Freezing Tomatoes

There are so many options for preserving fresh summer tomatoes, but for me, freezing them can’t be beat!  My culinary-master aunt Jan opened my eyes to the world of freezing tomatoes and I have never looked back.

I love to can.  But, canning tomatoes freaks me out.  The high risk of spoilage, food poisoning, and bursting jars doesn’t sound good to me.  Plus there is no need to can tomatoes when you have the option to freeze them.

This is processing tomatoes for dummies.  Seriously.  It’s the simplest way I’ve ever seen to preserve tomatoes at the peak of the season and enjoy them all winter long.  You literally cut them up and freeze them.  No blanching, peeling, or added lemon juice required!

I core my tomatoes and chop them into quarters.  I fill freezer bags with one layer of tomatoes, suck out the air, and pop them in the freezer.  I usually freeze 6 – 8 bags per season.

When I’m ready to use the tomatoes I pull a bag out of the freezer and try to break off a chunk. Sometimes that works well and other times I need to soak the bag in warm water for a few minutes before I’m able to break the tomatoes apart.  I pull out the tomatoes I need and put the rest of the bag back in the freezer.

I use these frozen tomatoes in all sorts of dishes.  I often use them to make stove-top tomato sauce.  I saute chopped garlic and onion and then add the frozen tomatoes.  They defrost right in the pan and slowly cook down into a lovely sauce.

I also use them in soups and stews – throw them in frozen and they defrost right in the pot.  I haven’t found a use for preserved tomatoes yet that doesn’t work well with these frozen red orbs of lycopene.

So skip the sweaty and nerve-wracking process of canning tomatoes and try sticking them in the freezer instead.  I promise you’ll never go back!