How and where to store tomatoes, why you can not store tomatoes in the refrigerator. How to keep fresh tomatoes longer? Can you keep tomatoes fresh for the winter?

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.

Some people think that it is unrealistic to keep such a perishable vegetable in excellent condition. But it is enough to remember that even in winter you can buy ripe, strong tomatoes on the market to understand that this is possible.

The main thing is to choose the right vegetables and find the best place to store them.

What tomatoes can be stored

Harvesting of tomatoes begins at the end of July and continues until frost. As soon as the first drop in temperature below zero is planned, all tomatoes, regardless of the degree of maturity, are removed. Because even slightly frostbitten tomatoes cannot be stored, as in places of contact with frosty air they begin to turn black. But even if, at first glance, the tomatoes did not suffer, they will quickly deteriorate in storage.

Mid-late and late varieties of tomatoes are best stored: De Barao, San Marzano, Kumato, Zhanina, Giraffe, Masterpiece-1.

How to prepare tomatoes for storage

• Tomatoes are sorted according to the degree of ripeness and the size of the fruit, because red and green tomatoes are stored at different temperatures. And large tomatoes ripen faster during maturation than small ones.
• Tomatoes should be strong, without dents, disease damage. Indeed, even a small speck of phytophthora on one fruit can destroy the rest of the tomatoes lying in the same box.
• It is necessary, if possible, to leave the stalks, because such tomatoes are stored much better.
• Tomatoes must be completely dry.
• Before putting tomatoes in boxes, they are sometimes gently wiped with alcohol or vodka and dried well. With the help of such a simple manipulation, microbes on the surface of tomatoes are destroyed, which also extends the storage time.
• Tomatoes are alternately dipped for a few seconds in a 0.4% aqueous solution of gelatin, and then dried. A thin gelatinous film will prevent the tomatoes from spoiling during the maturation.
• Tomatoes are well stored if they are treated with a 0.3% solution of boric acid or a 0.1% aqueous solution of potassium permanganate.

How to store tomatoes in a cellar or basement

The cellar for these vegetables should be clean, well ventilated.

It is important to set the optimal humidity in the room - 80-90%. If the storage is damp, then the tomatoes become moldy, and because of the dry air, they gradually begin to wrinkle, dry out and do not ripen.

The temperature in the cellar should not exceed 12°C.

How to store red tomatoes

• Tomatoes are placed with petioles up in shallow boxes in 2-3 rows. Each row is shifted with chaff or sawdust.
• So that the tomatoes do not touch each other, they are wrapped in soft paper.
• The boxes are covered with a thin film. But you need to make sure that fresh air does not stop access to the tomatoes.

Store red tomatoes at a temperature of +1 ... + 2 °. Shelf life - 1-2 months.

How to store brown tomatoes

• Tomatoes are placed with petioles up in clean boxes of 8-12 kg.
• So that they do not touch each other, they are sprinkled with sawdust or wrapped in thin paper.
• Close the lid and store at +4…+6°.

Recipe for the occasion::

How to store milk and green tomatoes

It is these tomatoes that are best stored - up to three months - because even in plucked fruits, the ripening process continues.

Method 1

Green tomatoes are stored on racks in complete darkness. In November, the fruits are wrapped in soft wrapping paper and placed in boxes lined with sawdust, burlap or chaff. Boxes are cleaned in a room with a low temperature. Keep until January.

Method 2

Tomatoes are stacked in boxes, sprinkling each layer with chaff or sawdust. If there is no chaff or sawdust, then they can be replaced with onion peel.

Store at a temperature of -2 to +2°.

Ripening green tomatoes indoors

In order for green tomatoes to quickly turn red, they are transferred to a warm room, where they ripen in three days.

If green tomatoes are kept in the dark these days, the redness will pass more slowly, but the color will turn out to be more uniform than those that will be in the light. But the latter will ripen faster.

Ripening green tomatoes in the garden

When there is no room for tomatoes to ripen indoors, they can be left to ripen in the garden.

