FIELD: preparing of fresh tomatoes for storage and further usage without preliminary processing of their surfaces.
SUBSTANCE: method involves soaking ripening milky stage tomatoes during 10-20 min; washing in running water at temperature of 20-30 C; separating stems; sequentially holding in solutions of potassium permanganate and citric acid, and suspension of preparation produced from Mortierella alliaceae, during 5 min in each solution and suspension; removing, after each holding process, residual solution and suspension using sterilized paper wads, said wads being used once for each fruit; coating stem portions and adjoining surface with medicinal glue of MK-6 or BF-6 grade; exposing opposite sides of tomatoes to ultraviolet radiation during 30 min at radiation intensity of 2 W/m3; packaging each tomato under aseptic conditions in sterilized smoking paper and placing in single layer within polymer trays. After said processing, tomato fruits overcome dynamic, static and thermal loading associated with transportation to space object. Method allows shelf life of fresh tomatoes to be increased to 45 days at storage temperature of 25±2 C.
EFFECT: prolonged shelf life of fresh tomatoes.
