Freezing Tomatoes

Everything About Tomatoes
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karstopography
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Freezing Tomatoes

#1

Post: # 20751Unread post karstopography
Tue May 26, 2020 4:25 am

I have an ever growing surplus of tomatoes, a good thing, but am running out of people to give them to and the supply exceeds what we can possibly eat. Sure, I can can them, but canning is a lot of mess and work (don’t try to tell me it’s not), not to mention the expense of buying the supplies.

I did already freeze a few Roma Tomatoes and they froze beautifully, looking like perfect roma tomatoes only rock hard being frozen. They rest in a plastic freezer bag, separate and beautiful, ready to thaw when called upon. I did read that the tomatoes will peel easily once thawed, but I haven’t thawed any yet.

Roma, especially garden Roma tomatoes, are drier than slicers so if you have frozen a juicy red slicer, did it explode as the water expanded during the freezing process? In general, have you had good success with freezing tomatoes? The idea is to cook with them, sauces, soups, juice, pizza topping, etc. Of course, I’m not looking to slice them once thawed as if they were fresh.

By the way, a lot of what I’ve read about freezing vegetables on the web is just plain hokum. For instance, most of what I’ve read says one must first blanch purple hull peas prior to freezing to obtain good results. I simply shell them in the mature and raw condition, but not yet dry state and plop them all in a freezer bag. Freeze for months if desired, then then throw those peas into a pot of seasoned water, cook and, viola, perfectly delicious and fresh tasting purple hull peas, no pre-blanching required.

So if anyone has real life experience, not something picked up off the internet, freezing tomatoes, please chime in. I don’t want to freeze 10-20 pounds or more and have something totally unusable, that would be a waste, but I don’t wish to go the canning route with all the time that involves, not to mention the mess, if there is a viable alternative.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Labradors
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#2

Post: # 20753Unread post Labradors
Tue May 26, 2020 6:41 am

I always freeze my extra tomatoes. I just pick them and toss them into gallon sized freezer bags. I use them to make sauce and, when I'm ready, I run each tomato under the tap until the skin pops off, then I put them in colanders in coolers and let them thaw for 2 days. I catch a ton of liquid that way that doesn't need to be boiled off, but I save and freeze the water to add to soups later.

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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#3

Post: # 20754Unread post MissS
Tue May 26, 2020 6:53 am

I always freeze my tomatoes that I am going to use for cooking. It's just too hot in the summer to reduce these for sauce but something that I will gladly do come winter to help keep the house warm and more humid. Roma's I just place in a bag and put in the freezer. The others, some I blanch and peel the skins, some not. I then put them in the blender, grind them up and place in the bag. Grinding them just saves me extra space.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#4

Post: # 20756Unread post worth1
Tue May 26, 2020 7:21 am

They go to total mush after freezing.
Best used for sauce or plop in soup right before eating to thaw and that is it.
They keep in the freezer for years.
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karstopography
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#5

Post: # 20757Unread post karstopography
Tue May 26, 2020 7:50 am

Thats’s fine, tomato mush works.

For the people that both freeze and can tomatoes, what do you see as the advantages or disadvantages of either?

I recently canned some sliced hot peppers and realize that the pickling juice with all the spices is not anything that can be duplicated in a freezer nor would the freezer likely produce a texture on the peppers that I would find desirable. I could be talked into canning tomatoes, but there must be some good reason to do it. If it’s about space, I have as much freezer space and pantry space so that’s out.

Store bought canned tomatoes are all pretty soft. Canned Whole peeled tomatoes, pretty soft, they do have a little body, but that might be something about the type of tomato that goes into the can in the first place. Crushed tomatoes, soft. Canned Diced have a little texture, but I wouldn’t call them firm. They all get cooked and added into something anyway, it’s about adding tomato flavor more than anything and not the texture.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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worth1
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#6

Post: # 20759Unread post worth1
Tue May 26, 2020 8:25 am

Canning doesn't require energy to keep from spoiling.
I have no idea what type of canning setup you have if any.
They sell some really nice tomato separators that are well worth the money if you do it a lot.
Something like my #22 commercial meat grinder compared to a small meat grinder.
Then the canners are important too.
The right equipment makes a huge difference and it isn't all that much work.
For me at least leaving seeds in the product makes a nasty tasting result.
Very bitter and not in a good way.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#7

Post: # 20762Unread post brownrexx
Tue May 26, 2020 9:08 am

I freeze a lot of my home grown tomatoes in several ways. First and foremost I make several batches of pasta sauce and freeze it in quart canning jars. I like making the sauce during the summer and then defrosting it as needed.

