How to Freeze Tomatoes

 

 

 

 

If you love tomatoes like we do, you probably always have a few cans of several varieties in your pantry, or you plant more plants you know what to do with.

 I do not think I have ever taken a count of how many cans of tomatoes I use each year. I know the number has to be quite high, since in the cold season it seems I reach for a can or two every few days.

Since the tomatoes plants, I planted did not care for all of the rain we had this summer, I bought a twenty-five pound box of tomatoes from my good friends Marshall Farms, over the state border in Ararat, Virginia.

My birthday was a few short months ago and I asked my husband for one of two things, a pressure cooker or a freezer. I got the freezer, and I have been doing my best to fill with produce from the farmers market for the winter. With tomatoes, you safely cannot water bath process unless you increase the acid with citric acid or lemon juice, plus salt.

A few things you need to know before you decide to freeze tomatoes:

Look for tomatoes that are firm, deeply colored, well shaped, and heavy for their size .

They should be free from blemishes, pests, and have a fragrant aroma.

Perfectly ripe tomatoes will give just slightly to palm pressure.

Ready to get started?

In a 4-5 quart pot, heat water to boiling

While waiting for the water to boil, wash tomatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt or pesticides

Once water is boiling

Place tomatoes in batches of four to five tomatoes in the pot,

Scald for up to 1 minute, or until skin splits. You may cut a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato to promote skin splitting. I usually do not do this step, myself.

Remove from the hot water and immediately dunk into cold water. If you are doing a large amount of tomatoes, you will need to replace this water frequently or add ice to keep the water cold.

Why do you need to dunk the tomatoes in cold water? Dunking in cold water will prevent the tomatoes from continuing to cook.

When the tomatoes are cool, enough to handle you can use either a knife or your hands and peel the skin away. I like to remove the core at this time as well. The tomatoes that did not split, you can usually get the entire skin to remove at the same time.

I chose to leave the tomatoes whole for freezing. You may slice, chop, or crush them to your liking.

If you choose to store your tomatoes in containers (such as jars) to freeze, make sure you leave about 1 inch of headspace, otherwise you will run the risk of popping the tops.

I personally use freezer storage bags, and place about six tomatoes in each bag.

Make sure label each bag or container with the contents and the date.

The date is important; tomatoes in the freezer are usually only good for ten months.