Pickled tomatoes: calories, useful properties and harm

Almost every housewife on the holiday and everyday table has a variety of pickles. A special place is occupied by pickled tomatoes. There are many recipes for preparing such a snack, but in general it is considered the most delicious of all existing. Such a product is characterized by a number of useful properties.

What is the difference between pickled and salted tomatoes

Canning tomatoes can be done in two ways - pickling and leavening. These types differ in the composition of solutions and technology.

During pickling, a sterile container is used, in which tomatoes are placed and filled with a mixture of water, salt and spices. The preservative in this case is usually acetic acid.

As for pickled tomatoes, in obtaining them, the vegetables are placed in a container and poured with a water-salt solution. Then comes the process of natural fermentation.

What is more useful

Quarrying tomatoes allows you to save a lot of vitamins and other useful elements, while in the process of pickling during boiling and sterilization, a certain part of these substances is destroyed.

Pickled tomatoes are more useful because they retain many minerals and vitamins even after being processed in a salt solution.

Composition and calories

In terms of chemical composition, such a delicacy can truly be called a treasure trove of vitamins and mineral elements.

1. Among the vitamins, sour tomatoes contain retinol, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, most of the representatives of the B-group, beta-carotene and PP.
2. The mineral composition is represented by Fe, Cu, Na, I, Zn, Ca, K, Mg, P. In addition, this product contains organic acids, lycopene, serotonin, etc.

In terms of calories this dish can be called a diet, since 100 grams of pickled product contains only 30-32 kcal.

What are the benefits of pickled tomatoes?

General benefits

1. Pickled tomatoes contribute to the restoration of vision. Due to the presence of carotene in their composition maintains the health of the eyes, despite the fact that there is much more vitamin A in fresh tomatoes.
2. This product also has a positive effect on the nervous system. The natural hormones in the composition of such a delicacy will help to improve memory, concentration, as well as to improve the emotional state.
3. Another useful property of a salty snack is the ability to strengthen the immune system. Vitamin PP is an important component of a strong immune system. Also, this substance helps to establish blood circulation in the small vessels, to lower blood pressure.
4. In addition, pickled tomatoes help normalize the water-salt balance. So, the dish allows you to remove excess fluid from the body, to relieve swelling. The high concentration of potassium strengthens blood vessels.
5. The vitamin-rich product normalizes metabolism and improves the stool. The fiber in the composition of the vegetable, or rather berries, is an effective remedy for constipation.
6. In small quantities such a snack can be used by people suffering from diabetes, liver and gallbladder disorders.

For women

The main advantage of pickled tomatoes is their antioxidant property. They contain lycopene, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the pancreas, cervix. The product protects the body from free radicals, having an antitumor effect.

Also, this pickle promotes tissue regeneration, strengthening and renewal. Alpha-tomatine and quercetin ensure protein and carbohydrate metabolism in tissues.

For men

The antioxidant properties of the product can reduce the likelihood of tumor development in the prostate gland. In addition, tomatoes prevent the formation of blood clots by thinning the blood. Salty vegetables prevent the deposition of fat, cholesterol plaques and even provide their breakdown.

The presence of potassium, magnesium and iron can improve cardiovascular activity.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women are not recommended to eat salty foods, and tomatoes are no exception. For the future mommy, healthy kidneys are the key to well-being and health, in general. An excessive load on these organs can lead to trouble. In the second and third trimester you should reduce the amount of salt consumed and products containing it. It will allow avoiding the appearance of edema.

When breastfeeding

During lactation, it is not forbidden to use pickled tomatoes. But it is necessary to keep within limits and constantly monitor the amount of snacks eaten. It is allowed to eat such a product, but only in small portions. After the first tasting of such a treat, it is important to monitor the well-being of the baby. In the absence of side effects in the future, you can also use pickles, but in small portions, since salt is harmful to the child.

For Kids

Canned vegetables contain elements that are dangerous for children's bodies. These include condiments and spices, vinegar and a large amount of salt. That is why such a dish should not be given to children under three years old, as for older children (4-7 years), for them the portion of such a product should be minimal. If the baby has kidney or heart problems, this product should be excluded at all.

Children's food consists mainly of unleavened porridge and various vegetable purees, so babies react very violently to salted vegetables. Most moms are cautious about introducing such a snack in the diet of their child. After trying it once, the next time the baby is sure to reach again for the familiar product.

Salted vegetables can cause severe thirst and swelling, allergic diathesis or allergies. Some children have gas after eating pickled tomatoes, which may disrupt the child's sleep and his usual behavior.

When losing weight

Almost all dietitians forbid to eat pickles to those who are going to get rid of excess weight. But at the same time there is a diet on pickles. It refers to non-traditional ways to lose extra pounds. How can it be explained?