• To do this, the supports are removed, and the bushes themselves are laid on the spread straw.
• From above, tomatoes are covered with a film, making a kind of greenhouse.
• Water carefully so as not to wet the fruit.
• Harvest as it ripens.

How to store tomatoes in the apartment

When trying to keep tomatoes in an apartment, you need to know that red tomatoes can lie at room temperature for no more than four days, pink ones for five days, brown ones for a week, and green ones for about ten days. And then they start to deteriorate.

But if the tomatoes are in the stage of milky ripeness, then they can be laid out in a cool pantry or under the bed. Without access to light, they will be stored for quite a long time.. True, they will be inferior in taste to tomatoes that are stored in the cellar.

Therefore, if there is no cellar, and the tomatoes need to be stored as long as possible, then they must be put in the refrigerator or taken out to the glazed balcony.

How to store tomatoes in the refrigerator

Tomatoes are stored in the vegetable compartment. Strong tomatoes without signs of spoilage are suitable for storage.

They are placed in a box, laid out in one row with tails up. Then lay with soft paper and lay the second row. For better storage, each fruit can be wrapped in soft paper. Then the tomatoes will not touch each other. And if one fruit starts to deteriorate, this will not affect the quality of other tomatoes.

But you will have to forget about plastic bags, since tomatoes quickly disappear in them without access to fresh air.

How to store tomatoes on the balcony

If the balcony is glazed and the temperature on it is kept within + 5 ... + 12 °, then the tomatoes are placed in boxes covered with burlap or paper. Each layer of tomatoes is separated from each other using the same cushioning material. The boxes are stacked and covered with a cloth that does not let in light, but does not interfere with the flow of fresh air.

• To make green tomatoes ripen faster, you need to take a few pieces, put them in a paper bag and put an apple in the same place. The ethylene gas emitted by this fruit will contribute to the rapid ripening of tomatoes. A ripe tomato has the same effect.
• Tomatoes in storage are periodically sorted out. Reddened tomatoes are transferred to a cooler place or used for food, and those that have begun to deteriorate are removed. If necessary, change sawdust and bedding.

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

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

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

• Theft.
• The plant is loaded with fruits.
• The fruits are too heavy, break branches.
• Tomatoes ripened en masse.
• The threat of frost, signs of serious diseases of tomatoes.

Collection rules

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

Unripe tomatoes can be stored much longer than ripe ones.

Collection rules apply to all tomatoes, regardless of the degree and timing of their maturity.

It is important to remember: Not all varieties of tomatoes are intended for storage.. Early ripe thin-skinned or so-called "salad" tomatoes should be used for food or processed into sauces and lecho first.

Training

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

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

The fruits of milky ripeness are almost green tomatoes, just starting to turn red.

Tomatoes at the stage of partial ripening - blange ripeness , will be in time for 1.5-2 weeks. Therefore, you should not put them in the "far box".

These tomatoes are already ripe and will not lie for a long time!

Terms

Optimal storage conditions:

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

You should not harvest from the bushes,.

sick plants

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

Cracked tomatoes will not last long, they are eaten first.

Tomatoes are dropped on 1.5-2 minutes hot (approx. 60°C) water and wipe dry. You can try to prevent by rubbing the fruits with vodka, or a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate.

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

Accelerating the ripening of tomatoes

Tomatoes will ripen as quickly as possible if placed on a battery.

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

Secrets of accelerated ripening of tomatoes:

Tomatoes acquire a second life in preparations for the winter. There are a lot of ways of salting, 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 a refrigerator shelf, and ripe ones will become tasteless.

In case of urgent need, you can store tomatoes in the 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 compartment (zone) intended for this purpose. At temperatures below +5–8 °C heat-loving crops get frostbite and quickly deteriorate.
• Do not seal in airtight plastic bags or tie them.
• Store separately from other vegetables and fruits.

Take the tomatoes out of the fridge 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 jars 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.

When stored properly, late (especially hybrid) tomatoes can gradually mature until February while maintaining its freshness. For tomatoes in the bed, constant monitoring is necessary: selection of actively ripening and spoiling fruits.

If the vegetable grower managed to grow a rich crop of tomatoes on his own, then he will have the patience to keep it until the right moment or finish it for processing, following the simple, time-tested rules for storing tomatoes at home.

Video on how to prepare tomatoes for the winter without conservation

Going to the country, every gardener dreams of growing a rich harvest of fruits and vegetables. With the onset of the first warm days and until late autumn, summer residents work on their plots in order to get the maximum amount of tasty and healthy fruits. Undoubtedly, several beds are also allocated for growing tomatoes. After all, bright, ripe and fragrant vegetables are rich in serotonin, which is often called the hormone of happiness, vitamins A and C, as well as a large amount of organic acids. Unfortunately, the tomato itself can not retain its elasticity and original beauty for long, but if you make a little effort, juicy fruits can lie all winter.

Which tomatoes are long-term storage

Not every tomato can lie after picking for a long time. Late-ripening species are suitable for winter storage. Thanks to the work of breeders, a special gene was discovered that is responsible for delayed ripening, and the bred hybrid varieties tolerate transportation better and can be stored for a month or more.

The very first hybrid suitable for winter storage is the Giraffe. Over time, scientists have grown a large number of varieties with a variety of shelf life:

Before storing tomatoes for storage, they must undergo preliminary preparation, as this will increase the chance of successful and long-term storage.

Processing methods

Whichever method is chosen, the vegetables must undergo a simple preparation. This will increase the shelf life and preserve the fresh aroma.

1. 1. First of all, it is necessary to sort the fruits by size and degree of maturity. Since ripe and unripe tomatoes are stored at different temperatures, and large specimens ripen much earlier than small ones.
2. 2. Intact and strong tomatoes are chosen for storage, since the slightest rot can damage the entire crop.
3. 3. In order for the tomatoes to lie for a long time, they are removed from the bush until the first frost, along with the stalks.
4. 4. Before laying, the fruits are dried and treated with a 0.3% solution of boric acid or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After sorting and processing, you can proceed to the second stage - the bookmark.

Cherries are unsuitable for long-term storage due to their thin skin.

Conditions and place of storage

Tomatoes are very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, and if the thermal balance is disturbed, they become lethargic and lose their unforgettable aroma.

The place chosen for storage also plays an important role. Any dark room is suitable for this: a basement, a pantry, a closed compartment for vegetables in a refrigerator, or a space under a bed.

How to save tomatoes

The most common storage options in the house and apartment will be considered below.

in boxes

The easiest and most efficient way. For this, wooden or plastic boxes with a slatted bottom, thoroughly washed and treated with alcohol on all sides, are suitable.

The bottom is covered with paper and the sorted vegetables are carefully laid out with the stalks up. The main thing is to make sure that they do not touch each other. Each row must be laid with paper.

The laid fruits are covered with dry sawdust or wood peat.

in the straw

Dairy fruits are selected and wrapped in dark paper. Carefully place in a box and sprinkle with straw. The container is cleaned in a dark, well-ventilated room, where the air temperature will be within + 8–10 degrees. In order for the fruits to ripen faster, they can be transferred to a warm, bright room for several days.

in banks

A photo	Description
	For the first method, small fruits are suitable. We lay out the vegetables in sterile jars and fill them with brine prepared from water, vinegar and salt in a ratio of 8: 1: 1. We cork the jars with lids and, after cooling, put them away for storage in a cool room.
	In the second case, wash the tomatoes thoroughly, put them in prepared jars and pour in sunflower oil so that it covers the tomatoes by 1 cm. Close the lids and put them in the refrigerator
	When choosing this option, we put clean and small fruits in a jar. Sprinkle each layer with dry mustard. A three-liter jar should take at least 6 tablespoons of mustard powder. We cork jars with lids and store in a cool room.

in a saucepan

For this method, ripe and overripe tomatoes are suitable.

