Fresh tomatoes for 2 years, without the need for vinegar: the foolproof method to make them last that long

Canned tomatoes are excellent for fresh dishes such as spaghetti with sauce and basil or to season any dish  . It will come in handy at any time of the year, even when tomatoes are not in season, and will allow you to use homemade ingredients without resorting to peeled tomatoes bought at the supermarket.

Summer is the perfect time to preserve tomatoes that will then be consumed throughout the year, but there is a method that will allow you to make them last up to two years. To make tomato preserves you don’t need much, just patience, fresh tomatoes, preferably from your own garden, and a lot of basil. 

To obtain a good preserved tomato, the degree of maturity of the tomato and the type of tomato are important  . This will determine the flavor of the preserve, so if you are not an expert, it is better to ask your fruit seller for advice. A little trick is to make the sauce from the preserves a couple of days after buying the tomatoes.

And you can tell that the tomatoes are right from the stem. When it comes off easily from the rest of the tomato. It is also important to always check before consuming them that the jars in which the tomato sauce was stored have remained unchanged during the storage time. 

They must maintain the same flavor, color and smell. If only one of these aspects is not met, it is important not to consume the preserved tomato and therefore throw it away.  Another important aspect is the sterilization of the jars where the tomato preserves will be stored.

Canned tomato: here is the recipe

Preserving jars of tomato jam is not easy but it doesn’t take much to achieve it. You can keep them for up to two years without adding vinegar. Here is the recipe for some excellent preserved tomato:

Ingredients for 3 2L jars: 

• 7 kilos of tomatoes
• basil as needed
• boiling water to sterilize the jars

Times:

• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 30 minutes
• Shelf life: 2 years

Preparation  :

• Cut the tomatoes into slices and blend. You will obtain a puree that you must transfer to the saucepan where it will be left on the heat until it comes to a boil.
• While it is on the heat, use a ladle to remove the foam that forms on the surface. Boil a couple more minutes and then turn off the heat.
• Prick the tomatoes with a fork and then place them in glass jars previously sterilized in boiling water. Then fill the jar with the tomato puree obtained.
• Finally, to cook them, just fill a saucepan with boiling water and place the closed cans of tomatoes with lids inside to create a vacuum. Store them in a cool, dry place.

It is important that the jar is well closed and vacuumed, otherwise the tomatoes will not last 1 or 2 years. This is a great way to always have homemade preservative ingredients on hand. It takes very little to make them and you will always have tomatoes available whether for some quick spaghetti or to season your dishes!