There are many ways to preserve tomatoes, but the most common is to boil the tomatoes and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This year, though, it’s time to reevaluate the best ways to preserve tomatoes before they spoil. In fact, one of the simplest things you can do is freeze tomatoes.
Many gardeners prefer freezing tomatoes to canning because the latter takes more time and effort.
The amount of freezer space that you have will play a role in this. If you have too many tomatoes or wish to freeze them for later use in sauces and soups, freezing them is the way to go.
No, you won’t get the firmness of fresh tomato, but frozen tomatoes can be used in a variety of dishes.
How To Freeze Tomatoes?
FREEZE THE TOMATOES WHOLE WITH THE SKIN
Basically, it doesn’t get much easier! Pick the tomatoes, wash them off, and then freeze them in their natural state without peeling them. The only thing you need to do is store them in an airtight container and utilize them whenever you need them.
Because the skin is so easy to peel off, freezing whole tomatoes is a great option. Remove them from the freezer and peel off the skin without boiling them in water.
FREEZE TOMATOES WITHOUT THEIR SKINS
Tomato skins can be removed before being frozen for the winter, although some people like to keep the skins on the tomatoes.
Even though you could blanch them in boiling water for a minute and then dip them in a cold ice water bath to remove the skin, we’ve come up with a much more efficient method.
The stem end of the tomato should be cut off and the tomatoes should be placed on a baking sheet and frozen. You may remove the skins by running them under cold water after they’ve been frozen for a few hours.
Forget the searing water that washes over you. Put the tomatoes in an airtight container and freeze them.
FREEZE TOMATO HALVES, QUARTERS, OR DICES
Tomato halves, quarters, or diced tomatoes can be frozen if you have a little additional time.
Preparing the tomatoes now can save you time and money in the winter.
Remove the skins, chop into desired portions, and freeze them in an air-tight container for later use in your favourite dishes.
You can save money by making your own tomato sauce instead of buying prepackaged cans. To get started, we put 15 ounces of chopped tomatoes into a freezer-safe plastic container. For convenient storage, we wrap the block in food saver bags once it’s frozen solid.
FREEZE PUREED TOMATOES
Using a paring knife, remove the tomato’s stem and core. Place the tomato in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Place the puree in a slow cooker after pulsing a few times to achieve the required consistency.
Reduce and thicken to desired consistency by cooking on high for 10-12 hours. * Slow-cooking the purée overnight is a common practice for us. After it’s cooled down, we put it in the freezer.
Freeze the desired amount of puree.
MAKE SOUP WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND FREEZE IT
You may freeze tomatoes by adding them to your favorite recipes, such as soups.
Creamy Tomato Soup and Chili and Vegetable soups will be made from the garden’s tomatoes every year.
Ladle the soup into quart-sized, rectangular freezer containers once it has cooled down.
As soon as the soup is solid, we put it in food-saver bags to keep it fresh for longer. Afterwards, they are stored neatly in the freezer for a quick dinner when we need one.
And there’s nothing better than making your own tomato soup in the middle of the cold winter months.
Get the most out of this year’s harvest of tomatoes by freezing them! You’ll be glad you had a taste of summer on those cold, gloomy days.
Enjoy!
