{"id":25615,"date":"2025-08-24T22:22:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T05:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/?p=25615"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:38:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T23:38:14","slug":"skagit-food-preservation-tomato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/2025\/08\/24\/skagit-food-preservation-tomato\/","title":{"rendered":"Skagit Food Preservation: Tomato"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a printable version of this webpage: Tomato<\/a>(PDF)<\/p>\n\n\n

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Tomato
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Tomatoes, native to the Americas, trace back to the early Aztecs around 700 A.D. Today, tomatoes come in countless varieties, with a rainbow of colors – red, orange, white, deep purple, yellow, green-striped – with a range of delicious flavor profiles. Are they a fruit\u2026or a vegetable? Botanically they are classified as berries, but culinarily they are classified as vegetables. Commercially grown tomatoes are harvested under-ripe to avoid bruising in shipping. Locally grown tomatoes are usually vine-ripened and are more flavorful. Skagit farmers focus on farm-fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, growing different types including Heirloom varieties.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Nutrition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and a noteworthy source of antioxidants. An average-sized tomato is just 22 calories and a large one is 33 calories, with no fat or cholesterol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look for tomatoes that are firm but not overripe, red in color, plump, smooth, and free from blemishes. For best flavor, select vine-ripened tomatoes, locally grown. Clean tomatoes before processing by rinsing under running water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tomatoes that are under-ripe are best stored at room temperature for several days or until ripening is complete. Temperatures under 40 degrees (refrigerator temps) destroy flavor enzymes. However, overripe tomatoes may be stored in the refrigerator to halt ripening process and may prolong storage by several days. Tomatoes are not typically well-suited for long-term storage without a preservation method such as freezing, drying, or canning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measurements<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Freezing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n