Vegetables are sorted according to the degree of maturity. Overripe cut into large slices and put in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt, lay out the whole fruit, also sprinkle with salt. We carry out this sequential procedure until the container is completely filled. Store in a cool dry place.

In a refrigerator

When stored in this way, the freshness of a tomato can be preserved only for a week.

So that the tomatoes do not start to rot, we wrap each fruit in dark paper and put it in the vegetable compartment, making sure that they do not touch each other.

Plastic storage bags are not used, as they retain moisture, and it leads to rapid deterioration of the product.

You can also store tomatoes in the freezer. To do this, ripe fruits without signs of rot are cut into small pieces and placed in an airtight container. Such tomatoes will be a great addition to the preparation of soups, sauces and adjika.

Ripening

Unripe tomatoes are laid out with their stalks up in a bright, well-ventilated area. To make them turn red faster, you need to place ripe specimens nearby.

Blank storage

Tomatoes retain their taste and aroma even in canned form. Sun-dried, dried, pickled, pickled and salted tomatoes will be a good addition to any dish.

A photo	Description
	There are three ways to store sun-dried tomatoes: in cotton or linen bags; in plastic containers, pre-filled with olive oil; in the freezer, but when defrosted, the tomatoes lose their color
	Dried tomatoes can be stored in 3 ways: in linen bags; arrange the vegetables in jars, cover with wax paper and seal with wax or resin; dried tomatoes are laid out in jars and poured with refined oil. You can add any spices if you wish. The jar is closed with a lid and stored in a dark, cool place.
	Preservation is stored for no more than one year. Pickled or salted tomatoes can be stored in a barrel for no more than 8 months. Canned tomatoes, like cucumbers, thanks to vinegar, can be stored at a temperature of + 15-18 degrees, pickled and salted only in a cool place

In order not to ruin the entire crop, during storage, you must follow simple rules:

1. 1. Once every 7 days, you need to check the fruits for rot and mold.
2. 2. To extend the shelf life, each copy is wrapped in paraffin or petroleum jelly.
3. 3. For quick redness, straw and ripe tomatoes are placed in the box. Bananas will work too.
4. 4. An intact stalk is a guarantee of long-term storage.
5. 5. Before laying in boxes, each fruit is wiped with alcohol. This will keep the freshness and aroma.
6. 6. Only those vegetables that are grown in open beds are subject to long-term storage.
7. 7. Onion peel, packed in boxes with tomatoes, will help to prolong freshness.
8. 8. For disinfection, the boxes are treated on all sides with alcohol and dried thoroughly.

How to save spoiled tomatoes

Even observing all the rules of storage, it is impossible to insure tomatoes against rot by 100%. With sudden changes in temperature and humidity, brown and dark spots may appear on the fruits.

To save the tomatoes, you need to heat the water to 60 degrees, lower the fruits into it and leave for 3-5 minutes. After that, the vegetables are rubbed and dried.

Knowing all the storage methods, you can easily delight your household with tasty and healthy fruits until the New Year. This is very economical, because you do not need to spend money on expensive and not always environmentally friendly tomatoes. One has only to choose the right jar or get juicy and beautiful fruits from the box. If you do not neglect the rules of storage at home, then you can use your crop of tomatoes up to 7 months.

If there were a vegetable popularity rating, then tomatoes would no doubt take first place in it. And by a wide margin from rivals. Red-sided and juicy, they are good even in a salad, even as a bite. It’s just that it’s not possible to enjoy fresh tomatoes in our latitudes for long: as soon as autumn seriously declares itself, they disappear from both market stalls and store shelves. And I would like to keep fresh tomatoes longer! After all, conservation is not at all the same as elastic, appetizing freshly picked fruits ...
As for freshly picked ones, we won’t help, but we can help with storage. Because we know how to keep fresh tomatoes longer. And we are happy to share this information with you.

HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE TOMATOES?
To begin with, let's decide what we can generally count on. Is it possible to save fresh tomatoes until the New Year? Or will they last only a couple of weeks of storage? The answer depends not only on your actions and, moreover, your desire. The shelf life of tomatoes is determined by several parameters at once, which will have to be taken into account if you want to keep fresh tomatoes for as long as possible:

1. Greenhouse tomatoes are stored worse than grown outdoors. Perhaps ground tomatoes are simply better adapted to the challenges of the environment and "hardened" by the struggle for survival. But the fact remains: in order for tomatoes to last longer, they must be from the garden.

2. There are specially bred varieties of tomatoes for long-term storage. The most famous of them are Masterpiece, Longkeeper and Giraffe. Sound names, right? But the main thing is that they withstand longer storage and / or transportation than representatives of other varieties. This information will be more useful for gardeners who can grow the necessary vegetables on their own. But suddenly you manage to buy fresh tomatoes of just such varieties - do not miss it.

3. Tomatoes have a feature that not all vegetables have: they can be plucked unripe so that they later ripen during storage. This approach greatly extends the life of fresh tomatoes. First, green tomatoes stay unharmed longer. Secondly, the beginning of their storage in a ripe form is delayed.

Ripe tomatoes can be bought about three days in advance, after which the uneaten vegetables will begin to wither and deteriorate. If you immediately put the tomatoes in the refrigerator, you can count on their safety for a week. Tomatoes with a dense skin can lie in a special “vegetable” compartment of the refrigerator for 10 days, but this is already risky. But it is generally not recommended to cool fresh tomatoes more than to 2-3 ° C: tomatoes do not tolerate freezing well, and after thawing they deteriorate very quickly.

HOW TO PRESERVE FRESH TOMATOES UNTIL THE NEW YEAR?
If you have never had the opportunity to store fresh vegetables for a long time before, then you are unlikely to have time to stock up on green tomatoes or choose a specific variety. So you have to deal with what is - that is, arrange the storage of already ripened tomatoes. In this case, folk methods, multiplied by the discoveries of modern science, offer the following ways to store tomatoes:

1. Storage in dry mustard.
Tomatoes are stored for a long time in glass jars and at the same time remain fresh, without a drop of brine or a hint of canning.
To repeat this trick, take several three-liter jars and fresh tomatoes - whole, not overripe, without dents or other damage.
Wash the tomatoes under running water, wipe dry and lay out in the open air to dry.
Sterilize the jars and also dry them properly.
Scoop a generous amount of mustard powder into the bottom of each jar with a dry and clean tablespoon.
Put the tomatoes in jars on top of the mustard. First, a few pieces - the first "layer". Try not to press them against each other. Of course, the sides of the vegetables will touch, but this should be done without pressure.
The second important point: place the tomatoes up on the side where the tail was.
Sprinkle the first and each subsequent serving of tomatoes with mustard without sparing.
At the end, when the jars are full, pour another full spoonful of mustard powder on top and close the lid (of course, sterile and dry).
Roll up the jars with a machine or seal them hermetically in another way.
After that, it is advisable to put the cans on their side and roll a little and / or carefully turn them upside down. But don't shake the jars - just spread the mustard powder evenly over all the tomatoes.
Put the jars in a cool place without light (in the pantry, cellar, etc.) and be sure that even in January the tomatoes will remain fresh and tasty.
It is interesting, due to what the described method "works"? Everything is quite simple. Closed in jars, tomatoes release moisture very slowly. This amount of water is negligible, but it is enough to interact with mustard essential oils. Those, in turn, do not allow putrefactive processes to develop in vegetables, suppressing bacteria. So that the method does not fail, choose medium-sized tomatoes for such storage and use at least 4 tablespoons of dry mustard for each jar.

