Do you freeze tomatoes with the skin on or off?

Did you know that you can freeze raw tomatoes with and without their skins ? Tomatoes may be frozen raw or cooked, whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing.

How do you freeze tomatoes without peeling them?

Instructions Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut away the stem and core. Cut tomatoes into fourths or smaller (if desired) Place on a baking sheet, skin side down. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen place in a single layer in labeled freezer bags. More items... Sep 7, 2017

Do you remove seeds when freezing tomatoes?

So they cut the tomato, remove the core and seeds , and freeze only the tomato flesh. Peel, cut, and freeze – other people like to have the tomatoes, peeled, and cut, and ready to go. So they will boil their tomatoes for a couple of minutes, remove the skin, cut, core, remove seeds (if they want to), and then freeze.

What are the disadvantages of freezing tomatoes?

Disadvantages to freezing tomatoes Tomatoes lose their texture when thawed and get mushy . Freezing breaks down the pulp fibers (they contain water) and expands them when they freeze. The result is soft and watery. Freezing tomatoes reduces their flavor.

Do you wash fresh tomatoes before freezing?

There are several ways to freeze tomatoes, but the easiest is freezing them whole. All you have to do is wash and dry the tomatoes . At this point, you may want to hull the tomatoes to remove the woody stem and core if you plan to use the tomatoes whole in months to come.

Does freezing tomatoes change texture?

Frozen tomatoes lose their texture once they are thawed , so they are best used in recipes that don't require them to be in their original state — like marinara sauce. Once your frozen tomatoes are cooked down, they are a great treat during the winter months.

How do you freeze tomatoes in a ziplock bag?

In batches, add the tomatoes to the boiling water in 2-minute intervals. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice water and let sit for 1 minute. Place the tomatoes into large resealable bags and freeze! The tomatoes can stay frozen for up to one year.

What is the best way to preserve fresh tomatoes?

If you're looking for a quick way to put up a windfall, freezing tomatoes is probably your best option. If you're looking for the most versatile way to preserve tomatoes, either canning tomato sauce or canning whole tomatoes is probably the direction you want to go.

Do tomatoes taste the same after being frozen?

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.

Why not serve cold tomatoes?

The Short Answer: Don't Refrigerate Tomatoes The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy .

How do you prepare tomatoes for freezing?

How to Freeze Tomatoes Blanch tomatoes. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 60-90 seconds and, using a slotted spoon, transfer immediately into a bowl of ice water to cool. ... Prepare tomatoes. Remove stems and core tomatoes. ... Transfer into storage bags. ... Seal bags. ... Into the freezer.

How do you store cut tomatoes in the freezer?

Spread them out on a baking sheet to freeze them, then transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and store them for 4 to 6 months .

Freezing tomatoes with or without the peels! (2024)

Home » Freezing Food

BySharon PetersonMay 20, 2023

Freezing tomatoes is a great way to preserve tomatoes. Do you have tomatoes getting over-ripe but don’t have quite enough for a canner load or recipe? Freeze them.

Or if you are not planning on canning them, simply keep them in the freezer until ready to use in your recipes.

Freezing tomatoes is a great way to store your tomatoes if you don’t want to can them, or if you have some that are getting too ripe and will go bad before you have enough to can.

Freezing tomatoes with or without the peels! (1)

Freezing tomatoes with or without the peels! (2)

This Page Includes:

How to Freeze Tomatoes
Thawing Out Frozen Tomatoes – The Fun Part!
Recipe Card
{FAQ} Can You Freeze Tomatoes Before Canning?

How to Freeze Tomatoes

How to freeze the tomatoes is so simple: Just wash, pull off the stems, stick them in a zip lock baggy, and pop in the freezer! Be sure and label the bags and squeeze as much air out of the bags as possible. Here are 2 gallon Ziplocks of Roma tomatoes ready for the freezer.

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Thawing Out Frozen Tomatoes – The Fun Part!

The fun part is when you thaw your tomatoes out to use them. Just pull out the amount needed. Run them under warm water and the skins slip right off in your hands. You don’t even need to blanch them. Allow them to thaw the rest of the way, and you are good to go.

If you are adding them to a soup or stew, they can thaw right in the dish while it is cooking.

I have images of smaller tomatoes on this page, but it works with any tomato, big or small.

You can even peel the cherry and pear tomatoes if you want.

Freezing those cherry or pear tomatoes that are overflowing in your garden is a great idea too! I always had a lot of waste with these tiny treats. My kids and I love to snack on cherry and pear tomatoes, so I always plant one bush each. They are so prolific that there is no way we can keep up with the bushes. So now I freeze them. Pull them out when I need for a recipe.

The tomatoes will be softer than fresh tomatoes, so this method works best for tomatoes used in recipes for sauces or directly in casseroles etc.

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Recipe Card

Freezing Tomatoes

Freezing tomatoes is a great way to preserve tomatoes. Do you have tomatoes getting over-ripe but don’t have quite enough for a canner load or recipe? Freeze them.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Freezer Bags or containers

Ingredients

Tomatoes

Instructions

Wash tomatoes and pull off the stems.
Place tomatoes in freezer bags/containers.
Remove air, seal, and label.
Freeze.

Notes

Last Updated: 6/3/2021

Author: Sharon Peterson

Freezing Tomatoes Tips & FAQs

Freezing & Peeling Tomatoes Part 1 – Super Easy-to-Peel Tomatoes. No Blanching Involved.

Freezing & Peeling Tomatoes Part 2 – Bonus! Get a Thicker Tomato Sauce.

If you like these videos you might be interested in Simply Canning YouTube.

Canning Questions and Answers

I bought a bushel of Roma tomatoes to can but some are imperfect and have spots or soft ends . Can I freeze them all whole and cut the blemishes off at the thawing/peeling stage?

Technically yes you can. But I’d strongly suggest you cut them out now. It will be much more difficult to do later. As the tomatoes thaw they are very soft and it will more difficult and messy to get them cleaned up later.

Can you freeze tomatoes before canning? I’ve been told refrigeration kills the flavor.

Yes, you can freeze them then thaw and can them all at once. I’ve heard it does affect the flavor, but I have not noticed it. I figure it is because I’m using the tomatoes in cooking so maybe the seasonings, etc. cover it? It has not been a problem for me.

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Page last updated: 6/3/2021

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