It is such a relief that we are no longer talking about scarcity of fresh tomatoes/peppers but we are now researching how to process and preserve the excess. This gives credence to the saying that hardship will come but will surely pass away.
It is no longer news that the price of tomatoes and fresh peppers went up so high to the extent that many families had to resort to alternatives. This has dramatically crashed to the extent that the big basket that sold for N160 thousand naira in Lagos markets a few months ago now sells for between N21,000- N26,000.
Many wise women/men are buying baskets of tomatoes and peppers in order to preserve for the rainy day. Fresh tomatoes/peppers are in season and readily available. Most of the farmers and traders are even begging customers to buy because they do not have facilities to preserve them.
The question now is how do we preserve this perishable vegetable, especially in a country like ours where we cannot boast of a steady supply of electricity?
A housewife, Mummy Kene, said that she had already bought two big baskets of tomatoes, a basket of bonnet pepper, a big basket of bell pepper, and tatase from Mile 12 market Lagos.
I wash them very well, and take them to a big engine to blend as the quantity is too much to blend at home
“After blending them separately, I come home and bring the three vegetables to the boil separately after which I leave it to cool. Next, I pour them separately into a big sieve that must have tiny holes or a mesh. I left it overnight and by morning all the water would have drained out completely leaving only the tomato pulp and pepper pulp. I then portion them into different containers and leave them deep inside the freezer,” she said.
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The mother of four who said she preserves tomatoes and pepper like this every year added that once in the freezer, the tomatoes/pepper can remain frozen and fresh for over six months. “Keep the ones you will be using regularly separate and leave the ones you are saving for the rainy day deep inside the freezer or in a separate freezer,” she advised.
In case, the all-powerful electricity provider strikes as they sometimes do for days, Mummy Kene advises that one buy ice blocks in the worst scenario. “However, if the pulp has been properly frozen for weeks, intermittent power disruptions from the electricity DISCOs will not do harm to it,” she further revealed.
Another woman, Mrs. Inifeme Ade said that instead of sieving the tomatoes and pepper after grinding, she boils until the water dries out after which she allows the pulp to cool and then scoop into plastic containers and leave them in her freezer.
However, some people do not even grind the fresh tomatoes/pepper. Those people just wash them, package them in nylon bags and store them in the freezer for months.
Not everyone has a freezer of course. So another method for home preservation is drying. This can be done through the natural sun and wind or through a food dehydrator, oven, or microwave. Low humidity, low heat, and good air circulation are critical for successful drying.
Cut the tomatoes into slices, one centimeter thick, leave in the open sun to dry very well, or use a food dehydrator, oven, or microwave. Once dry, store foods in a dark, cool location in containers that keep out moisture and insects.
Tomato is a highly perishable fruit and prone to post-harvest spoilage and decay if proper handling and storage practices are not followed.
A tomato farmer in Kwadon town of Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, Muhammad Abdullahi, said the lack of proper storage facilities usually leads to significant losses at the end of every harvest.
“Tomatoes are highly perishable and require specific storage conditions to remain fresh for an extended period. Without adequate storage facilities such as refrigeration or appropriate packaging, tomatoes are at risk of spoiling quickly, leading to significant losses,” he said.
Abdullahi added that with insufficient storage capacity, farmers may not be able to store their harvested tomatoes effectively, leading to wastage. “This not only results in financial losses for the farmers but also contributes to food waste and inefficiencies in the supply chain.”
According to him, due to the lack of storage facilities and companies that will buy the tomatoes in large quantities and process them, farmers are vulnerable to fluctuations in tomato prices.
