Pickled tomatoes for the winter in jars

Times change, but pickled tomatoes, as an ideal Russian appetizer to the table, both on weekdays and on holidays, remain unchanged. In ancient times, dishes did not indulge in their variety, so tomatoes were fermented exclusively in wooden barrels. Today, the living conditions are not very adapted to such bulky volumes, and the imagination of the housewives has no boundaries - to ferment tomatoes, they use jars, pots, buckets, and even plastic bags.

How to ferment tomatoes at home

There are two fundamentally different approaches to pickling tomatoes. The first, traditional, is closest to the actions that our great-grandmothers did to preserve vegetables for the winter, using wooden barrels. Its main advantage is the fact that a large amount of nutrients is preserved and even multiplied in vegetables. Well, the taste, as well as the aroma of pickles made in a similar way, deserves the highest marks. It is not for nothing that many modern recipes for sauerkraut are called "like barrels". But the main disadvantage of this method of fermentation is the long production time - at least 20-30 days. But pickled tomatoes are stored in favorable conditions for a long time - until spring.

Other recipes also deserve attention, if only because it turns out to ferment tomatoes on them quite quickly - in just 3-4 days you can already try the tomatoes. And according to some recipes, they are ready for use within a day after preparation.

Despite some significant differences, both approaches have general manufacturing rules that must be followed in order for pickled tomatoes to taste good and can be stored for a sufficiently long time.

1. Tomatoes, as well as all other vegetables and herbs that are used in pickling, must be carefully sorted out, removing all fruits, even with minor damage.
2. Sour tomatoes of varying degrees of maturity: from ripe to completely green... But in one container, fermentation is allowed only of fruits that are uniform in maturity, since the fermentation time depends on the ripeness of tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes ferment much faster, in 20-30 days under suitable conditions.
3. The color of tomatoes does not play a special role in pickling. But, since yellow and orange fruits, as a rule, have a higher sugar content, it is a little faster to ferment them.
4. All components must be thoroughly rinsed several times in cold water, even with a brush, and then rinsed with lukewarm water.
5. When making brine, it is advisable to boil it in any case, then cool and strain to remove any contaminants contained in the salt.

6. The cleanliness of the dishes in which vegetables are fermented also plays an important role. All buckets, barrels and pans must be rinsed with a soda solution and then rinsed with boiling water.
7. Do not hesitate to use a variety of spices and aromatic herbs for pickling, remembering that they not only improve the taste of pickled tomatoes and increase their nutritional value, but also increase their shelf life.

How to ferment tomatoes in a saucepan

In the modern kitchen, it is the saucepan that is perhaps the most convenient dish to ferment tomatoes in the traditional way. Since buckets, and even more so barrels, may simply not fit in the cramped space of the kitchen. And for pickling tomatoes in cans, a different technology is often used.

The most important thing for a recipe for pickled tomatoes in a saucepan is to prepare the minimum required set of spices, although as mentioned above, the more aromatic herbs and seeds are used, the tastier the pickled tomatoes will be.

So, for a 10 liter pot you will need:

• Tomatoes - how many will fit in a saucepan, on average about 7-8 kg;
• 3-4 horseradish leaves;
• 150 g of dill (inflorescences with stems and a small amount of greenery, as well as seeds);
• 4-5 heads of garlic;
• 25 currant and cherry leaves;
• about 10 oak leaves;

The brine is made by adding 70-90 g of salt to 1 liter of water.

It is easy to ferment tomatoes according to the recipe, but there are several tricks that will help make the preparation especially tasty.

1. At the bottom of the cooked pan, 2/3 leaves of horseradish, cherries and currants, several cloves of garlic, as well as stems, inflorescences and dill seeds are laid.
2. Then they begin to lay the tomatoes tightly, sprinkling them with the remaining herbs, garlic and spices.
3. It is better to place large tomatoes at the bottom, so that smaller ones can close the resulting voids.
4. Cover the laid vegetables on top with the remaining horseradish leaves and other greens.
   
5. Prepare a solution by boiling water and salt and cooling it to room temperature.
6. The laid tomatoes are poured with brine. It should completely cover all vegetables.
7. If suddenly there is not enough brine, then you can add clean cold water from above.
8. Cover the pan from above with gauze or clean cotton cloth, and then cover with a lid.
9. If there is no lid or it does not fit tightly, then the tomatoes definitely need oppression to form a layer of liquid to restrict air access to the vegetables.
   
