Tomatoes are pickled. Recipes

Tomatoes are a very popular vegetable both in our country and throughout the world. They are included in many dishes due to their unsurpassed taste. And besides, this vegetable is of great benefit to our health. There are even dishes in which tomatoes act as the main ingredient. For example, the widely known "Gaspacho" soup. But with such a wide distribution, how much do we know about this amazing vegetable?

Some features

The biggest misconception about tomatoes relates to their classification. Many, without hesitation, call these fruits vegetables. But in fact, according to botanists, they are more likely to be considered berries. A fresh ripe tomato consists of about 94 percent water, as well as 8 percent of sugars (mostly fructose and glucose). Still in tomatoes are starch and fiber, fats and enzymes, minerals (salts) and a large amount of iodine, zinc, phosphorus, iron. There are calcium and various organic acids. Thus, a tomato is a real storehouse of useful substances.

Composition

It is known that in tomatoes contains a huge amount of vitamin C, even more than in oranges. The bulk of this vitamin comes from the seeds and the shell that surrounds them. And we know that this useful element is necessary for the normal functioning of all body systems: vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels, reduces the risk of heart disease, helps normalize blood pressure and cholesterol level, strengthens immunity during illnesses and improves metabolism.

Also in tomatoes there is a large number of flavonoids. These are substances that prevent the formation of blood clots in the vessels. It is enough to drink 150 grams of tomato juice per day in order to get a normal daily rate of this element. Another important feature of the vegetable is the content of the substance called lycopene. It is something that gives tomatoes such an attractive color. And at the same time is one of the most powerful existing antioxidants.

Recipes: Pickled Tomatoes

Of course, any vegetables and fruits are better to eat fresh. In this state they contain the greatest amount of useful substances. But sometimes there is a need to save vegetables for a long time to eat them in the winter or add to the table on some holiday, which is still far away. And then we will come to the aid of marinated tomatoes. Marinating is the most convenient way of storing, which also helps to save most of the useful properties of vegetables.

How to pickle tomatoes? Of course, every home and every housewife has its own favorite recipe. The main ones are described below.

Tomatoes, pickled, classic

So, what is needed for a standard proven recipe:

10-15 pieces of tomatoes (so much to fit in a jar), about 100 ml of acetic acid, one small pepper pod, a tablespoon of sugar and salt, about 350 ml of pure tasty water, a pair of cloves of garlic (for amateurs you can and more) And green dill.

To make our pickled tomatoes look beautiful on the table, you need to choose roughly the same size vegetables, elastic enough and without any damage to the skin. Those with flaws and cracked should immediately be put aside. After that, the selected tomatoes must be thoroughly washed in running water. For marinating will be used glass jars, which should be previously sterilized.

Then, cooked spices are laid out on the bottom of the cans, tomatoes are laid on top. To prepare a marinade, we need to mix with the vinegar, adding a spoonful of sugar and salt, and then boil the resulting liquid. But you can not pour it into the banks immediately afterwards. First the marinade should cool to room temperature. Then tomatoes are poured with liquid and put on a water bath for about 20 minutes. This again sterilizes the jars, after which they can be twisted.

Green pickled tomatoes

Sometimes the late harvest does not keep pace, and we have to take the tomatoes still green. Usually they are for a while put in a dry and warm place - ripen. But you can cook green pickled tomatoes. They meet infrequently, and therefore look very unusual and can become a real decoration of the festive table.

The marinade composition in this case remains the same as for the preparation of conventional tomatoes. But the process of pickling will take a little longer than in the first recipe. Firstly, green tomatoes must be pre-prepared. We will need an enamel saucepan in which vegetables are put (it is recommended to choose large ones). On top, they are poured with 6% saline. In this condition, tomatoes should be left for a couple of hours, then drain the old solution and fill them with a new one. The procedure is repeated several times (two or three), after which it is possible to pickle our green tomatoes according to the first method.