Don’t you know how to store excellent tomatoes so you can eat them even in winter? Here’s the trick that few people know.
It often happens that you buy or receive delicious tomatoes as a gift, perhaps in large quantities, so much so that you are not able to consume them optimally. What if you could preserve and eat them in winter too? Let’s see how it goes?
How to store tomatoes for as long as possible
The tomato is basically a typical summer vegetable. Their natural seasonality includes them between May and July , although with greenhouse cultivation and imports we are used to having them for sale all year round, although it would be a good habit to eat them at the right time for a truly natural product to enjoy. The difference in taste of seasonal tomatoes is very noticeable, they are much juicier and tastier, they rarely taste “water”, that is, they have no taste.
Nutritionists primarily recommend always consuming “seasonal fruits and vegetables” to get the most nutritional benefits. In fact, a sun-ripened tomato will certainly have more nutrients and flavor than a tomato ripened in a greenhouse in January. And as good as they are, it’s hard to find tasty ones out of season. In addition , tomatoes often only last a short time in the refrigerator , which is why it would be unthinkable to carry them until winter. There is a method that can be useful for preserving excellent tomatoes and enjoying them even out of season without losing their taste.
All you need is a few good quality tomatoes, medium to large airtight jars, a saucepan, vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic.
So let’s look at how best to store summer tomatoes.
The procedure for preserving tomatoes
First you need the pot. Add 2 liters of water to the pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place 2.5kg of tomatoes in airtight jars. You need to arrange the tomatoes tightly, pressing them lightly but being careful not to break them. You’ll end up with a jar full of tomatoes that don’t need to move, so it’s good to mesh them together and assess their size. Meanwhile, chop 20 cloves of garlic in a food processor or mince them with a knife.
A volta che the water bollirà, toglierla dal fornello and versarla nei vasetti with i pomodori, mettendo a cucchiaio nel barattolo . Questo sarà indispensabile per evitare the rottura del vetro dovuta all’acqua bollente, quindi è un procedure assolutamente da non saltare. Aiutatevi with a mestolo e versate lentamente the water fino and riempire fino all’orlo il barattolo. A volta finito, coprite il barattolo with a coperchio senza chiuderlo and lasciate riposare il tutto per almeno 20 minuti .
After 20 minutes, put the water contained in the tomatoes back into the pot and add 100 ml of vinegar, 100 grams of sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt . Stir until the ingredients are well combined and return the pot to the heat to bring to a boil. In the meantime, add the chopped garlic to the jars with the tomatoes. Don’t worry if it stays mostly on the surface. Once the water has boiled, you must pour it back into the glasses, again with the help of a spoon to prevent the glass from breaking. The hot water brings the chopped garlic pieces with it so that they can be well distributed in the jar . Once the jar is filled, close it with the airtight lid and shake to distribute the garlic well. The effect you need to achieve by shaking the glass is similar to that of glass balls containing artificial snow.
Cover the jars filled with tomatoes, water and garlic with a heavy blanket and allow to cool. They should then be stored in a cool, light-protected place. You will be able to eat delicious tomatoes even in winter.