit on the bottom. Few people know that the gas released by scarlet delicacies can significantly improve the ripening of unripe stocks.

How to collect and prepare tomatoes for storage

By following these simple recommendations, you will reduce the risk of product damage to a minimum:

Fruits that are removed from the bushes before the night temperature drops below +8°C will be stored for a long time. If they have suffered frosts on the bush, they will not last long, even if now you do not see obvious signs of frost damage on them;

the right time for harvesting is also important: it is better to remove the fruits from the bush in the afternoon, when there is no dew on them;

The right time for harvesting is also important: it is better to remove the fruits from the bush during the day, when there is no dew on them.

Careful sorting is necessary to maximize shelf life. Select only whole fruits that have reached milky ripeness (tomatoes that are still green and have already grown to the size characteristic of the variety);

Before placing them in a storage container, you need to lightly wipe each specimen with a cotton swab dipped in vodka (without additives) or alcohol. This will destroy all microorganisms on the surface of the tomatoes.

At what temperature

A lot of different research is being carried out in the field of vegetable storage. French scientists paid special attention to studying the question of which temperature zone. For a long time, they carefully checked at what temperature conditions the unique characteristics of tomatoes are not lost. What mark needs to be set if it is necessary to ensure the safety of the tomato structure?

After conducting many experiments, the meticulous French showed that at 20°C, unstable compounds not only did not disappear, but were also produced much more actively. As soon as the test samples were placed in less comfortable conditions, that is, 4°C, the release of volatile compounds quickly stopped. Those substances that were still in the vegetables at the time of cooling were instantly destroyed under the influence of cold.

Additional information: milk tomatoes must be stored at a temperature of 8–10 degrees; for red tomatoes, a temperature of 4 to 6 degrees is suitable. Brown tomatoes, resistant to 0 degrees and below, are recognized as the most resistant to cold.

What can you store it in?

Housewives and cooks often have difficulty choosing suitable containers that guarantee the safety of tomatoes. There are a colossal number of options, so a rational approach will help to settle on one specific one. It is advisable to preserve the harvest:

The boxes are ideal containers for green and milk tomatoes that have not reached full ripeness. It is unwise to place scarlet and dark tomatoes in boxes; they risk spoiling. When +5 and below are observed outside the window, the harvested tomato crop loses the chance to turn red, so harvesting should be done earlier. The bottom of the container should be covered with clean canvas or white paper, then a layer of peat, pine sawdust or moss should be laid. These natural materials will protect the tomato from rot, acting as a universal antiseptic. It is recommended to wipe the vegetables themselves with an alcohol-containing liquid in advance, achieving complete disinfection. Tomatoes are placed on top of the peat cushion, butts up, not touching each other. Everything is covered with moss, sawdust or peat on top, followed by a tomato layer. It is best not to place more than three layers of vegetables in one box. The top of the container is closed with a breathable grille.
In jars, it is rational to use small-volume containers, however, it is better to choose compact tomatoes that can easily fit through the neck. It is important to sterilize glass containers and dry them thoroughly. The bottom is filled with 100 g of mustard powder, and parchment is placed on top. Next, the washed, dried tomatoes are placed, and the top is rolled up with a metal lid.
In baskets - an ideal option, especially loved by zealous housewives. Storage in wonderful wicker baskets does not cause any difficulties. It is enough to take clean newsprint, preferably black, moisten it in an alcohol solution, dry it and wrap the fruits in it. Each vegetable is wrapped separately, after which the pieces are folded together.
In paraffin - a method that requires preliminary preparation. Initially, paraffin is heated in a saucepan, you can melt an ordinary candle, and each tomato is momentarily immersed in the molten liquid. It is enough to wait until the paraffin sets and a crust forms. Then the vegetables are placed in containers.
Mixed with heads of garlic and onions: an ingenious way out of the situation, allowing you to speed up the process of reddening of tomato stocks as naturally as possible. Simply add unripe tomatoes, onions and garlic together and wait for the result.

Some more unusual ways

Variations of storage in jars with the addition of:

sunflower oil - they simply pour it into fruits that are loosely packed in a jar, and then close it with a lid and send it to a dark place;
alcohol - a couple of tablespoons of alcohol are poured into a container, distributed over the tomatoes with a slight shake and set on fire using a wick, until the oxygen burns out, you need to quickly close the jar with a lid;
mustard - tomatoes, mustard powder and craft paper are laid out in layers in a jar, and then rolled up and sent to the basement.

