Storing Tomatoes for Winter

Storing fruits and vegetables for winter use, is an age-old practice, which is still followed by many, especially in the inaccessible rural areas. Those living in urban areas have supermarkets to supply these food items, even during winter. But, storing or preserving is always preferable as it can be economical and convenient, especially for those who grow such vegetables or fruits in their home gardens. You can retain the freshness of these fruits and vegetables, throughout the winter, or even the entire year, by adopting proper methods of storage and preservation. This applies for tomatoes too.

Tips for Storing Tomatoes for Winter Use

You may not even be able to imagine a garden fresh tomato during winters. But, you can store these fruits during the harvest, when they are available in plenty. However, many people are still in dark about the best way to store tomatoes for winter. If you want to store tomatoes for a few days, then freezing is not necessary. You can keep them in the kitchen itself, so that the fresh flavor is retained. You can also freeze whole tomatoes or the peeled ones, but it may not retain the freshness for a long time. There are many alternative methods, which may help you in storing tomatoes, without compromising on its freshness and flavor.

Freezing
There are various methods to store tomatoes. But, if you are not interested in canning or drying, you may adopt this easy method for storing tomatoes for winter use. Boil water in a container and add fresh and ripe tomatoes to the container. Allow the water to boil for almost sixty seconds. Now, you have to take out the tomatoes immediately and dip them in ice-cold water. Peel off the skin and allow the tomatoes to cool. Place them in freezer bags and add some salt to each bag of peeled tomatoes. Squeeze out the air in each bag, seal them and place in the refrigerator. You can thaw them and use whenever necessary.

Canning
If you like canned tomatoes, you may go for the canning method to store tomatoes for winter. For canning tomatoes, you have to wash and sterilize the jars (quart or pint jars) for canning. Allow the jars to dry and in the meantime, you can prepare the tomatoes for canning. Boil water in a big pot and add the ripe tomatoes to it. Allow the water to boil, until cracks begin to appear on the skin of the tomatoes. As soon as they develop such cracks, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and put them in ice-cold water. Now, you can easily remove the skin and other rough spots on the tomatoes. The next step is to fill the jars with the peeled tomatoes, some salt and boiling water, so that the jar is filled to within ½ inch from the rim. Slide down a spoon inside the jar and rotate it, in order to remove the air bubbles. Now, wipe off the rim and sides of the jar, cap them and seal. The next step is to place the jars in a boiling water bath canner and process for around 35 minutes. Make sure to start the timer, only after the water reaches a boil. After the stipulated time, remove the jars from the canner and allow them to cool for about 24 hours. Check for a small dent in the lid, which is a sign of sealing. If it is not there, then you will have to place it in the refrigerator. Store others in a cool, dark place.

Drying
Drying is another method of storing tomatoes for winter use. If you like the flavor and taste of dried tomatoes, you can try this method. In order to dry tomatoes, take fresh, ripe tomatoes and wash them. Then, cut them in half and sprinkle some salt on the up turned half. Now, allow them to get dry in a food dehydrator and this may take one or two days. You have to check whether these tomatoes have become completely dry and firm, before storing. Once dry, store them in a jar, which does not have any trace of moisture.

Apart from the above said methods, you may make chutney, pickles, jams and juice, with these tomatoes and store them for winter use. You can even puree them and freeze for future use. However, it is always economical and convenient, as fresh tomatoes are very rare during winter.