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In the annotations of tomato seed manufacturers, the purpose of the variety often indicates “for preservation.” Rarely does the packaging say “for pickling”, although tomatoes are salted no less often than they are canned. Pickling tomato varieties often coincide with varieties intended for canning. More precisely, both operations can be performed with these tomatoes. But nevertheless, there are small differences between them.
When choosing tomato varieties intended for pickling and canning, special attention is not paid to yield. Other criteria are important here.
Tomato varieties for pickling are chosen based on their fruits.
In a good situation, the variety should produce tomatoes of approximately the same size so that they are evenly soaked in brine during the pickling process. The bushes must reap the harvest together; you cannot store a batch of ripened tomatoes while waiting for the next one to ripen. Already harvested tomatoes can become moldy and ruin the entire batch for pickling.To guarantee a harvest, it is better to choose varieties that are zoned in the area where they will be grown.
Varieties for canning must meet almost the same requirements as varieties for pickling, but the tomatoes must be even smaller in size. In addition to the fact that large tomatoes fit very poorly into the neck of the jar, they often burst either when hot marinade solution is poured over them, or later when trying to remove the fruit from the jar. For some, it is important that the contents of the jar look beautiful, which is almost impossible to achieve when canning large tomatoes. However, beauty is a matter of taste.
But what is really very important when choosing a tomato variety for any type of preparation is the plant’s resistance to various pathogenic microflora.
Tomatoes affected by fungi are not suitable for pickling, canning or storage. This is what once explained the torment of housewives in the USSR, when an entire batch of canned tomatoes could explode. After all, the tomatoes arrived in stores already rotten, but this was not yet visible to the naked eye.
The best varieties of tomatoes for canning
Sweet meeting
Pink tomatoes with medium firm flesh. Not suitable for pickling, but good for canning. The fruits weigh 17 grams and belong to the “cherry” group. A jar of canned tomatoes will look very original if you mix them with cherry tomatoes of other colors, for example, with “Golden Stream” and “De Barao”.
The variety must be grown under film cover. The bush is determinate, requiring staking and shaping.The growing season is 100 days.
De Barao
The name “De Barao” hides a whole “family” of tomatoes. "De Barao" are not only multi-colored, but also of different sizes. Some of them are suitable for canning and pickling, others are too large for these purposes.
Common features of the varieties of this variety:
- the variety is grown only in greenhouses, open ground is possible only in the southern part of Russia;
- unpretentiousness;
- high yield.
"De Barao Giant"
Not suitable for pickling and canning. Too large tomatoes weighing up to 350 g do not allow for high-quality fermentation of tomatoes, as they will burst under pressure. But a whole tomato simply won’t fit into the jar.
"De-Barao Black"
Tomatoes are ideal for canning. With an average weight of 55 grams and the purple color of ripe fruits, they will pair well with varieties such as “Golden Stream” and “Sweet Meeting”, creating a variety of colors in the jar.
The ovaries are formed in clusters of up to 10. There can be up to 8 clusters on the stem. As an exception, the bush is determinate, being very tall (up to 3 m). In this regard, tomatoes are grown in high greenhouses or in the open air, if we are talking about the southern regions. To the north, only greenhouse conditions are possible.
With good care, up to 8 kg of tomatoes can be harvested from the bush of this De Barao variety. Form a piece of 2 stems with obligatory tying.
Disadvantages include its poor compatibility with other tomato varieties and the need for careful pruning.
The advantages are resistance to diseases and sudden temperature fluctuations, shade tolerance and frost resistance.
"De Barao Red"
It bears red fruits weighing from 80 to 120 g, which are suitable for pickling and canning. It is better to preserve it in fairly large jars. The total yield of the bush is up to 6 kg. Usually lower.
The bush grows up to 2 meters and requires high ceilings in the greenhouse. It is not recommended to plant in unprotected soil, as the tall stem may be damaged by the wind. The variety is not standard. Resistant to diseases.
"De Barao Yellow/Gold"
The variety name may contain both color options for yellow tomatoes weighing up to 90 g. These tomatoes are well suited for canning due to their small size.
The variety forms ovaries in clusters of up to 10 pieces each. An average of 7 clusters are formed on the stem. The bush grows up to 2 meters, which is why it requires strong support for tying. But from such a bush you can get up to 12 kg of tomatoes. In exceptional cases up to 20 kg.