Of course, there is a lot of salt in pickles, but the caloric value of each vegetable remains the same, it does not change. Therefore, if you do not exceed the permissible dose, it will not harm the figure. Yes, a large amount of salt is harmful to human health, but after all this substance does not lead to the formation of fat deposits, it only retains water in the body. And even in this case, everything depends on the individual characteristics of the body of a particular person.

You can eat pickled tomatoes during the diet, but you need to know the measure. So, if you eat 2-3 tomatoes several times a week, the product will not harm your health and figure.

Refuse from this pickle should be in the presence of hypertension, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis.

Are green pickled tomatoes useful?

Unripe green fruits are useful for disorders of acid-base balance and intestinal function. You should not use them for allergies, abnormalities of the kidneys, pancreas, joints, bones, heart and blood vessels. Contraindication is also a period of pregnancy and lactation.

Such tomatoes have a raft of vitamins and minerals that are essential for normal body function. Lycopene in this case protects against cancer cells and helps the heart, serotonin - promotes brain function and helps lift your mood. Quercetin is a natural antibiotic, and tomatidine prevents muscle atrophy. In the composition of such a product there is another substance - solanine. It is poisonous, found only in green fruits. In moderate quantities this element acts as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and diuretic. Poisoning with such a substance occurs when 200-400 mg enters the body.

It is contraindicated to eat fresh green fruits. Soak them in salt water or ferment them so that they can be used as food. Such processing will neutralize dangerous compounds and make the product safe.

Use in cooking

Pickled tomatoes are most often used as a separate appetizer, but they can also be added to various dishes. For example, these tomatoes can be added to the pickles or salad instead of pickles. Also from them you can prepare a cold sauce. To do this, you should chop these vegetables, add a little tomato paste, chopped garlic, onions and herbs. You can use such a dish with meatballs, cutlets, fish.

You can also chop pickled tomatoes, add onions, grated carrots and tomato paste. All these ingredients should be stewed, then in the resulting gravy add rice, buckwheat groats or pasta, mix everything and serve the table.

Also sour tomatoes are added to the tomato sauce while stewing meat, especially beef. In this case, first you need to roast the meat a little, then add a small amount of broth. Send the mass to the fire. While it is stewing, chop carrots and onions, fry them in oil. Next, remove the red salted tomatoes from the skin, mash the pulp with a fork, mix with onions and carrots, stew a little and add to the meat. Then continue stewing for about 20 minutes more. At the end you can add spices. It is important to consider that the tomatoes were salted, and perhaps the addition of salt is not necessary.

In addition, such pickles are suitable for vinaigrette.

Harms and contraindications

1. Individual intolerance to this dish can be observed.
2. Such a salty snack is contraindicated in pathologies of the urogenital system, namely with inflammation, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis. Salt in such a case can disrupt the water-salt balance and slow the process of excretion of fluid from the body, which will aggravate the condition of the person.
3. High blood pressure is also a restriction to the use of pickled tomatoes.
4. For ulcers and gastritis, you should not eat pickles that contain vinegar.
5. The product is also contraindicated in children. They can get itching, allergic reactions, diathesis. It is important to control the amount of pickled tomatoes consumed by a child.

How to choose tomatoes for pickling

Not all varieties are suitable for pickling. Pickled tomatoes should be of medium size, with a high sugar content. If there is not enough sugar, then instead of fermentation, mold will appear. Do not use tomatoes with sourness and with loose, albeit sugary, flesh. Flesh of the fruit should be dense. Such vegetables should not be too overripe and have a strong skin, which will be resistant to cracking. Fruits with soft skin will burst. Tomatoes with mechanical damage, rot should not be used.

How to make a pickle

Before using one of the popular recipes for making pickled tomatoes, you should consider a number of rules, if you follow which you can get a delicious snack.

1. So, first of all, you need to remember that for quality pickling, you should choose medium and small tomatoes. Large fruits should be canned in the form of juice or cut them into slices.
2. It is not recommended to mix several varieties when salting.
3. To vegetables do not crack later, during cooking you can pierce them with a toothpick in several places.
4. Container in which to cook billet, it is recommended to pre-sterilize under steam or process with boiling water with baking soda for 20 minutes.

Tomatoes can be combined with all vegetables and spices, but the most traditional are peppers, herbs and garlic.

Store the ready snack in a dark, cool and dry place at a temperature no higher than 20 degrees.

How to cook pickled tomatoes: recipes

The quick way to pickle

To prepare pickled tomatoes, you can use a quick way. From the ingredients you will need 3 kg of tomatoes, a bunch of dill, parsley and coriander, a few cloves of garlic, 1 tsp of dried herbs, 2 cloves, 13-15 peas of black pepper, 2 bay leaves. For the brine we need 2.2 liters of water, 5 tablespoons of salt with a slide.

