Market women in Tema outline ways to preserve fresh tomato

Some tomato sellers in the Tema Community One market have urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the season to buy and preserve tomatoes for the lean season.They said tomatoes had been in abundance for the past few days compared to a few weeks ago so it was important to conserve them for the lean season.The tomato sellers said it could be preserved through freezing, drying, or boiling, which could be stored for months.Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), they also said fresh tomatoes must be kept in a spacious, airy environment, such as in a basket or placed on the floor, especially on tiles.They said in freezing the tomato, it could be washed and blended freshly or steamed, saying that in other vegetables such as carrot and beetroot could be added when steaming before freezing it.The sellers added that, in drying the tomatoes, it was important to pre-heat them before drying them in the sun or using a dehydrator and then blending them into a powdered form.They said the powder could be stored in containers or wrapped and put in the fridge or freezer, making sure that it did not get into contact with water.'This weather is good for tomatoes; they don't like heat, so they can stay for days without getting spoilt if it has access to air; so you can keep it in a basket or open floor, especially with the floor; it doesn't get soiled,' Madam Theresa Adu, a tomato seller, said.She stated: 'If you keep it on the floor or basket, you have to sprinkle camphor on the floor; it sacks the insects that feed on the tomatoes, which makes it to spoil.''It stays for long when you dry and blend it, but when you add garlic while steaming, it gives it a very fresh taste anytime,' Ms. Juliana Owusu, another tomato seller, said.Source: Ghana News Agency