Recipes for pickled tomatoes with basil for the winter, food preparation, and storage conditions

Whether for a festive lunch or a family dinner, housewives want to serve a unique vegetable appetizer. Tomatoes create true culinary masterpieces. Many women are interested in recipes for tomatoes with basil for the winter. This spicy plant, originally from India, has a wonderful aroma. The brine to which this herb is added gives tomatoes a unique flavor. It combines the freshness of the fields with the spiciness and aroma of the East.

The intricacies of preparing tomatoes with basil for the winter

Vegetables are pickled using vinegar, preserved, and salted. The purple hue of the herb stands out against the red flowers. In addition to these two ingredients, tomatoes are also flavored with garlic and onions, bay or cherry leaves, spices and carrots, cherry plums, and apples. Each variation of pickled or salted tomatoes adds a new flavor.

How to choose and prepare the main ingredients correctly

Thick-skinned tomatoes are best for canning. Large tomatoes can be cut in half, but it's best to choose smaller tomatoes, especially those without dents. Before placing in a jar, tomatoes are washed and stemmed, and the skin is pierced in several places with a needle or toothpick.

Fresh sprigs of purple basil are dipped in water and dried in the same way as cherry and currant leaves. When canning or pickling tomatoes, these ingredients are placed at the bottom of a sterile jar or placed between each layer of vegetables.

Methods for pickling tomatoes with basil

Cookbooks and online websites offer a variety of options for preserving sweet and sour tomatoes for the winter. Homemakers choose both recipes and additional ingredients for pickling tomatoes to suit their tastes. Some prefer a spicier snack, while others prefer a more delicate product with a subtle aroma.

Classic recipe

The unique aroma of the spicy herb is clearly felt in winter if you open the jar in which the herbs are rolled up. salted tomatoes with citric acid and spices. To prepare vegetables according to the traditional recipe, you will need:

• tomatoes - 1200 g;
• sugar - half a glass;
• freshly picked basil - 3-4 sprigs;
• garlic - 4-5 cloves;
• salt - 2 level spoons;
• hot pepper - 5 peas;
• water - liter.

Citric acid is used as a preservative instead of vinegar. All these ingredients will make two liter-sized jars of vegetables. The preparation process consists of several steps, but doesn't take very long:

1. Medium-sized tomatoes are washed under the tap and lightly dried.
2. Place garlic cloves and basil sprigs at the bottom of a sterile jar.
3. Tomatoes are placed after these components.
4. The container with vegetables is filled with one part water.
5. Add salt, citric acid and sugar to the other half, mix everything and bring to a boil.
6. The hot mixture is poured over the tomatoes.

The jars are sealed with metal lids and covered with a blanket. After a while, the vegetables are taken out to the cellar.

The quick way

If you're eating tomatoes within a few days or storing them in the refrigerator, try a different recipe. They're lightly salted and delicious. For 1.5 kg of tomatoes, you'll need:

• onion;
• garlic;
• sugar - 2 tsp;
• bay leaf;
• salt - 1.5 tablespoons;
• basil;
• peppercorns.

Rinse the tomatoes under running water and place them in a saucepan, where they are layered with spices and herbs. Add salt and sugar to at least 2 liters of water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour the hot marinade over the vegetables. Place a heavy plate on top of the saucepan. The tomatoes are left to marinate for three days.

Cherry tomatoes with garlic

The miniature, bright red fruits look interesting and beautiful in jars. This is probably why, at the end of the last century, Israeli breeders developed cherry tomatoes that are no more than 3 cm in size. Many women preserve these tomatoes for the winter. For 1 kg of these small vegetables, housewives use:

• a bunch of basil;
• dill;
• sweet pea;
• half a garlic;
• granulated sugar - 1 tablespoon;
• honey - 30 g;
• salt;
• apple cider vinegar - 35-40 ml.

Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems to speed up the salting process, and pierce the skins. Then place the tomatoes in a saucepan along with the spices, herbs, and chopped garlic. Cover the pan with boiling water and let it sit, covered.

The cooled marinade is poured into a separate container and boiled again, and the cherry tomatoes are packaged in jars, with purple basil leaves, add honey and vinegar. Fill the empty space with hot brine.

This preparation, under metal lids, is well stored in the basement or in the refrigerator.

Without sterilization

Although tomatoes don't lose their beneficial properties after heat treatment, the vitamin and mineral content does decrease. To preserve the essential nutrients, they are preserved for the winter without sterilization. To prepare 2 kg of pickled tomatoes, use:

• garlic - 4 cloves;
• vinegar - ¼ cup;
• basil - from 40 to 50 g;
• salt - 2 full spoons;
• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - 150–170 grams.

Place tomatoes, herbs, and garlic in the bottom of steam-warmed jars. To make a marinade, add sugar and salt to the water. Cover the vegetables with the boiling solution. After 5 minutes, remove it, bring it to a boil, and then pour it over the tomatoes again. Add vinegar. Seal the jars and turn them upside down.

Lightly salted tomatoes with basil

You don't need any special culinary knowledge to prepare a sweet and sour appetizer for meat or a dressing for borscht. If you have a kilogram of small tomatoes, a couple of sprigs of basil and dill, and some horseradish leaves, you'll be able to make lightly salted and flavorful tomatoes.

To prepare the appetizer, wash the vegetables and place them in a saucepan along with the herbs and garlic cloves. Dissolve 1.5 cups of salt in 1.5 liters of water and pour the mixture into the container with the tomatoes. Place a lid on top and let the ingredients sit for three to four days.

To speed up the preparation process, cut the tomatoes in half. For a spicier taste, add a few grinds of black pepper. In addition to basil, you can use parsley or cilantro.

Further storage of tomatoes

Canned and pickled vegetables don't spoil for a long time at home. The shelf life of tomatoes depends on the preparation method.

Do not alter the sterilization time or amount of preservatives specified in the recipe. Tomatoes will quickly spoil if they are too short, while too much will degrade the flavor.

Canned tomatoes, stored in a cellar or even at room temperature, retain their flavor and properties for over a year, provided the packaging is sealed. The room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius, and the humidity should not exceed 75%.

Pickled vegetables with aromatic herbs have a shelf life of about 6 months at 0 to 4°C, so they are stored in a cellar or refrigerated. This method of winter preservation is done without sterilization, but with a generous amount of salt, which promotes fermentation and inhibits microbial growth.

The room where the preserves are stored must be well ventilated. Jars of tomatoes should not be stored in subzero temperatures. If a cellar or basement is not available, tomatoes marinated with vinegar or citric acid can be stored indoors, but be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight.