Recipes for pickled tomatoes in apple juice for the winter – finger-licking good

In regions where the climate allows for growing tomatoes in the garden, gardeners plant several hundred tomato plants. The busy season begins as early as August, when all the vegetables need to be processed and preserved in jars for the winter. In a small plot, they grow fruit trees, zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It's no wonder gardeners are so interested in recipes for tomatoes in apple juice for the winter. This preparation is finger-licking good, the fruit won't spoil, the vegetables won't rot, the vitamins will be perfectly preserved, and there's a great way to season borscht.

How to prepare tomatoes in apple juice for the winter

Traditionally, tomatoes are preserved with vinegar or citric acid. Doctors advise against this type of canning for people with gastritis, as it can exacerbate the condition.

Apple juice made from fruits grown in our own garden contains only natural components such as fructose, sucrose, and vitamins. It also serves as a natural preservative.

Fruits marinated in juice can be consumed by diabetics and people with stomach problems, since no vinegar is added to them.

How to select and prepare tomatoes and apple juice for canning

For winter preservation, ripe vegetables with firm skins, free of dents and cracks, are best. Tomatoes should be red, not yellow or orange, and of approximately the same size. Autumn varieties are best for canning for the winter. Don't marinate tomatoes in store-bought apple juice. Make your own from fresh fruit, preferably grown in your own garden. Wash and slice the apples and place them in a juicer. Remove the stems from the tomatoes and pierce the skins.

Salting methods

There are several options for preserving tomatoes for the winter. You can find recipes that use a variety of ingredients other than ripe and green tomatoes and apple juice.

Tomatoes are pickled, preserved, and salted for long-term storage. These low-calorie products are ideal for those looking to shed a few pounds.

A simple recipe

To prepare tomatoes in a marinade for the winter, you will need a seaming key, a juicer, lids, jars, 2 saucepans, and also:

• tomatoes - 1 kg;
• juice - 0.5 l;
• salt - 1 tsp.

First, peel the apples, core them, and cut them into pieces or halves. Five to six medium-sized apples yield 500 ml of liquid. Strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth, pour it into a saucepan, and simmer for about three minutes. Be careful not to let it boil, and be sure to remove any foam or pulp.

Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, place them in jars, pour the juice on top, and seal with lids. The 0.5-liter jars are sterilized for 10 minutes, then turned upside down and wrapped until cool. Tomatoes prepared this way will keep for a year or more.

Without sterilization

To preserve tomatoes' unique flavor, they should be cooked less. Using this simple recipe, you can make a flavorful and healthy preserve for the winter. For 2 kg of tomatoes, you'll need 1,500 g of apples.

Currant and cherry leaves are placed at the bottom of the jars. The tomato skins are pierced several times, and the fruit is placed on top of the greens. Salt and sugar are added to the freshly squeezed juice, and the boiling liquid is poured into the containers with the vegetables. After cooling, it is boiled and placed in the jars with the tomatoes. The preparation is sealed with lids without sterilizing. Some housewives slice the apples, remove the seeds and peel, and place them in the bottom of the jar along with the leaves.

With ginger

Spices add variety and a unique aroma to pickled tomatoes. Adding just a few grams of ginger rhizome creates a finger-licking appetizer. To follow this recipe, you'll need:

• tomatoes - 1 kg;
• apples - 2500 g;
• spices.

The tomatoes are placed in a juicer. The resulting liquid is diluted by half with water and placed on the stove. Two tablespoons of sugar, 30 grams of salt, and chopped ginger are added. The tomatoes are placed in jars, covered with seasoned boiling juice, and pasteurized in a water bath for 30 minutes. While hot, they are wrapped in a blanket or towel.

With honey

Some housewives love to experiment. When preserving vegetables for the winter, they add different ingredients, and if the result is tasty and unusual, they share their recipes. You can try one of them and use:

• tomatoes - 2 kg;
• honey - 100 g;
• water - a liter;
• apple juice - 0.5 l;
• salt - 1/4 cup.

Wash the tomatoes and place them in jars along with the red hot pepper pieces. Boil the water, juice, and honey to make a marinade for 7 minutes. Pour the hot mixture over the tomatoes and seal the lids. For best storage, wrap the jars with a blanket overnight.

In Georgian

Tomatoes in apple juice will gain a spicier, more piquant flavor if you add chili pepper during pickling. Tomatoes, stems included, are poured with boiling water and covered. While the tomatoes are steeping, a marinade is prepared from the juice and salt. Celery, crushed garlic, peppers, and tomatoes are placed in jars, removed from the cooling liquid, and the jars are filled with the hot dressing. They are then sealed, turned upside down, and covered with a blanket.

To prepare 2 kg of Georgian tomatoes you will need:

• apple juice - 2 l;
• garlic - 5 or 6 cloves;
• chili pepper - ½ pod;
• salt - 60 grams.

Celery root and leaves are chopped. This preparation should be stored in a basement or cellar.

With garlic

After trying pickling tomatoes with apple juice, gardeners abandon the vinegar altogether. When done correctly, the product is even tastier, lasts longer, and retains its garden aroma. Many women preserve tomatoes for the winter without spices or leaves, but with garlic. The number of cloves is adjusted to taste.

For a kilogram of plum tomatoes you will need:

• apple juice - 0.5 l;
• sugar - 2 spoons;
• salt - 60 g.

The washed vegetables are placed in jars along with the garlic and covered with boiling water, which is drained after 15 minutes. This process is repeated twice.

The juice is boiled for 6-7 minutes. Salt and sugar are added to the jars containing the tomatoes, and the jars are filled with apple marinade. After sealing with tin lids, the tomatoes are wrapped and left for three days. After this time, they are taken to the cellar.

Green tomatoes in apple juice

Sometimes the weather can play a role during the vegetable ripening period. Rain and cold snaps force the harvesting of unripe fruits. Green tomatoes are also suitable for canning. In just an hour, you can prepare a delicious winter snack. To do this, you'll need:

1. Wash the tomatoes and pierce the skin in several places.
2. Sterilize the jars.
3. Add salt to the juice squeezed from the apples, place in a saucepan and boil.
4. Finely chop the herbs and garlic.
5. Place the tomatoes and these ingredients into jars and fill with boiling water.
6. The hot water from the container with vegetables should be drained twice, leaving the green fruits in it for 20-25 minutes, then fill the container with juice and roll up the tin lids.

To prepare the preparation you will need:

• tomatoes - 2 kg;
• peppercorns - 10 pcs.;
• dill;
• salt - spoon;
• garlic - 2 or 3 cloves;
• apple juice - 2 l.

Green tomatoes preserved this way are just as tasty as ripe tomatoes. This unique snack goes well with both mashed and fried potatoes.

Cherry tomatoes in apple juice

Miniature vegetables look unique in jars. Last century, heat- and drought-resistant tomatoes weighing up to 25 grams were bred in Israel. These small, bright red fruits quickly gained popularity among housewives in many countries.

Cherry tomatoes marinated in apple juice with spices acquire a sweet note. To close 2 jars of this spicy and beautiful preparation, you will need:

• tomatoes - kilogram;
• garlic;
• allspice;
• currant leaves;
• cinnamon.

Prick the cherry tomatoes with a toothpick, place them in jars with the seasoning, and pour boiling water over them for 15 minutes. Then drain the water and replace it with hot apple juice mixed with a spoonful of sea salt in the jars containing the miniature tomatoes. Seal the cherry tomatoes and keep them indoors for a few days, then store them in the cellar.

Expiry date of the workpiece

Most vegetables and berries deteriorate during heat treatment; high temperatures destroy not only microbes but also vitamins and trace elements. Canned tomatoes retain their beneficial properties, and the marinade remains clear for a long time. Canned tomatoes can be stored for one to two years.

If a jar is opened at room temperature, mold will form within a week, making the preserves unusable. Tomatoes will stay fresh for 20 days if the opened package is refrigerated.

How to store

Salted tomatoes should be stored in a cellar or basement where the air temperature does not exceed 6%. If this is not possible, it is better to preserve them. After 5 days of preparation, drain the liquid from the container, rinse the tomatoes with the seasoning, transfer to clean jars, and fill with boiling brine.

Marinated and sterilized vegetables in apple juice are stored well in an apartment.

What to serve with

Canned or salted tomatoes are eaten as an appetizer with main courses, added to a variety of salads, and used in borscht and soups. Even in winter, it's hard to imagine a dinner table without tomatoes. These vibrant fruits enhance the flavor of rice and potatoes and are incredibly beneficial, as they normalize bowel function, promote the elimination of toxins, and enrich the body with vitamins and minerals.