Storing Tomatoes This Way 🍅❤️ 

Today I want to tell you how to store tomatoes and some memories I have of when, as a little boy, I helped to make these preserves. Storing tomatoes for the winter is the ritual of every summer for us. It's hard work, but for the joy of being in company (because when you do these jobs you are all present, big, small, relatives near and far and, sometimes, even friends), you can't wait to get to work. Those who own a plot of land grow their own tomatoes, those who do not own them buy them in wooden boxes, perhaps from a trusted farmer, who does not use pesticides and pesticides. I remember as a child that the afternoon before we cleaned the tomato, removing the crown and any rotten tomatoes and putting everything we needed at hand. The next day, as soon as I heard the slightest noise, I would jump out of bed and we would all get to work. The fire was lit and put on a huge pot with water, then the tomato was cooked, pureed and bottled, and then the sauce was cooked in a bain-marie, in an even larger container. All this work between laughter, lots of joy and tables of food. In winter, when I open one of those preserves, I always think back to all this and I get nostalgic. But let's see together how to store tomatoes.

Ingredients

For the tomatoes

Tomatoes: 2.3-2.5 kg, cut into 4 pieces

Garlic: 6-7 cloves (2 cloves per jar)

Dill: a bunch

Parsley: a bunch

Herbs to taste: also use the stems

Onions: 400-450 g

For the marinade

Drinking water: quantity needed to fill the jars

Salt: 2 teaspoons (18 g) per 1.5 liter jar

Sugar: 2.5 tablespoons per 1.5 liter jar

Refined and odorless seed oil: 1 tablespoon per 1.5 liter jar

9% vinegar: 25 ml per 1.5 liter jar

For sterilization

1.5 liter jars: washed and sterilized

Lids: sterilize by boiling

Preparation

Preparing the jars

Wash and sterilize the jars by boiling them for a few minutes.

Sterilize the lids by boiling them separately.

Assembly in jars

Place 1 clove of garlic in the bottom of each jar.

Add some black peppercorns.

Arrange a layer of tomatoes.

Add a layer of chopped onions.

Add another clove of garlic.

Add dill, parsley and other herbs to taste.

Fill the jar with tomatoes, alternating with layers of onions and herbs until filled.

Preparation of the marinade

Bring drinking water to a boil.

Pour the boiling water into the jars until they are full.

Leave to rest for 15 minutes to allow the contents to warm up.

After 15 minutes, drain the water from the jars and bring it back to the boil.

Add salt, sugar, oil and vinegar as directed.

Filling and sealing jars

Pour the boiling marinade over the tomatoes in the jars.

Close hermetically with lids.

Turn the jars upside down to check for leaks.

Wrap the jars upside down in a warm blanket and let them cool completely.

storage

Store jars in a cool, dry place. They can be stored for a year at room temperature.

Enjoy your meal!