Tomatoes are better to use small. The brine is prepared at the rate of 2 big spoons of salt with a handful per liter of water. It should be boiled and cooled to room temperature. While the liquid cools, prepare the remaining components. Chop the herbs and garlic. Next, place the tomatoes in a saucepan, send them herbs and garlic, as well as add pepper, cloves and bayroot. Then pour a lot of warm brine. Cover the dish with gauze. A small plate can be used instead of a weight. Now cover the pot with a lid and leave it in the room. Tomatoes are usually salted within a week, but after 3-4 days the snack can be tasted. When it is ready, it should be moved to the refrigerator. For convenience, the pickle can be packed in jars.

Recipe for round tomatoes

You can also make pickled tomatoes using a different recipe. For one large pot of 20 liters you will need about 12 kg of tomatoes, 2 bunch of parsley, a bunch of celery, 3 heads of garlic and the same amount of onions, 3 red hot peppers, 1 bunch of leaves of horseradish, dill and currants. In addition, you will need salt and sugar.

This method is recommended to salt round fruits. They should be torn off the stalk, thoroughly rinsed and removed damaged specimens. In this case, tomatoes and all other ingredients will be stacked in layers.

First, all vegetables and herbs should be peeled and chopped. Then place 1/3 of all ingredients and half of the tomatoes in the bottom of the dish. Then repeat the procedure - lay a layer of greens and vegetables, and then the remaining tomatoes. On top of the tomatoes pour the rest of the herbs, garlic and peppers. Now prepare a brine at the rate of 4 tablespoons of salt without a hill and 1 tablespoon of sugar per 3 liters of water. Brine periodically taste, the salt can be different. The liquid should not be too salty. Next, strain it and pour the vegetables, so that all the vegetable mass was drowned in the liquid.

Then you need to cover the tomatoes with clean gauze, and put a plate and a jar of water on top. After a week you will get delicious, slightly salted tomatoes. If mold appears, it should be carefully washed off, so as not to spoil the taste of the snack.

Pickled cherry tomatoes

You can prepare a delicious snack with cherry tomatoes. In this case, you will need 1 kg of fresh tomatoes, peppers and salt and sugar, purified water, dill umbrellas, dried or fresh currant leaves, garlic and mustard seeds.

The vegetables should first be thoroughly rinsed under running warm water, peel the garlic and then divide it into cloves. At the bottom of the dish lay the dill umbrellas, currants. The next layer - tomatoes, those that are larger - at the bottom, smaller - on top. Next, sprinkle the mass with the rest of the greens and mustard. After that, add salt to cold well water or (if available) artesian water and mix. Use the resulting solution to pour the vegetables with spices. After that, add a small amount of vinegar. After this blank for a few days to put under the oppression.

Lightly salted green tomatoes with an apple

You can cook pickled green tomatoes with apple. For salting, it is better to use a barrel or bucket. To prepare this delicious and juicy snack, you will need green tomatoes, ripe and juicy apples (the "Simirenko" variety is excellent), horseradish or currant leaves, fresh garlic, fragrant dill (about 1 large bunch of greens), coarse table salt with sugar and other spices (you can put your favorite).

The apples should be washed and coarsely chopped. Tomatoes in the area of the stalk pierce with a toothpick, horseradish with the rest of the greens thoroughly washed and chopped. Next, put the tomatoes and apples in a container in layers, with each layer covered with herbs and all other ingredients, sprinkle with salt and a little sugar.

After filling the container, top it should be covered with a dense layer of dill and cabbage leaves, and then put under a burden for several days. When the contents let out juice, the preparation can be moved to a cool place.

Can we give salted tomatoes to chickens?

Salt plays an important role in the development and activity of the body of birds. Thus, this component allows to regulate the water balance, ensure water-salt metabolism, improve the functioning of the liver, ensure the transportation of oxygen to the blood vessels and good conduction of nerve impulses. In addition, salt helps to destroy pathogenic microflora in the intestines and stomach of chickens, takes part in the formation of bone and muscle tissue. But salty foods such as tomatoes should not be given to chickens categorically. In this case it is impossible to control the dose of sodium chloride, which will be swallowed by a single chicken. And the excess of this substance leads to the development of intense thirst, which negatively affects the health of chickens, especially layers.

In case of overdose, such symptoms as red or blue skin, decreased appetite, vomiting, convulsions, loss of coordination may appear.

Interesting facts about tomatoes

1. For a long time tomatoes were classified as a poisonous plant that came from South America. R. Johnson in New Jersey was able to prove otherwise, who in the early 19th century ate a whole bucket of such fruit in front of the courthouse. Surprised people noticed that nothing happened to the military man because he ate so many tomatoes. Since then, this vegetable (or rather berry) has become popular.
2. By the way, the botanical definition of a tomato is a berry. In the late 19th century the Supreme Court of the United States decided to call this fruit a vegetable, but at the very beginning of the 21st century the European Union ordered tomatoes to be classified as a fruit.
3. The largest tomato was obtained in an American state. Its weight was almost 3 kg.

Photo of pickled tomatoes