How to Freeze Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to freeze fresh tomatoes? ›

Use a paring knife to remove the woody core from the top of each tomato. Bag the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a gallon-sized zip-top freezer bag. Force out as much air as possible and tightly seal the bag.

Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Frozen tomatoes are best used in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews as they become mushy when they're thawed. To use the frozen tomatoes, remove them from the freezer a few at a time or all at once and then use them in any cooked-tomato recipe.

It takes almost zero effort and is a great way to store indeterminate tomatoes until the end of the season so you can process them all at once. All you have to do is freeze them! That's right, you can just freeze the tomatoes whole in order to can them later with these easy steps!

We recommend blanching and peeling tomatoes before freezing them to save yourself some trouble later on. A small 'X' incision pre-blanch makes the peeling process easy. Remove the clean tomatoes' stems with a small knife and cut a small 'X' into the tomato skin. (The 'X' will ensure that the skin peels off easily.)

Does freezing tomatoes change the flavor? While the freezer does impact a tomato's texture, it doesn't ruin its vibrant, acidic flavor. Some diehard canners will argue that canning tomatoes preserves more of the fresh flavor, and they may be right. But freezing tomatoes is a great alternative, and it's so much easier!

Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature on your counter for up to 1 week. Alternatively, store tomatoes in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, place tomatoes in a storage bin, then store them in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Cons of Freezing Tomatoes

Thawed tomatoes mushy and not as pleasant to eat plain as it is when it's fresh. Use them as you would stew tomatoes in recipes that require cooking. (soups, chilis, casseroles, stews, sauces). If you have a small freezer you may not have room for bags of frozen tomatoes.

How Long They'll Last. Make sure you keep the temperature of the freezer at 0°F or below to ensure proper freezing. Frozen tomatoes will retain their flavor for 12 months. This gives you plenty of time to thaw them to use in your favorite sauce, stew, or soup recipes.

The best methods for the long-term storage of tomatoes are canning, drying, or making canned preserves like salsa, pasta sauce, relish, or ketchup. Once the tomatoes are sealed in an airtight jar, they'll last you all winter and beyond.

Can you crush fresh tomatoes and freeze them? ›

Learn how to make crushed tomatoes by following our basic recipe: Simply blanch, peel, crush, and freeze. Don't forget to label your crushed tomatoes before you store them in the freezer.

To defrost frozen tomatoes, either allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge, at room temperature for about an hour, or under warm water. (You may not need to defrost them at all – could be used frozen whole or grated, depending on the recipe and called-for process.) Once defrosted, the skins should slip right off.

The best way to store leftover canned tomato

Avoid keeping leftovers in the metal tin as the acidic tomatoes can react with the metal. To freeze leftover canned tomatoes, place in labelled zip-lock bags or containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

Peel and Freeze the Tomatoes

If desired, halve, slice, or chop tomatoes (you can also freeze whole tomatoes). Spoon the tomatoes into freezer containers or bags, leaving 1-inch headspace. Seal and label the container or bag. Freeze for up to 10 months.

Freeze and Peel

Say goodbye to blanching and shocking. This approach, which we learned from cookbook author Abra Berens, involves more total time but less work—and no need to turn on the stovetop.

They are just not that good to eat. Frozen tomatoes will lose all their structure, so are only of use for cooking. Canned tomatoes works very well for cooking and are cheap. The taste is also improved by the canning process, but not by freezing.

Whole tomatoes tend to crack and collapse when they thaw. To successfully freeze fresh raw tomatoes, you can: Slice tomatoes into at least 1/2-inch slices.

Be aware that frozen tomatoes lose their texture, so when you thaw them, they'll be pretty mushy.

Unfortunately there's no way to save the fresh, just-picked taste. However, frozen tomatoes do work well in sauces and stews. As you simmer the sauce or stew all that extra water will evaporate, leaving you with fresh tomato taste.

The tomatoes would be fine, however, once they defrost they will be mush. Freezing breaks the cell walls of the fruit.

How do you prepare tomatoes for freeze drying? ›

Make sure they are not more than ½” inch thick when slicing. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half; if they are extra large, cut them in quarters with your knife. Place the tomatoes on the trays, with space between each slice. If diced, separate as best as possible and avoid stacking for the best freeze-dried results.

Freezing tomatoes is the easiest way to keep ripe tomatoes until you're ready to use them. You don't have to peel them first—in fact, the act of freezing them itself makes the tomatoes insanely easy to peel! —and you can freeze as many or as few at a time as you like.