Quick Pickled Tomatoes in a Bag

The best choice is firm medium tomatoes (plum-shaped, cherry, "Slivka") – they will not "spread" from the salt. Meaty varieties (Bull's Heart, Pink Giant) are also suitable, but cut them in half for better salting. Avoid: overripe ones (soft, they will "go runny"), green ones (they will not soak up the salt), and damaged ones (they ferment quickly). Cherry tomatoes are the most convenient option: there is no need to cut them, they look attractive on the plate, and they are ready in a day. Choose aromatic ones with a rich red colour.

Yes, there are several methods. Cut the tomatoes in half (the salt gets in faster). Increase the amount of salt to 1.5 tablespoons per 1 kg. Keep them in a warm place (25–28 °C) – this speeds up fermentation. Add 1 teaspoon of hot water to the bag – this speeds up the salting. For "lightning-fast" salting in 3–4 hours: cut the tomatoes into cubes, salt them, and mix. But the classic method is one day at room temperature, and up to 2 days gives the ideal mellow flavour.

In the refrigerator in a closed container – 3–4 days. Take them out of the bag and transfer them to a glass jar with the brine that is left. If you leave them in the bag, they may "over-sour" (become too salty and "fermented"). On the third day the flavour is brighter, but the tomatoes become softer. Make them in small batches (1 kg for 2–3 days). You can freeze them as a puree – but not whole, as the texture will be lost.

The classic: with boiled potatoes and herbs – a traditional Russian combination. With shashlik or fried meat – the perfect summer addition. With black bread, butter and herring – for breakfast or as a snack. With pancakes (thin, unsweetened) – an unexpected but tasty combination. As a "pickle" with strong drinks (vodka, moonshine). For a festive table – in a pretty bowl, sprinkled with herbs. They go perfectly together with lightly salted cucumbers – a double salting on one plate.