2. Vacuum storage.
Fresh tomatoes in jars can be preserved in another way.
To do this, you will need exactly the same three-liter jars (sterile and dry, of course), as in the first case, but instead of mustard powder - alcohol.
Wash small fresh whole tomatoes and dry completely. Arrange on the banks, trying not to press tightly, just on top of each other.
Pour 2 full tablespoons of alcohol into each jar filled with tomatoes.
Close jars with clean lids, but do not seal.
Lay the jars horizontally and roll them so that the tomatoes are thoroughly moistened with alcohol.
Further actions should be very fast and coordinated, so immediately prepare everything you need.
Put a long wick, matches (lighter), lids and a can-sealing machine nearby.
Remove temporary lids from jars.
Lower the end of the wick into the jar, set fire to the other side.
As soon as the alcohol lights up, immediately close the jar with a lid and roll it up tightly.
Do this with all banks.
If you manage to do everything right, you will get absolutely whole tomatoes: they will not have time to burn themselves, and the alcohol will instantly burn inside the jar along with oxygen.
Tomatoes are in a vacuum that will save them for a long time.

HOW TO STORE GREEN FRESH TOMATOES CORRECTLY?
Truly long-term storage is possible only if not fully ripe tomatoes are harvested. Fresh tomatoes of the so-called milky ripeness can be stored not only until late autumn and / or winter holidays, but also until the end of winter. But for this you can not do without strict adherence to all the rules for harvesting and storing tomatoes:

1. Buy or harvest green and slightly milky tomatoes from your own garden. It is important to do this before the first frost, so that even from the inside the tomatoes do not have time to be damaged. Remove tails immediately.
2. Once again, carefully review and sort through the tomatoes intended for storage. Leave only ideal specimens: with intact, not at all damaged skin and without a hint of damage. Not only the safety of each tomato, but also the reliability of the entire stock depends on this.
3. Heat the water to 60 ° C and put the tomatoes in it for 3 minutes. You can not take hot water so as not to scald the vegetables. But washing in cooler water will not protect the tomatoes from bacteria.
4. Dry each tomato and lay them out in a ventilated area to dry completely. It is better to choose a dry place in the shade for this.
5. While the tomatoes are drying, prepare several boxes for storing them: plastic or wooden. The main thing is clean, dry and not very deep. At the bottom of each, put a sheet of newspaper or other paper moistened with alcohol or vodka without additives.
6. Soak pieces of cotton wool with the same alcohol or vodka and wipe each tomato with them from all sides.
7. After this stage, two options are possible. In the first case, if you plan to use tomatoes for a month and a half, then simply lay them out in an even layer on a bed of alcoholized newspaper, cover with the same sheet, and place another layer of tomatoes on it, also covered with paper.
8. Otherwise, to keep tomatoes longer, wrap each one with a piece of newspaper or a napkin soaked in alcohol. Pour dry sawdust between bundles.
9. Place the boxes in a dark room with an air temperature of 7 to 14°C and a humidity of no more than 80%. In principle, paper and sawdust will absorb a small amount of water, but it is best not to test their absorbent strength for strength.
10. Regularly, at least once a week, inspect the tomatoes and ruthlessly remove those that show signs of spoilage from storage.

HOW TO KEEP FRESH TOMATOES LONGER?
Step-by-step instructions are very convenient, but additional information never hurts. For example, it is useful to know that the folic acid contained in tomatoes speeds up their ripening. Therefore, green tomatoes intended for storage should not be kept near ripe red vegetables. But when it comes time to use the blank, remove the right amount of stocked green tomatoes and put next to a ripened tomato or other fruit (banana, apple). In addition to all that has been said, keep in mind that keeping fresh tomatoes means not only preserving their beauty and “marketable” appearance. It is important not to lose the benefits of fresh tomatoes and the vitamins they contain. You can also decorate the New Year's table with pickled vegetables, but the health benefits of fresh tomatoes cannot be replaced by any preservation. Therefore, good luck with your preparations and bon appetit all year round!