In this post, we’ll talk about how to freeze summer tomatoes at their peak of freshness to use in dishes later in the year. Rather than turning all your tomatoes into sauce, this method allows you to save tomatoes for a wide variety of cooked recipes!
This is a PSA that my mom wanted me to share with all of you (“Sarah, you do it!”). She’s filling the new chest freezer in her basement with bags and bags of tomatoes as we speak!
Why Freeze Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are one of our top summer crops. In fact, if I could choose only one thing to grow every summer, it would be tomatoes. The difference in taste between a garden tomato and a grocery store one is night and day, making the whole endeavor more than worth it.
In fact, when I was a kid, I thought I didn’t like raw tomatoes. They were kind of tasteless and sometimes mealy or mushy. It wasn’t until I tried a garden tomato—that my parents grew in a small patch in our backyard—that I realized I did like them.
Of course, the optimal situation would be to eat all of your delicious garden tomatoes fresh. We love them raw in tomato sandwiches and salads, and we have a rotation of cooked recipes to use them in, including:
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Puttanesca
- Ratatouille Pasta
- Stir-fried Tomato & Eggs
- Tomato Egg Drop Soup
- Tomato Egg Drop Noodle Soup
- Beef Stir-fry with Tomatoes
- Tomato Potato Soup
- Tomato Hot Pot with Beef
But between all this eating and cooking and sharing with family, friends, and neighbors, you may still end up with some tomatoes left, especially during that peak harvest time, i.e. right now!
Cooking tomatoes into sauce and freezing or canning it is of course a good option, as it breaks those tomatoes down for easier storage. However, this can limit the types of dishes you can make.
This is where freezing whole tomatoes comes in. If you have space in your freezer, it’s a great way to store away your excess summer tomatoes for use later in the year, and you can make a wide variety of cooked recipes with them!
Tomatoes in Cold Storage
What about that rule that you should never refrigerate—let alone freeze—a tomato? In actuality, the rule should be…never put an unripe tomato in cold storage. Make sure that all your tomatoes are nice and ripe before refrigerating or freezing.
When it comes to refrigerating tomatoes, it will buy you an extra few days before you have to eat them. Just let them come back up to room temp before enjoying raw. If they’re a bit past their prime, cook with them!
Frozen tomatoes are meant for cooked applications, but as long as you freeze them while ripe (they should smell like a tomato and have a very slight give when pressed), they will retain their flavor!
How to Use Frozen Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a natural source of glutamate, one of the amino acids responsible for that savory fifth taste, umami. This makes them a great ingredient to cook with, especially in vegetarian and vegan recipes!
We use frozen tomatoes in cooking just as we would fresh. Run them under some water, and you’ll notice that the skin immediately splits and peels right off. (Frozen tomatoes are great to use in any recipe that calls for peeled tomatoes.)
Then we allow them to thaw just enough so that we can cut them. Sit them on your cutting board and leave them for a few minutes. That’s all it takes!
We cut them into chunks and stir-fry them in dishes like my dad’s Beef and Tomato Stir-fry or my mom’s Tomato Egg Drop Soup.
You can also add them to other soups, stews, stir-fries, and more.
Watch the VIDEO!
How to Freeze Tomatoes
The process is incredibly easy.
Take your fresh tomatoes, and wash them. Dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. They shouldn’t have any water on them, or you’ll have ice crystals forming on them.
Transfer them whole to a freezer bag. Seal the bag, and transfer to the freezer. Be sure not to stuff them anywhere or put anything on top of the bag as they freeze, or they may burst open, and you’ll end up with a bit of a mess.
When ready to use, rinse the tomato under running water. The peel will come right off.
Allow to thaw for a few minutes, just long enough so you can cut it with a knife and use it in your recipe.
Freeze other things!
Learn more about how to freeze herbs and aromatics like ginger, garlic and peppers in this post. Avoid waste and always have these ingredients on hand!
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Recipe
How to Freeze Tomatoes
Equipment
- freezer bags
Ingredients
- whole fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- Wash your fresh tomatoes and dry them very thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.
- Transfer them whole to a freezer bag. Seal the bag, and transfer to the freezer. Be sure not to stuff them anywhere or put anything on top of the bag as they freeze, or they may burst open.
- When ready to use, rinse the tomato under running water. The peel will come right off. Allow to thaw for a few minutes, just long enough so you can cut it with a knife and use it in your recipe.
