How to store tomatoes for months

A bountiful harvest from your garden or from the farmer's market can leave you with a glut of wonderful fresh tomatoes. Rather than eat nothing but tomato sauce and salads for the next week, pick a long-term storage method. Store green tomatoes at room temperature in a cellar to have fresh tomatoes later. If you're going to use your tomatoes in cooking, you can dry them, freeze them, or pressure can them to store them for even longer. Things You Should Know Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature on your counter for up to 1 week. Alternatively, store tomatoes in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, place tomatoes in a storage bin, then store them in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Method 1 Storing Tomatoes at Room Temperature 1 Use green tomatoes or a tomato bred for long storage. If you want to store tomatoes at room temperature for more than a week or so, you need to start with the right kind of tomato. Pick a variety of tomato meant for long storage, such as a Long Keeper Winter Storage tomato. These varieties are heartier and stand up to long storage better. You can use any variety tomato if it's still green, and it will ripen as it sits in storage.

2 Place dry, unwashed tomatoes in a storage bin. You can use several different methods to store the tomatoes. One method is to simply layer them in a box or basket, then put newspaper between that layer and the next one.You can also store them in a box that canning jars came in, which should have separated spaces for each tomato. Alternatively, use an apple box with individual paper wrappers or make a small newspaper wrapper for each tomato. Close the box or cover it with a sheet to keep light out. 3 Store the tomatoes in a cool, dark area for up to 6 months. Put them in a basement or cellar to keep them cool. Alternatively, put them in the bottom of a closet or in another area that's not used much Keep them out of direct sunlight. 4 Check your tomatoes for mold and signs of rotting at least once a week. If any of your tomatoes start to rot, it can spoil all the other tomatoes. Examine each one to ensure it's not rotting. Turn them while you're examining them, as they'll get riper where they're touching the box or basket. 5 Ripen tomatoes in a warm spot for 1-2 days as needed. When you want to use a tomato, bring it out to a warm, sunny location to ripen for a day or two. Use one that already has some red in it; leave the greener ones to ripen more in the box Fill the bag with your tomatoes, remove any excess air, and seal it shut. If you don't have freezer bags, you can use an airtight container, such as a mason jar, to store your tomatoes in the freezer. Place the bag in the freezer: Place your bagged or jarred tomatoes in the freezer and use them within eighteen months. Remove any rotten tomatoes.