How to salt green tomatoes in a barrel

Some hundred years ago, all pickles in Our Country were harvested in barrels. They were made from durable oak, which only became stronger from contact with water and saline solutions. Tannins contained in wood protect fermented products from spoilage, preventing mold and fungi from developing in them. And tannins give them a special taste that cannot be obtained in any other container. Vegetables do not lose their juiciness, remain strong and crispy. Barrels in the family were passed down from generation to generation and were stored for a very long time. A new barrel must be prepared for use.

How to prepare a new barrel

The new barrel must be thoroughly washed of sawdust until the water is clear. To free the tree from excess tannins and allow the wood to swell, and the joints to become airtight, soak the barrel in hot water. First, fill it with hot water 1/5. After an hour, add the same amount, continue to do this until the container is full. After a day, pour out the water and repeat the procedure.

Immediately before salting, the barrel should be fumigated with sulfur, and then rinsed with boiling water.

If we are fermenting vegetables in a barrel for the first time, then we will have to add more salt to the brine, since the wooden walls absorb it. Wooden barrels must not be placed directly on the dirt floor. It is imperative to make a stand and sprinkle the floor with sawdust under the barrel so that they absorb moisture.

Features of salting tomatoes in a barrel

You can salt any vegetables in such a container. Green tomatoes in a barrel will be especially tasty. Salted at home tomatoes in barrels of small volume, usually no more than 20 liters. For pickling, tomatoes of any degree of ripeness, currant leaves, cherries, horseradish, parsley and horseradish roots, dill, parsley, basil are used.

Be sure to add garlic. For spiciness add pods of hot peppers. Sometimes fermentation is seasoned with peppercorns or ground, bay leaves. Brine can only be prepared from salt and water.

To speed up fermentation and improve the taste of tomatoes, sugar is sometimes added to it, which can be replaced with honey. Powdered mustard is often added to the brine. It gives pungency to tomatoes and prevents them from spoiling. There are many salting recipes, according to which bell peppers, cabbage, cucumbers and even fruits: apples, grapes, plums get into the company with tomatoes. Let’s start with a simple recipe, according to which barrel green tomatoes are traditionally salted for the winter.

Traditional barrel green tomatoes

For every 10 kg of green tomatoes you need:

• 300 g of dill greens with umbrellas;
• 50 g of tarragon and parsley;
• 100 g of cherry and currant leaves;
• a large head of garlic;
• a couple of pods of hot pepper;
• for brine for every liter of water – 70 g of salt.

We place the washed tomatoes in a barrel, on the bottom of which some of the leaves and greens are already laid out. Do not forget about the cloves of garlic and chopped hot peppers, which must be distributed among the tomatoes. We do the same with leaves and herbs, the rest of which is laid on top of the tomatoes. Dissolve the salt in cold spring or well water and pour the brine into the barrel.

We install the load and take it out to the cold for a month and a half.

Pieces of horseradish root, placed on top of the barrel, will save vegetables from spoilage.

Another easy way to cook barreled salted tomatoes, but with the addition of sugar.

Salted tomatoes in a barrel with sugar

For every 10 kg of tomatoes you need:

• 200 g of dill greens;
• 100 g of currant and cherry leaves;
• hot pepper according to your own desire and taste;
• for brine for 8 liters of water – 0,5 kg of salt and sugar.

The method of preparation does not differ from that given in the previous recipe. Tomatoes in a barrel for the winter can be cooked not only in brine, but also in tomato juice. How to pickle these tomatoes?

Pickled green tomatoes in a barrel in tomato juice

For 10 kg of green tomatoes you will need:

• 200 g of dill greens with umbrellas;
• 10 g of cherry and currant leaves, a large horseradish leaf;
• 6 large heads of garlic;
• 100 g horseradish root;
• teaspoon ground red pepper;
• for pouring: 6 kg of red tomatoes, you can take overripe ones, 350 g of salt.

Seasonings are divided into 2 parts. One is placed on the bottom, and the second on top of green tomatoes. For pouring, tomatoes are passed through a meat grinder or crushed in a blender bowl. The resulting juice must be boiled, dissolving the salt in it and immediately pour into the tomatoes. Set oppression and take out to a cold place. Fermentation is ready in a month and a half.

Another simple recipe for barrel green tomatoes for the winter.

Pickled tomatoes with mustard

For 10 kg of unripe tomatoes:

• 100 g of horseradish roots;
• 50 g of currant and cherry leaves;
• greens of dill and parsley 100 g each;
• 30 g of dill seeds;
• 5 heads of garlic;
• for brine: for 10 liters of water, a glass of salt and mustard in powder, sugar – 2 glasses.

Peeled horseradish root cut into thin strips. Greens a little ceiling. Boil cherry and currant leaves in boiling water for 7 minutes. We take them out of the water and dissolve all the salt and sugar in the broth. After cooling, stir the mustard in the broth.

Pour it into the tomatoes laid in a barrel with herbs, horseradish and garlic. We store under oppression in the cold. Pickled tomatoes are ready in about a month.

You can make salted tomatoes with the addition of other vegetables. Their salting is not difficult, and the dish is much tastier and healthier.

Pickled tomatoes with cucumbers

They will need:

• 5 kg of cucumbers and green tomatoes;
• 10 leaves of currant and cherry;
• 6 heads of garlic;
• 150 g of dill greens;
• 2 large sheets of horseradish;
• 10 peppercorns;
• for brine: for 8 liters of water – 0,5 kg of salt.

If the barrel is old and its integrity is in doubt, you can put two large food plastic bags one into one into it. We lay part of the leaves and dill on the bottom, then all the washed cucumbers, sprinkling with garlic and peppercorns, again a layer of dill and leaves, put tomatoes on them. We cover everything with leaves and dill. Don’t forget to add garlic and peppercorns to the tomatoes.

Dissolve the salt in boiling water and pour the cooled brine over the vegetables. Installing oppression. After storing in the cold for 2 months, the pickle will be ready.

You can ferment green tomatoes with sweet peppers, cabbage, carrots and cucumbers. This is how they are salted in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Pickled Tomatoes

For 2 kg of green tomatoes you need:

• 2 kg of cabbage of late varieties;
• from 3 to 5 kg of bell pepper;
• 2 kg of small carrots;
• 2 kg of cucumbers;
• 0,5 kg of different greens: dill, celery, parsley;
• for brine: for 10 liters of water – 0,6 kg of salt.

Wash all vegetables well. We cut the cabbage into slices along with the stalk, small heads of cabbage into 4 parts, large ones into 8 parts. We clean the carrots, chop the peppers in the region of the stalk, soak the cucumbers in water for 3 hours. We lay half of the greens on the bottom, then layers of vegetables, on top of the rest of the greens. Boil and cool the brine. We fill them with fermentation, set oppression, let them ferment in warmth from 2 to 4 days. Then take it out to the cold. After 3 weeks fermentation is ready. Store it at a temperature close to zero.

Features of storage of fermentation in barrels

Store them at 1-2 degrees Celsius. It is impossible to freeze fermentation. Under the oppression you need to enclose a clean white cotton fabric. It must be moistened in vodka or sprinkled with dry mustard. Once every 3 weeks, the fabric is washed and impregnated or re-sprinkled with mustard. If mold appears on the surface of the brine, it must be removed and the fabric replaced.

Barrel pickled tomatoes are a healthy product. With systematic use, they can improve bowel function, boost immunity. This is facilitated by lactic acid – it is in all fermented foods. A lot of vitamins that are completely preserved with this method of harvesting will help prevent vitamin starvation, especially since fermentation is well preserved until spring.