   Attention! It should be borne in mind that without a load, the top tomatoes will rise up and, in contact with air, will oxidize and will be unusable.
10. To minimize crushing of fruits under oppression, it must be remembered that the oppression pressure should be in the region of 10% (1 kg of load per 10 kg of tomatoes). You can use a plate with a jar of water placed on it.
11. Then the fun begins. Indeed, it is in the first week that the most basic process of tomato fermentation takes place.
12. For the first 2-3 days, tomatoes are kept in a relatively warm room, and then sent to a cool, but not cold place.
13. The process of pickling tomatoes should be monitored whenever possible every day. If the gauze is covered with a white mold, then it must be thoroughly rinsed with cold water and covered with vegetables again.
14. In a place that is too cold (from 0 ° to + 4 ° + 5 ° C), the fermentation process will slow down greatly, and the tomatoes will be ready only after a month or two. If there is nowhere to rush, then this will be the most optimal way out of the situation.
15. It is best to wait until the main fermentation process is completed (after about 8-10 days) in a relatively cool place (about + 15 ° C), and then send the pickled tomatoes to a cold place (you can even go to the balcony).
16. Tomatoes fermented according to this recipe can be served 30-40 days after production.

Tomatoes, pickled in a saucepan with bell pepper

Lovers of sweet bell peppers may well make it one of the components of the recipe when pickling tomatoes. Such an additive will add richness to the aroma of the finished dish, and the taste will acquire additional sweetish notes.

For 10 kg of tomatoes, 1-2 kg of bell pepper are usually added.

In this recipe, vegetables are fermented using a slightly different technology.

1. Tomatoes, as usual, are placed together with herbs and spices in a saucepan.
2. Peppers are also laid there, freed from the seed chambers and cut into halves or quarters.
3. Then sprinkle the vegetables with salt and shake slightly.
4. Last but not least, purified cold water is simply poured into the container almost to the very edges.
5. Tomatoes, fermented in this way in a saucepan of cold water, are left at room temperature for several days, after which they are removed in the cold.

Tomatoes pickled for the winter in a barrel

Nowadays, hardly anyone ferments tomatoes in wooden barrels for the winter, but with a great desire and space in the house (cellar or balcony), you can try to ferment tomatoes in a barrel made of food grade plastic.

In general, the fermentation technology according to this recipe is practically no different from that which was described in detail above. It's just that the amount of all the ingredients is increased in proportion to the increase in the size of the barrel, compared to a 10-liter saucepan.

The top layer tomatoes are placed 3-4 cm below the top level of the barrel so that they are completely covered with brine. From above, it is better to cover the vegetables with large leaves of horseradish, and, if possible, oak.

Since the barrel is difficult to move from place to place, it is immediately installed in a relatively cool room, for example, on a balcony in autumn.

Depending on the ambient temperature, the fermentation process will proceed faster or slower, but in one and a half to two months, in any case, it will be completed. Traditionally, special attention is paid to pickled tomatoes in the first two weeks of the process - they remove and wash the cloth they are covered with. In the future, pickled tomatoes no longer require special attention.

Pickled tomatoes for the winter in a bucket

Exactly according to the same traditional recipe, you can ferment tomatoes in buckets, and using not only enameled buckets, but also plastic buckets of various shapes and sizes from 5 to 12 liters, which are very common in recent years.

Moreover, small buckets can also be used to ferment tomatoes in a different, quick way.

Instant pickled tomatoes

This recipe for pickled tomatoes is becoming more and more popular, since aromatic tomatoes can be tasted as early as 3-4 days after pickling.

The following products are required:

• 3 kg of elastic and strong small-sized tomatoes;
• a small bunch of cilantro, parsley and dill;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon dry herb of oregano;
• 15 peas of black pepper;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 2 carnations.

According to this recipe, you can ferment tomatoes both in a saucepan and in glass jars.

1. Place the tomatoes in a bowl of your choice and pour it over with cold water so that the fruits are completely covered. This is done in order to determine how much brine will be needed for manufacturing.
2. The water is drained, its volume is measured and a brine is prepared, based on the fact that 60-70 g of salt is required for one liter of water.
   
