If you are looking for an effective and easy way to preserve tomatoes, freezing them is the best option. It really is the perfect way to have tomatoes on hand all year round! Here are 3 simple solutions that will help you preserve your tomato harvest without having to heat up your kitchen with hot boiling water, jars and lids.
Freezing is an easy and affordable way to keep vegetables fresh. Of course, they will not be as tasty as fresh from the garden. But there is one huge advantage - all the nutrients are preserved in the products.
For a home gardener, tomatoes are a crop that ripens very quickly. For weeks on end, you patiently wait for a single tomato to turn from green to red. And you wait, and wait, and wait...
And then it happens. They start to ripen. And before you know it, there are piles and piles of tomatoes on the table. And suddenly you are faced with the question of what to do with the ever-growing harvest.
For many, canning is the first thing that comes to mind. And this is true, because this method can preserve a huge amount of tomato products.
But one thing is for sure: canning is not the only way! Moreover, for many, canning may not be a very convenient and labor-intensive task.
That is why freezing part of the tomato crop can be a quick and effective solution for preserving the harvest for later use.
Freezing tomatoes for the winter is quick and practical, and also allows you to have access to fresh vegetables beyond the summer season.
Freezing whole tomatoes with skins
One of the easiest ways to preserve your tomato harvest without canning is to simply freeze them whole.
It's really that simple - pick, wash, dry and freeze!
- As with canning any garden vegetable, you should only choose firm, unblemished tomatoes for freezing.
- Rinse the tomatoes in cool water and dry thoroughly. Drying the tomatoes before freezing will prevent them from freezing and sticking together when you use them later.
- Once dry, place the tomatoes in an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze them in varying quantities to use as needed throughout the year. Freeze a few bags of small quantities of tomatoes for small meals and a few larger bags for family dinners.
- Vacuum sealers are the best way to store tomatoes. They remove excess air and better protect the tomatoes during long-term storage. Traditional zip-lock freezer bags will work, but they won't keep the tomatoes as well or as long.
Freezing tomatoes without skin
For many recipes, it is best to remove the skins from the tomatoes. So freezing tomatoes without the skins makes them much easier to use later.
The traditional method is to place the tomatoes in scalding hot water, then quickly place them in an ice bath.
This method works, but peeling them off can be difficult and hot on your hands.
But there is an easier way - and it doesn't require scalding at all!
- Rinse the tomatoes in cool water and cut off the top stem.
- Dry the tomatoes and place them in the freezer on a shallow baking sheet (a baking sheet works best).
- Freeze the tomatoes for two to three hours. Remove from the freezer and rinse with cold water.
- The skins will slide off the tomatoes easily!
All that's left to do is pack and freeze the peeled tomatoes in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Freezing tomato halves for sauces
If you love making tomato sauces like salsa or marinara, this method is a great choice for freezing!
This quick and easy method will help you save a large amount of tomatoes for making sauce at any time.
- Simply wash the tomatoes in cool water and cut them in half.
- Then take a spoon, scoop out the inner core with the seeds and discard them.
- Then, using the method described above, place the tomato halves on a baking sheet and freeze for two to three hours.
- Remove from the freezer, peel under cold running water and freeze!
You will have ready-to-eat tomatoes that are perfect for making a quick sauce, salsa, or ready-made marinara sauce that will taste like they came straight from the garden.
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