As you can see, there are many ways to preserve tasty and fresh ground tomatoes, although the housewife will still have to show ingenuity and attention. The reward will be an appetizing vitamin salad on the winter dinner table, which can surprise anyone.

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How to store fresh tomatoes for the winter

To keep tomatoes fresh at home throughout the winter, just use simple folk methods. The most common solutions - boxes and alcohol-based newspapers - have their own subtleties.

Important! At least once every seven days you need to sort through the preparations, pulling out damaged, overripe and simply ripe ones. If there is a need to separate green and red fruits, it is better to do this right away. Unripe vegetables have virtually no folic acid, while red tomatoes can speed up the ripening process, which should be slowed down.

It is enough to put green tomatoes in a box interspersed with several already ripe fruits, preferably red ones. All tomatoes are inspected for rotting, because even one rotten vegetable can infect the entire box. If the paper becomes damp, it must be replaced with dry paper. It is most rational to replace the paper with straw, so the vegetable reserves will be stored until spring. You definitely need to get rid of plastic bags; tomatoes in them quickly spoil.

Tomatoes will be better preserved for the winter if unripe or green fruits are immersed in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then dried. Next, all the fruits are wiped with alcohol and wrapped in paper. It is necessary to fold with the roots up, keeping the line, and not piling everything in a heap. Straw or sawdust is poured on top.

Proven ways to preserve ripe tomatoes longer at home

There are several proven methods, each of which involves preserving the fetus for a certain period of time. But in order to store tomatoes, you also need to take into account all the above general recommendations.

After all, teamwork of all requirements is important in this matter.

The most important condition for proper storage of already ripe tomatoes is the absence of excess moisture . Regular newspaper helps remove excess moisture. To store tomatoes in this way, you need to wrap each of them in newspaper and place them on the refrigerator shelf. If you have a basement, then even better - place the tomatoes, wrapped in newspaper, in plastic or wooden boxes.
By the way, also wipe the shelf or drawers thoroughly to avoid excess moisture. Of course, the newspaper should be changed periodically so that the stored fruits remain dry at all times. You shouldn’t make many layers; the ideal option is a maximum of 2 tiers. Otherwise, the fruits may put pressure on each other, release juice and quickly deteriorate.
Using this principle, you can wrap them in parchment paper. Just make sure that the fruits do not touch each other.
It is also good to store ripe tomatoes in straw, which works like paper.
Using alcohol in jars will help preserve ripe tomatoes until winter To do this you will need jars, a few tablespoons of alcohol and a thick thread for the wick. The jars that will be used must first be sterilized. You need to put the tomatoes in them to the top and fill them with 2 tbsp. l. alcohol into each jar. Then we cover the jars with lids and twist it a little (do not shake it at all!) so that the alcohol is evenly distributed. After this, lower the lit wick into the jar and roll up the lids tightly.
The mustard powder method is also one of the best methods. It is somewhat similar to the previous version. Jars, preferably three-liter jars, must also be pre-sterilized. All you need is paper and mustard powder. Tomatoes must first be cleared of roots and leaves, washed and allowed to dry on their own.
When they are dry, put them in a jar. We do this freely so that they do not crush each other. Sprinkle a layer of tomatoes with mustard powder, then place paper on top and repeat the procedure again. Thus, fill the jar and roll up the lids. Jars closed using this method are best stored in a dark, cool room; a cellar is ideal for this.
Also one of the methods is a vacuum ! It is better to use slice bags, but regular ones will do. Place tomatoes in them, tighten them, leaving only a small hole, and use a regular cocktail straw to suck out excess air. All that remains is to tie or tighten tightly. The main thing is that there is no moisture inside. That's why tomatoes don't wash!

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Can tomatoes be stored in the refrigerator?

Juicy, aromatic fruits, which have won the love of gourmets around the world, acquire their taste characteristics as a result of natural chemistry. The aroma and taste of vegetables is lost literally immediately if the temperature drops below 5 degrees.

How to keep tomatoes longer

When left in the refrigerator for a long time, sugars and acids dissolve, turning the vegetable into a tasteless, watery mess, devoid of aroma. Herbaceousness is a unique characteristic that gives tomatoes a fresh smell. Associations with the sun and summer arise precisely thanks to fragrant volatile substances, and the refrigerator completely kills them. If the tomatoes are still forced to cool in the refrigerator, it is enough to take them out a day before use and put them in a warm place.