   Comment! This amounts to about 2 rounded tablespoons.
3. The brine is heated to 100 ° C and then cooled slightly.
4. While the brine cools down, the tomatoes, along with herbs and spices, are placed in prepared containers.
5. After filling, they are poured with still warm brine.
6. The containers are covered with gauze and, if possible, the load is placed on top.
7. If the load cannot be placed, then the container must be at least tightly covered with a lid.
8. Depending on the size of the tomatoes, they are fermented from 4 to 7 days.

After this period, pickled tomatoes must be stored in a refrigerator or other cold place.

Tomatoes, pickled with garlic and herbs

Actually, all the components for this recipe can be taken from the previous one. But the manufacturing technology is slightly different.

1. The garlic is chopped using a press, and the greens are finely chopped with a sharp knife. Mix herbs with garlic well.
2. A cruciform cut is made in each tomato in the area of ​​the stalk attachment and it is filled with a mixture of garlic and herbs.
3. Shredded vegetables, cut upwards, are placed in prepared containers, shifting as usual with spices and herbs.
4. Prepare a saline solution and pour tomatoes into it while warm, so that they completely disappear in it.
5. Cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours.
6. After that, pickled tomatoes can even be placed on a festive table, and stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe for pickled tomatoes with hot peppers

When tomatoes are fermented according to this recipe, 2-3 pods of hot pepper per 10 kg of fruit are added to traditional spices.

In addition, you can try ready-made pickled tomatoes the next day after production, if you apply the following trick. Before putting the tomatoes in the pickling container, a small cross-shaped cut is made on each of them, or they are pierced in several places with a fork. And then the prepared tomatoes are poured with still hot brine, at a temperature not lower than + 60 ° C.

Winter pickled tomatoes with celery

This recipe differs only by adding 50 g of celery per 5 kg of tomatoes to the composition of the obligatory spices for pickling. Tomatoes can be fermented using both traditional and quick methods.

Tomatoes for the winter, pickled with apples

It is very tasty and useful to add apples according to the recipe when pickling tomatoes. This combination is not unusual, given that in ancient times, almost all available vegetables and fruits were fermented together in one barrel. In this case, the recipe for pickled tomatoes implies that 1 kg of apples will be used for 5 kg of vegetables.

Tomatoes, pickled in horseradish jars, like barrels

For any housewife, the most usual thing is to ferment tomatoes for the winter in an ordinary three-liter jar. And this is not at all difficult to do even according to the traditional recipe, when as a result the taste of pickled tomatoes will be just like from a wooden barrel.

One can will need the following salting products:

• 1500 g of cream-type tomatoes;
• a bouquet of herbs including: horseradish leaves, black currants, cherries, dill stems and inflorescences;
• 1 small horseradish root;
• 10 black peppercorns;
• Bay leaf;
• 3 allspice peas;
• 2-3 cloves.

Canned tomatoes will look just like cask tomatoes if cooked according to the following recipe.

1. The bottom of the jar is laid with the stems and leaves of herbs cut into 6 cm long pieces. Spices and horseradish rhizome cut into small pieces are also added there.
   
2. Then a saline solution is prepared: about 60 g of salt is dissolved in 250 ml of boiling water.
3. Pour herbs and spices with hot brine.
4. After they begin to lay the tomatoes, put some more spicy herbs in the middle and at the end.
5. After filling the jar with tomatoes, pour ordinary cold water on top under the neck.
6. Cover with a plastic lid, and gently roll it for some time so that the salt spreads more evenly throughout the volume.
7. Then they are placed in a warm place for 3 days, avoiding direct sunlight.
8. Then the jar must be moved to the refrigerator and left alone for at least 2-3 weeks.
9. At the end of this period, pickled tomatoes are already able to reveal their entire flavor bouquet.

Recipe for tomatoes pickled for the winter in jars

Pickled tomatoes prepared according to any of the recipes described here require a temperature condition of 0 ° + 3 ° C for storage. If there are no such conditions, then it is easier to preserve the pickled fruits for the winter.

To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Ferment tomatoes according to any recipe you like.
2. 3-5 days after keeping in a warm place, pour the brine into a separate saucepan and heat to a boil.
3. Rinse the seasoned tomatoes in a colander with hot boiled water.
4. Pour hot brine over the tomatoes, wait 5 minutes and drain.
5. Heat the brine again to a temperature of 100 ° C and pour over the tomatoes.
6. Repeat these operations three times in total.
7. For the third time, immediately spin the pickled tomatoes for the winter.

