How to Freeze Tomatoes (the Easy Peasy Way!)
If you have fresh garden tomatoes, there’s a super easy, genius idea to keep them into the depths of winter. Read on to learn how to freeze tomatoes without any work whatsoever!
Summer is busy, so who has time to do a ton of tomato canning?
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It’s a ton of work, and I know firsthand because I used to have to help my mother can bushels and bushels when I was a teenager. I honestly think that scarred me for life and I sort of have PTSD about canning!
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t can tomatoes, BUT if you have extra freezer space, you should definitely take advantage of this tip. It feels sort of like cheating because it’s so incredibly easy!
Can You Freeze Tomatoes?
Absolutely, tomatoes can be frozen in all forms. You can freeze them raw, as I will explain in this post, whole, blanched, cooked, any way you can think of. The only way you won’t want to eat them is raw after freezing them, they should definitely be cooked upon defrosting.
Quick and easy authentic Italian tomato sauce.
So imagine my delight when my mother told me that Zia Francesca had told her about freezing summer tomatoes in this super easy method last year! I tried it and have been telling everyone about it ever since then. You can see the tomatoes I froze last year are still absolutely perfect!
The best part is you can use the tomatoes to make sauce in winter that will taste like it’s from fresh summer tomatoes! You can grab one tomato if you want to add one to a pot of soup, it’s just incredibly convenient. Read on to learn the best way to freeze your precious summer harvest of tomatoes.
What kinds of tomatoes are best for freezing?
The best tomatoes to freeze are plum, San Marzano or Roma tomatoes as they have less water and are more meaty. However, all ripe tomatoes can be frozen successfully.
Don’t miss out on this great tip on how to freeze fresh basil!
Growing parsley? Learn how to best freeze fresh parsley, too.
How ripe should my tomatoes be to freeze them?
Be sure to only freeze completely ripe tomatoes. Green or partially ripe tomatoes won’t give you very good results, unfortunately.
How to Freeze Tomatoes (the Easy Peasy Way!)
FULL PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
Before you start, be sure that you have freezer bags, preferably the zipper style in either the quart sized bags, or gallon sized bags.
Place the clean and dry tomatoes on a tray and freeze them until they are solid. Next, place them in the freezer bags and remove the air (see the printable directions below as there are two methods to choose from).
Seal and freeze! That’s it–it’s brilliant, is it not?!
How to Freeze Tomatoes (the Easy Peasy Way!)
The easiest way to freeze fresh tomatoes.
Materials
- fresh tomatoes (enough to fit in your freezer bags)
- freezer bags
- a straw (not necessary)
Tools
- none
Instructions
- Wash and dry the tomatoes.
- Place on a freezer-safe tray and freeze until firm.
- Place as many tomatoes into a zippered freezer bag (do not use a non-freezer bag).
- Close the zipper almost to the end then choose 5 OR 6 below.
- Place the bag into a bowl of water (being sure not to let any water enter into the bag) which will push out the air, then close the zipper completely. This is the best method.
- Insert the straw into the bag and suck out the air from the bag and quickly finish closing the bag at the same time. This will remove more air which will help keep the tomatoes longer.
- Place in the freezer for up to a year.
Notes
Make sure to use ripe tomatoes.
Make sure you use the same end of the straw to suck out the air if doing more than one bag (for health and safety reasons). DO NOT BLOW INTO THE BAG.
I suppose if one wanted sauce/soup ready tomatoes, one could keep a zip bag going in the freezer. One could add 1 or 2 diced tomatoes as they ripen in the garden until that bag is full. Then start another bag.
FRUIT BOWL
Do you take the skins off the tomato’s??
Nope, in fact you don’t want to remove the skins before freezing.
Can I use vacuum sealer and bags instead of ziploc bag method
Yes, as long as you freeze the tomatoes on their own first so you’re vacuum sealing frozen tomatoes.
What is the best way to take the skins off when you go to use them? Or do you leave them on?
I keep them on, but you can just run the tomato under water and the skin will peel right off. Don’t soak them or they’ll be too soft to peel.
Do you cut the core out?
No, just freeze as they are. Once you pull them out to use them you can core them then.