When it comes to choosing a storage method, it is better to choose the lesser of two evils. The ideal temperature is considered to be 12–20 degrees, but an apartment, especially in summer, does not provide suitable conditions. Therefore, the refrigeration chamber guarantees better product preservation. Ideally, you need to use a cellar or wine cabinet, but in the absence of such, the ripe fruit will quietly stay in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

What can't be stored with

Fresh vegetables can quickly deteriorate and rot if exposed to the oxidizing effects of milk and dairy products. To avoid a negative neighborhood, milk should be tightly closed and placed on the top shelves. Vegetables remain on the bottom shelf or a special vegetable drawer.

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Ethylene, a gas that accelerates the process of ripening and overripening of vegetables, is released in large quantities by tomatoes. Therefore, cucumbers and tomatoes should not be stored together, otherwise rotting cannot be avoided.

How to store green tomatoes so they turn red

You can store tomatoes in the refrigerator, but this will not help green fruits ripen faster. The issue of ripening tomatoes arises especially acutely in the fall after harvesting, and here you need to carefully sort the collected vegetables. It is necessary to select browned fruits that will turn red faster than others.

It is better to set the temperature from +13 to +15, while the humidity should be at least 80%. Direct sunlight does not promote rapid ripening, but increases the spoilage of vegetables. It is wise to place the tomatoes in a dark, dry place where air circulates freely. Next you need to perform simple manipulations:

Remove the picked tomatoes from leaves and stems.
Heat water in a saucepan to +60, and lower each vegetable into the liquid for a couple of minutes.
Place the processed tomatoes on a towel and allow excess moisture to drain.
Place in a box, cover with a thick piece of cloth.
Place the workpiece in a warm place with sufficient darkness.
Inspect the fruits daily, removing rotten ones.

Features of storage at room temperature

It is difficult to find a more popular vegetable than the tomato. Taste and high benefits make vegetables incredibly popular. Modern researchers have a lot of debate about whether fresh tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator. Most experts choose exclusively the option of storing fruits at room temperature. To do this, you need to find a dry, well-ventilated room. If the room is deprived of air circulation, the tomatoes will begin to rot.

Unripe vegetables are stored well at +20, otherwise they are at risk of rotting and overripening. Ripe fruits should be stored at +5. During the entire storage period, tomatoes must be checked for spoilage in order to have time to get rid of spoiled specimens in a timely manner.

Fully ripe tomatoes are perfectly preserved in vegetable oil until the next harvest. To do this, the fruits are placed in glass jars and poured with oil until the vegetables are completely covered. The oil layer on top should be at least 1 cm, and the workpiece should be covered with a plastic or iron lid.

Tomato varieties for long-term storage

Please note an important nuance: regardless of the variety, tomatoes grown in open ground are stored better than greenhouse tomatoes.
Regardless of the variety, tomatoes grown in open ground are stored better than greenhouse tomatoes. Mid- and late are suitable for long-term storage , for example:

'De Barao' is a mid-season indeterminate (with unlimited growth) variety that can reach a height of 2.5 m or more. The oval fruits (depending on the variety) are red, pink, yellow, striped and even black;

'San Marzano' is an indeterminate, highly productive variety; The fruits are dense, fleshy, bright red, elongated plum-shaped, reaching a weight of up to 150 g.

And the fruits of the varieties ' Rio Grande ', ' Kumato ', ' Volgogradsky 5/95 ' and ' Zhanina ' are also perfectly preserved. In addition, breeders have simplified the task of long-term storage of tomatoes: new shelf-stable (long-storable) varieties have been developed. Among them:

'Giraffe' is an indeterminate variety, reaching a height of 1.2 m. The round fruits can be stored until March;

'Long Keeper' is a determinate variety, the long-lasting fruits of which can weigh 250-400 g; when fresh they can last until February-March;

'Masterpiece 1' is a late-ripening low-growing variety, the bush of which reaches a height of 60 cm. Red flat fruits weighing 80-200 g can remain fresh almost until spring.

Of course, the fruits of long-stored varieties are easier to preserve.
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Conclusion

If rural houses are almost guaranteed to have a cellar, ideal for storing tomatoes, then city residents have to make a difficult choice: store tomatoes in the refrigerator or somewhere warmer? For vegetables intended for quick consumption, a place protected from the sun is suitable. To keep ripe fruits fresh throughout the week, it is better to place them on the refrigerator door or vegetable shelf. If the tomatoes are slightly unripe, it is better to keep them at room temperature for a couple of days and then put them in the refrigerator. If you carefully sort the fruits, avoiding even the slightest rotting, the vegetables will be preserved for a long time.