The disadvantages of the variety include its long growing season (the first harvest after 120 days), mandatory pinching and the need for a large living space.
The advantages include its frost resistance and low requirements for lighting, disease resistance and endurance.
"De Barao Pink"
Small pink tomatoes, well suited for canning. The tomatoes have a “spout”, which is common for all varieties of De Barao. They grow in clusters of 9 ovaries on each. Up to 6 clusters are formed on the stem. The pulp of this variety is sweet and sour, fleshy.
A bush with unlimited growth, bears fruit until cold weather. The usual yield is up to 7 kg per bush. With good care up to 10 kg. Plant two bushes per square meter.
The advantages and disadvantages are the same as those of other representatives of this group of varieties.
The best varieties of tomatoes for pickling
"De-Barao Tsarsky"
Good for pickling. The average weight of tomatoes is 160g. It is suitable for preservation only if it is preserved in large jars, 3 liters or more. One or two tomatoes per liter jar, occupying less of the volume, is both ineffective and unsightly.
The tomatoes are slightly elongated, pink-red. They grow in clusters of up to 8 fruits each. About 9 clusters are formed on one stem of a tomato bush.
A bush with unlimited growth is capable of producing crops until the onset of frost. One bush produces up to 12 kg of tomatoes, and in good conditions and regular feeding it can produce 20 kg.
The bush grows up to 2 m and requires tying and pinching. The variety is not afraid of sudden temperature fluctuations and frosts, and is very resistant to diseases.
"De Barao Orange"
A variety of tomatoes located “on the very border” between tomatoes suitable for pickling and suitable for canning. Can be used equally in both cases. The weight of these tomatoes is 110 grams. The color at maturity is deep orange. They are very suitable for pickling in a barrel. For canning, it is better to choose a large enough jar where these fruits will look very beautiful.
The bush is not limited in growth, thanks to which it can bear fruit until frost. It grows up to 2 meters in height and requires a lot of space. If there is not enough space, it may die. The bush is not standard, it requires strong support and high-quality tying. A bush is usually formed into 2 stems. The usual yield is up to 8 kg per bush.
The advantages and disadvantages are common to other varieties of this variety.
"Pickling delicacy"
The variety is zoned for the northern regions: the Urals and Siberia. Non-hybrid. The bush grows no higher than a meter, being determinant. Standard, not requiring pinning, but requiring tying. Harvest ripening time is 100 days. Can be grown in open beds, but is prone to late photoblight. The yield is low relative to industrial varieties: up to 3.5 kg per bush.
Tomatoes are medium-sized (up to 100 g), elongated (cream). Like most varieties in this group, they have a dense skin that protects tomatoes from fungal diseases and does not crack when salted.
Donskoy F1
According to the manufacturer, the variety is suitable for canning, but given its size, it is better to use it for pickling. The weight of the tomato is from 100 to 120 g. The fruit is sufficiently round in shape and large in size so that it can be later removed from the jar without much difficulty.
But this variety has very dense pulp, which is a good quality for both pickling and canning.
The bushes are low-growing, up to 60 cm. The variety is distinguished by the uniform ripening of fruits, like most other determinate tomatoes. Harvest 95 days after sowing the seeds. The tomato was bred in the Rostov region and has an elongated “spout”, characteristic of hybrids selected by the Poisk company. Zoned for the south of Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, where it can grow in the open air. To the north it is grown in greenhouses.
Tips for choosing pickled tomatoes
During fermentation in the barrel, lactic acid is formed, which acts as a preservative and prevents the tomatoes from becoming moldy.If the content of saccharides in tomatoes is insufficient, acid will not form and the fermented product will become moldy.
You can ferment not only red ones, but also green tomatoes. In this case, it is better to collect tomatoes of blanzhe ripeness.
Therefore, for salting, you need to take the hardest specimens possible. Moreover, if almost any variety of tomatoes is suitable for pickling green tomatoes, except for salad and sauce ones, then for pickling ripe tomatoes it is better to select those with very thick skin. This type of skin distinguishes the varieties popularly called “plums”. They all have an oblong shape and a rough, thick skin.
Conclusion
Ultimately, everyone chooses the best varieties of tomatoes for pickling and canning for themselves. Much depends on the marinade or brine recipe and the taste of the particular tomato variety.
