Got mounds of Lycopersicon esculentum from your garden this season ? Lucky you !
If you ’ve run through the whole gamut of Lycopersicon esculentum recipes , fromtomato sauce ( with the skins on!)tosun - dried tomatoes ( made fast and easy in the oven ) , and you ’re pretty sure you do n’t want to eat another tomato plant again — at least , not until wintertime when you start missing what a veridical , advanced tomato should savour like — I’m fetch you the best andeasiestway to store your tomato harvest this year .
No canning . No blanching , pare , pureeing , or any extra work need on your part . You do n’t even have to slice or cube them !
If you have the freezer blank , you have everything you need to preserve tomatoes without the hassle of a boiling urine bathroom or pressure canner .
Yes , I ’m talking about freeze tomatoes — whole !
When most people remember about preserving their food , they thinkjams , jellies , chutney , pickle , and other tinned goods . But freezing is often overlooked as a viable conservation technique , even though it ’s one of the warm and easy to tear off .
You may have never thought about freezing your tomatoes , but it ’s my favorite method of preserving them because it gives me more options for using them subsequently .
freeze whole tomato also locks in all those good - for - you nutrient see in the skins , so you ’re not being work-shy at all — just efficient and smart .
What kind of tomatoes can you freeze whole?
Depending on what you design to make with your tomatoes later , the variety of tomato plant you freeze matter .
Cherry tomatoesandgrape tomatoesare my personal favorites to freeze because they ’re simple to stash away and take up small space ( a plus if all you have is a modest freezer or side - by - side fridge / freezer model ) . you could throw them into soups as is , or part deice and then roast them in the oven with a trivial olive petroleum , saltiness , and pepper .
Plum tomatoes(like Romas ) and otherpaste types(like San Marzanos ) freeze well and defend their shape after dethaw . They ’re well-off to slice and can be used in cold salads ( imagine attic salads and pasta salad ) where they soak up sauces and dressing . ( Tip : I also like to impart them to myspicy tomato saucewhen I need a chunkier consistency . )
Beefsteaksandslicing tomatoesare loggerheaded and full of juice , so they tend to tumble after unthaw and melt into a dish as they ’re fix . Use them in formula that call for stew or oppress tomatoes , such as chili ( and other hearty stews ) or pasta bolognese . I also wish them forhomemade tomato sauceortomato soup .
show more : The 30 Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato Varieties ( By Color ! )
Whichever variety of love apple you freeze , ensure the fruits are free of blemishes and bruises , and are as ripe as possible for estimable flavor .
Does freezing affect flavor?
put in tomatoes in the fridgeorfreezer does involve savor . The explosive compound responsible for open tomato plant their distinctive flavors ( those that we assign as sweet-smelling , smoky , or tangy ) are raw to temperature below 53 ° fluorine .
stale storehouse halter the enzymesthat assistance synthesize these volatile compound in tomatoes , so while your fruits will have a long ledge life , the trade - off is a reduction in feel .
However , the departure in flavor is less detectable in frozen tomato because you ’re not eating them new off the vine . Compare the taste of a supermarket tomato with a vine - mature homegrown tomato plant that was icy , then thaw ( in a sauce or soup , for example ) , and the homegrown tomato wins every time .
Disclosure : If you shit from my article or make a purchase through one of my links , I may receive commission on some of the products I advocate .
How I freeze tomatoes—the easy way
Destem , wash , and dry out your tomato whole , then spread them out in a individual layer on a baking mainsheet .
Place the baking rag in the Deepfreeze until the tomatoes are frozen all the way through . This may take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours , depend on sizing .
Once the tomatoes are rock-and-roll hard , transplant them to a freeze - proof container or bag and put them back in the freezer .
( Depending on how much place I have , I care to useplastic solid food containersorsilicone storehouse purse . )
By doing it this way ( alternatively of just tossing all your tomato into bags right away ) , your tomatoes wo n’t block together into one large clod . certainly , you might have to whack them around a bit if they ’ve been frozen for a foresighted time , but you wo n’t need to thaw out the intact suitcase just to use a few .
When you need impudent tomatoes in the center of winter for your soup and stews , deplume out as many as you need to thaw and return the rest period to the deep freezer .
How long can you keep fresh tomatoes in the freezer?
When put in in an airtight container or Deepfreeze bag , flash-frozen tomatoes will keep in the freezer for up to six months .
Always return any unused tomatoes to the deep-freeze immediately , because once they originate thawing , the moisture will cause your tomato to stick together in the jar or udder .
What to do with frozen tomatoes
Anywhere you might use stewed , diced , or suppress tomatoes from a can , you may use whole frozen tomato .
Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature . If want , you’re able to peel the tomatoes before using — the skins slip off easily at this point with just your fingers .
Once dethaw , you could supply them to soups , lather , curry , or sauces , either whole or coarsely chopped .
But what about blanching them?
Remember , this is a fuss - free mode of preserving tomato . Despite unnumberable formula online enjoin you otherwise , you donotneed to parboil tomatoes before you freeze them . It ’s simply an unnecessary step .
Just freeze your whole tomato in the buff , with the skins on , and defrost what you desire to use each time . Once you cook the tomato down or puree them , you wo n’t even observe they had skins on anyway .
validation ? Make myskins - on tomato saucefrom scratch — and let me know how you wish it !
Where to buy tomato freezing supplies
ArrowReusable 32 - Ounce Plastic Storage Containers| PHPlastic 32 - Ounce Food Storage Containers| DilabeeHalf - Gallon Plastic Storage Jars| Homelux TheoryReusable Silicone Storage Bags| ForidFood - Grade PEVA Reusable Freezer Bags| Qualeap AmberStand - Up Reusable Freezer Bags| ZiplocSlider Stand - Up Freezer Bags with Power Shield Technology| ZiplocFLEX’NSEAL Freezer Bags| ZiplocProfessional Double - Zipper Freezer Bags
This Is the Best Way to Freeze Fresh Tomatoes
Want a fuss - free direction to preserve tomatoes — without terminate , peeling , or blanching them ? Here ’s the nimble and easiest method for freezing tomato whole .
Ingredients
Instructions
Did you make this recipe?
This post update from an clause that originally appear on September 1 , 2011 .
