How to Freeze Tomatoes

PROS OF  FREEZING TOMATOES

1. Freezing tomatoes let you enjoy summer ripened tomatoes in the winter. Sure they lose some flavor as any fresh frozen produce will, but they are still great to cook with.
2. Freezing tomatoes is one of the easiest and quickest ways to preserve them.  You can do large batches or tiny ones as your tomatoes ripen, which is great for smaller gardens. This method of freezing tomatoes requires no blanching. (Yay for not having to deal with boiling and icy water!)
3. Frozen fresh tomatoes are perfect for all those cold-weather soups, stews, and chili!
4. Freezing tomatoes helps to prevent waste. I can’t tell you how many tomatoes I’ve had to toss from my fridge because they got all mushy.

CONS OF FREEZING TOMATOES

1. They don’t hold their texture once thawed. Sorry if you’re expecting a firm tomato for a tomato sandwich or plump tomatoes for a salad. Not happening! Thawed tomatoes mushy and not as pleasant to eat plain as it is when it’s fresh.  Use them as you would stew tomatoes in recipes that require cooking. (soups, chilis, casseroles, stews, sauces).
2. If you have a small freezer you may not have room for bags of frozen tomatoes. Although if you freeze them flat you’ll be able to stack the bags and save on freezer space.

TO THAW: PLACE THE TOMATOES IN THE FRIDGE OR ON THE COUNTER UNTIL THAWED. POUR OFF THE EXCESS WATER. WHEN THEY THAW THE SKINS WILL SLIP RIGHT OFF AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

FREEZING  THE TOMATOES

1. Make sure your tomatoes are firm, ripe, and free of major bruising.
2. Wash and dry your tomatoes well before cutting. I like to scrub them with a vinegar vegetable wash if I buy them from the store and they aren’t organic.
3. Be sure to cut away the stem and core before cutting.
4. Be sure to package well for freezing. I use a freezer bag and the straw vacuum seal method. As a double precaution, I also place them in a freezer container.

You’ll love this method of freezing tomatoes because it doesn’t require you to blanch the tomatoes. Seriously you just remove the core, slice, freeze and then place in a freezer bag. DONE!

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