You can say that we have had our fair share of tomatoes ripening right now. I try to plant them in stages so that they will turn at different times, but no matter how I plan it, it never seems to turn out that way. I simply wake up one day and the vines are covered in red, juicy deliciousness and we must race against the clock to get them eaten before they go bad. Good thing I am a nut for my freezer. So guess what I did with them? You guessed it! You are so smart. I froze a bunch of them. I am planning on using a majority of those I froze for the canned tomatoes that are called for in the August OAMM menu. That should save me some money as well as free up some freezer space just in time. The process is simple and took me little time at all. Here is what you do:
Step 1
Clean off the tomatoes. You don’t want dirt and grim in your tomatoes!
Step 2
Boil a pan of water.
Step 3
Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute. (May need a little longer if they are large tomatoes or not fully ripened). You ARE NOT cooking the tomatoes, you are simply loosening the skin to make it easier to remove. Do not overcook.
Step 4
Remove the tomatoes (I did this with a slotted spoon) to a bowl of cold water. (This step is not absolutely necessary but I find very helpful in handling the tomatoes.
Step 5
Remove the skin and the “stem spot”.
Step 6
Place in a freezer container leaving at least 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Freeze. Resource: USDA Food Preservation Yes, it is that simple. I was able to this quickly and easily. I even did it with my cherry tomatoes. Now I have plenty of tomatoes to use in the future and we don’t have to have BLT’s every night for dinner.
15 Comments
Join the discussionI’ve never tried freezing tomatoes. I’ll have to try that. I usually just can them.
Canning works too, but not when you don’t have more time. 🙂
Great idea! I usually can mine. I’ll have to try freezing them.
Thanks! This looks like something even I can do with my tomatoes! Would this also work to freeze in ziploc bags?
We used to freeze tomatoes all the time. And even easier way is to wash the tomatoes, freeze on a cookie sheet, then toss in a Ziploc bag. When you thaw out however many you need, the skins will slip right off.
great idea – I usually can mine too, but freezing sounds like a good option. When you defrost them, are they total mush, suitable for sauces, or can you use them like fresh tomatoes? And, have you ever quartered them or chopped them before freezing? Any ideas how that would work?
They aren’t going to be as nice and pretty as when you have them fresh. I am mostly saving them for cooking. I would dice them or quarter them without thinking twice. These are actually going to get diced when they come out of our freezer because I am going to use them in our August cooking day.
This was a great article and the explanations with pictures made it very easy to understand. Thanks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this! We have an abundance of tomatoes and my son cannot eat them all out of the garden at once (for his stomach’s sake!) …although I don’t think my husband would mind if we had BLT’s every night for dinner! 🙂
BLT’s RULE!
I freeze tomatoes also but have trouble figuring out how much salt to add to make it equivalent to a can of tomatoes for a recipe – do you have any sugggestions how to convert them or the easiest way to use them in a recipe?
I’m not sure but if I find a source I will let you know. I actually wouldn’t add salt (high bp issues) but canned tomatoes are usually 15 oz. Measuring 15oz before or after freezing them would be the equivalent to canned tomatoes. Just add them. It will be great because there will be less sodium.
I dice my tomatoes and freeze them in pint freezer bags. That way one bag is equivalent to a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes, which is the form I use most often in my cooking. However, leaving them whole would mean less work for me when freezing, but a little bit more when cooking.
Ha! We have been eating some serious BLT’s around here lately! Thanks for these tips…now I know what to do with all of the tomatoes that are in my kitchen waiting to be used.
I’ve been freezing whole tomatoes for years! When you don’t have time to thaw them you can put them in a warm water bath to remove the skin. Like a reverse blanch; the skins just rub off the frozen tomatoe. Enjoy!