Here’s how to store tomatoes and keep them fresh and juicy all winter long

How to store tomatoes

Preparation 20  minutes

Cooking 20  minutes

Equipment

• 1 large pot
• to taste, tips and food bags with airtight seal
• 1 cutting board
• 1 blender
• 1 knife

Ingredients

• 3  kg  of cherry tomatoes  or whatever you prefer

Instructions

• Let’s start immediately by washing the tomatoes thoroughly and removing the stems.
• We cut each tomato with a knife, creating a side cut that runs along its entire length.
• Fill a saucepan with plenty of water.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes. (if necessary repeat this operation several times until the tomatoes are complete).
• Once cooked, drain the tomatoes and, using a knife, peel them, starting with the incision made previously.
• We can now decide how to store them.

Store tomatoes whole

• In this case, if we have chosen small tomatoes, we can keep them whole.
• We place them in a bowl.
• We pour a spoonful of salt.
• And we cover with water.
• Close the jars and boil them for 20 minutes.
• We turn the jars upside down until they cool (to create a vacuum).
• The jars can be stored in the pantry for 1 year.

Sliced ​​Tomatoes

• Once cooked and peeled, tomatoes can be sliced ​​in different ways.
• We can cut them into quarters or slices.
• Then we close the tomatoes in airtight freezer bags.
• We remove the air and create a vacuum.
• We can therefore store tomatoes in the freezer or refrigerator.

Tomato puree

• You can also blend the tomatoes once cooked.
• Pour them into a blender and mix roughly.
• We will get a rustic tomato puree.
• From now on, you can pour the puree directly into glass jars naturally or with aromas such as basil.
• We close and proceed to boiling the jars for 20 minutes.
• We turn it over and create a vacuum.
• We store jars in the pantry for up to 1 year.

Ideas in the kitchen

These  preserves  can be used in different and innovative ways. As for  tomato puree,  it can be used to create traditional dishes like  Bolognese sauce  .  Whole tomatoes  can be used for simpler dishes like pan-sautéed spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and basil, or to decorate  pizzas and focaccia.  Finally,  sliced ​​or quartered tomatoes  can be cooked to create  sauces  , or used for  rustic pizzas and timbales. 

Stock the fridge and pantry with your canned goods and never run out of tomatoes again.