Tomatoes, picked while still green, are usually left to ripen somewhere on the windowsill. But if there are too many of them, it is easier to try to prepare them. And one of the ways is fermentation, when a very tasty dish for the winter is obtained from unripe fruits.
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What to look for before fermentation
Before you start pickling, you need to select the right tomatoes. They should be:
- reached full size in size;
- already starting to turn white or yellow;
- free of dents, cracks and rot.
Too small tomatoes are best thrown out: too much solanine. It's not fatal, but at the very least, an upset stomach is guaranteed. If grown, but completely green tomatoes went into fermentation, they can be eaten, but not earlier than after 4-5 weeks, when the solanine is split during fermentation.
Before the very laying, the fruits are thoroughly washed and pierced in 2-3 places with a fork or a sharp skewer (a toothpick is also suitable). This is necessary so that the inside of the tomato ferments faster.
Traditionally, vegetables are fermented in oak barrels. But since hardly anyone can find such dishes on the farm now, you can also use ordinary glass jars, enameled buckets or pans. If a barrel is still found, it is first poured with water for 3-4 hours so that the tree swells and soaks, closing small cracks, and then it is treated with an alkaline solution (10 g of caustic soda per 3 liters of water). Glass or enamel dishes are poured over with boiling water, and cans are also sterilized with steam.
Whichever recipe is used, there is a general rule of thumb:
- First, put a third of the spices and herbs on the bottom.
- Then half the tomatoes are placed on top.
- A second layer is made from a third of the spices.
- Spread out the remaining fruits.
- Top with the rest of the spices and herbs.
The pouring solution is prepared from boiled water, in which salt is put at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter. It is better to take non-iodized salt. The solution is topped up so that the tomatoes are completely covered - but no more.
What spices to use
To make the tomatoes fermented better, and the fermentation goes faster, sugar can be added to the brine - 1 glass per 4 kg of vegetables. As for herbs and spices, then you can experiment and be guided by your own taste. By tradition, cherry, currant and bay leaves, garlic, chopped horseradish root and allspice in grains are added to tomatoes. But hobbyists can add cloves, basil, tarragon, or whatever.
It is believed that there should be 50 g of greens per 1 kg of fruit. The cloves of garlic can be stacked in layers of greenery, but some put them between the tomatoes, adding hot pepper cut into slices.
After laying the tomatoes and greens, the container is poured with brine, and from above it is pressed down with oppression - a wooden a lid with a load or just a lid from a pan smaller than the diameter of the container, with the cargo. The jars can be filled without pressure.
After that, the container is sent to ferment. Normally, the dish will be ready in 10-14 days, but sometimes the case is delayed for 40-45 days.
Fermentation mode
The optimum temperature is from +15 to +23 degrees. If the room is colder, the fermentation process is delayed, if it is higher, fermentation can turn into rotting. But it is necessary to store containers with the finished product in a cool place. Since the barrels, and even those with mortar and tomatoes, are heavy, it is better to immediately bookmark the place where the container will be stored.
Some recipes
Those who like spicy snacks can ferment stuffed tomatoes: the fruits are cut and the spices are put right inside. You can add apples to tomatoes, especially green and sour ones.
But there are more traditional recipes. For example, barrel pickled tomatoes for the winter. The amount of ingredients is given for the barrel; for a smaller container, they must be recalculated proportionally:
- tomatoes - 50 kg;
- tarragon - 250 g;
- dill greens - 1.5 kg;
- parsley greens - 250 g;
- hot peppers - 70 g;
- garlic - 150 g;
- cherry leaves - 500 g.
You need to cook according to the method described above. Fermentation takes 40-45 days. For taste, you can add allspice, horseradish leaves, celery.
If you need stuffed tomatoes, then you will need:
- 3 kg of the tomatoes themselves;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 1 pod of hot pepper;
- 2-3 medium carrots;
- 4 tablespoons of finely chopped dill and the same amount of parsley;
- 10-12 cloves of garlic;
- 2 horseradish leaves;
- 4-5 leaves of lavrushka.
For brine, 1 liter of water is taken:
- 2 tablespoons of salt;
- half a tablespoon of sugar.
It is prepared like this:
- Tomatoes are cut crosswise (not completely!).
- Peppers, carrots, herbs and garlic are finely chopped and mixed until smooth.
- Cut tomatoes are stuffed with the mixture.
- Tomatoes are placed in a container, poured with hot (but not boiling) brine.
If everything is done correctly, tomatoes can be eaten after 3-4 days.
Do you ferment green tomatoes?
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