Winter pickled tomatoes with mustard

The recipe is old, but it is so popular that many modern dishes never dreamed of. And all due to the unforgettable taste of the finished snack.

The amount of ingredients is calculated for a 10L bucket or pot:

• 5 liters of water;
• About 6-7 kg of tomatoes (depending on the size);
• 50 g dry mustard;
• 150 g salt;
• 250 g sugar;
• 8 pieces of bay leaves;
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice and black pepper;
• horseradish and black currant leaves.

Kvass is completely traditional:

1. Put the spiced tomatoes in a bucket, sprinkle with horseradish leaves, currants and spices.
2. Boil water with salt and sugar. After cooling, stir the mustard powder thoroughly in the brine.
3. Let the brine brew and pour over the tomatoes.
4. Cover the top with clean gauze with the necessary weight.

Pickled tomatoes with aspirin for the winter

As already noted, fermentation is a completely natural process, for which no additional acids are needed, but only vegetables and salt. Sometimes sugar is added for flavor.

But for many housewives, the recipes used by their mothers and grandmothers, including pickled tomatoes with aspirin, are still valuable.

It is very simple to ferment tomatoes in this way - three crushed aspirin tablets are poured into a three-liter jar with laid vegetables and herbs and poured with brine. Then the jars are covered with plastic lids and placed in a cool place. Pickled tomatoes are ready on average in 2-3 weeks, but they are stored for a very long time - until spring.

Pickled tomatoes for borscht for the winter

Probably, hardly anyone will cook pickled tomatoes especially for borscht. But if the tomatoes made a few months ago seem to be peroxidized, then they can be ground through a meat grinder, and this will be a wonderful borsch dressing.

Pickled tomatoes for the winter: a recipe with basil

You can ferment tomatoes according to another curious recipe without using water.

You need to prepare:

• 3 kg of tomatoes;
• 200 g of salt;
• 150 g sugar;
• 50 g each of basil and tarragon leaves;
• currant and cherry leaves - by eye.

Souring tomatoes according to this recipe is quite simple.

1. Tomatoes are washed, dried, pricked with a fork in several places.
2. Placed in a prepared container, sprinkling with a mixture of salt, sugar and chopped herbs.
3. Cover with clean gauze and place the load on a plate.
4. Keep in a warm place until the fruits have produced enough juice to cover them whole.
5. Then they are removed to the cellar or refrigerator.
6. You can enjoy pickled tomatoes in about a month.

Tomatoes for the winter, pickled with coriander and cloves

The more spices and herbs you put in pickled tomatoes, the richer their taste will be, and the more benefits they can bring to the human body. In this recipe, the composition of spices is presented as rich in variety as possible.

Based on the volume of a 3-liter jar, it is advisable to find:

• 50 g dill;
• 1.5 heads of garlic;
• 1 horseradish leaf;
• 3 sprigs of basil;
• 1 stalk of tarragon;
• 2 stems of Moldavian snakehead;
• 50 g each of celery, cilantro, fennel, parsley and savory;
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme and mint;
• 10 currant and cherry leaves;
• 3 oak leaves;
• half a pod of red hot pepper;
• 10 black peppercorns;
• 3 pieces of cloves and allspice;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 10 coriander seeds.

And the process of fermenting tomatoes is standard:

1. Vegetables are placed in jars, alternating with not very finely chopped herbs and spices.
2. Pour in the usual 6-7% (60-70 g of salt per 1 liter of water) saline and, closing with lids, place in a cool place.

Storage rules for pickled tomatoes

It is recommended to store pickled tomatoes exclusively in the cold, otherwise they will not live long. Even being at a negative temperature is not as harmful to fermented foods as being in ordinary room conditions. Those who do not have enough space in the refrigerator and do not have a cellar may be advised to use the balcony. Just be sure to shade them with something from the light.

In the most extreme case, pickled tomatoes can be canned in jars. After that, they can already be easily stored until spring in a regular pantry. But access to direct sunlight to them in any case must be limited.

Conclusion

Pickled tomatoes can be prepared both for storage for the winter and for consumption at the current time, while they are still ripening on the bushes, or they can be purchased inexpensively in the markets. In any case, this appetizer is not able to leave anyone indifferent.

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