To store tomatoes for months, you need to comply with a number of conditions. This includes proper plant care, and picking ripe tomatoes at the right stage of maturity, plus their proper storage. But the main thing is to choose the variety wisely. Then tomatoes picked in August-September will last until January, and sometimes until April.
"Giraffe"
One of the very first varieties for long-term storage. The bush is tall, up to 2 meters in height. In warm regions it can be grown outdoors, but in cooler locations it is better suited to a greenhouse.
The fruits are yellow-orange with thick skin. Up to 5 kg are collected from the bush.
The specificity of the variety is that its tomatoes on the branch never ripen. They are harvested while still green, when they have reached their full weight (for their variety). This stage is called technical ripeness. After a month of storage, the tomatoes can be eaten. Stored until the end of February - beginning of March.
"Long Keeper"
The plant ripens well in an open place or protected with film. The height of the stem is up to 1.8 meters, the yield is about 4 kg of tomatoes per plant.
The fruits themselves are yellow-pink when ripe, and when cut open they are dark pink or scarlet. Tomatoes have a hard skin, and the flesh is a little dry and dense.
Tomatoes are picked green, at the stage of milky ripeness, ripening occurs in 30–40 days. If stored properly, they will last until the end of April.
"Ozaltin"
Tall variety for open air and greenhouses.The bush stretches up to 2 meters; during the fruiting period the branches need support.
Tomatoes ripen late (at 130–140 days). When ripe, they become bright scarlet, with a regular round shape, weighing from 60 grams. You can collect up to 5 kg from one plant.
The pulp is sweet, dense, aromatic. “Ozaltin” is considered the most delicious of tomatoes that are kept fresh all winter.
If you want to save the fruits for 6–8 months, they are picked semi-green. Ideally, they will last until spring.
"Gift of Autumn"
A low-growing standard bush that grows best in a greenhouse. The fruits ripen late (September-October). Unripe ones have a “marbled” red-orange color, and the riper the tomato, the more orange it becomes. Harvest - up to 7 kg per bush.
The tomato is juicy, with a fairly large weight - 250–300 g. They are removed pale green or brown. They don't go bad until March.
"Rio Grande"
Determinate plant, up to 1 meter high. This is an old Dutch variety, originally created only for greenhouses. But today it is one of the most popular tomatoes in the world, growing both in open ground and in shelters. "Rio Grande" produces excellent yields (up to 8 kg per bush).
The fruit is a classic fleshy cream with a thick skin. The taste is bright and sour. To keep tomatoes for several months, they are harvested before frost, choosing fruits with a faint pink color (blange ripeness). Stored until January-February.
"Winter Heart"
Low-growing variety with late ripening. The plant is heat-loving, so a good harvest (4–5 kg) can only be obtained in a greenhouse.
Tomatoes are heart-shaped, light yellow in color, weight up to 200–400 g.The pulp is fleshy, with a delicate taste.
Ripening begins in September. If you pick tomatoes unripe, they will be edible until late spring.
"Masterpiece 1"
A late hybrid, tall (indeterminate), it is usually grown in greenhouses. Although the tomato has a powerful stem, it needs to be tied up. “Masterpiece 1” yields up to 5–6 kg per bush. Large fruits (up to 500 grams) have a round, slightly flattened shape and are red in color.
For storage, tomatoes are harvested pale green, in September-October. They keep well until mid-spring.
There are many varieties with good keeping quality, and new varieties appear every year. Almost any gardener-farmer can find suitable tomatoes for long-term storage.