Secondly I freeze whole tomatoes for adding one or two to a pot of beans or an extra one to a pot of chili or soup. I mostly freeze Big Beef because of the nice round shape but I also freeze some large Brandywine and neither variety splits open during freezing. I do not core them, just wash, dry and freeze whole in freezer bags. When you are ready to use them, run them under tepid water for a few seconds and the skin peels right off. I cut them up while still frozen or they will turn to mush. They add a nice fresh tomato flavor to dishes.

I also make stewed tomatoes with okra and freeze that in pints which is a serving for 2. Defrost, heat and eat.

Lastly I peel, chop and freeze fresh tomatoes for use in cooking during the winter. I do not cook them at all, I just peel, core and then squeeze some of the liquid out with my hands and then freeze them in quart containers from Ball.

I have not canned any tomatoes for years. I just hate dealing with that big water bath and all of that hot water during the summer.

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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#8

Post: # 20765Unread post karstopography
Tue May 26, 2020 9:22 am

Thanks [mention]brownrexx[/mention] , this is the information I was hoping to get! Sounds like a great approach and, yes, I think all the heat in the kitchen and messy processing is something to avoid if possible. Your response gives me hope that I can freeze the slicers and have something tasty and worthwhile once thawed.



[mention]worth1[/mention] I’ve got a Weston food mill. I’ve got a blender and an immersion blender. Food mill works very well on separating pepper seeds and other coarse materials like skins from the juice. I made my own smooth seedless hot sauce using a blender and a food mill. The mill would likely separate out tomato seeds as well. I’ve got cheese cloth if the mill didn’t do the job.

I just used a hot water bath to can my sliced hot peppers. Same for the hot sauce. Those both contain vinegar and the hot sauce is just acidic enough, 4.0 Ph to be shelf stable at room temperature even after opening, but I refrigerate anyway once open, same for sliced peppers.

So what are we canning as far as tomatoes go? Juice, crushed, sauces with herbs, whole ones, what stands out as producing an outstanding final product? Anyone have any recipes?

I canned the sliced hot peppers from a recipe someone shared with me that has a number of herbs and spices that makes them far superior to ordinary canned sliced jalapeños. There’s not much point, at least to my way of thinking, in canning something if it isn’t going to be way better than canned stuff I can get for pennies at the store. The canning jars alone cost more than perfectly acceptable canned tomato sauce at Aldi.

As far as the energy to run the freezer, I’m already doing that. Having a full freezer actually requires less energy. I’ve got quick access to an always on power supply if a hurricane comes along. The energy angle doesn’t work in my case.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#9

Post: # 20767Unread post worth1
Tue May 26, 2020 9:31 am

That's exactly the reason I don't can tomatoes.
My freezer is full too and you're right the more frozen stuff you have in one the less it costs to run it.
The is called momentum in the energy world or at least I do.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#10

Post: # 20769Unread post EdieJ
Tue May 26, 2020 10:06 am

If the tomatoes are not huge, I just wash, dry and core them before tossing into freezer bags. If they are the big ones, I will quarter them. I love how the skins just slip right off with just the least bit of thawing, and then I add them to soups or make sauce. Much less work than the blanching, peeling, etc you have to do even before the hassle of dealing with hot jars from the canning process.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#11

Post: # 20774Unread post pepperhead212
Tue May 26, 2020 12:17 pm

I freeze a lot of whole tomatoes, including a lot of large cherries, which I use a lot in the off season for making guacamole - I just thaw them enough that I can cut through them, then cut them into quarters, or smaller, for things like the tigers.

Another thing that I do, for freezing tomatoes for Mexican food, is grill the tomatoes - 2-3" tomatoes - that is similar to broiling tomatoes, which is a method often called for, when making sauces. I also do this with tomatillos. I freeze these in 8, 12 or 16 oz amounts, in Foodsaver (I freeze them before sealing, using gentle method, otherwise the juice will squeeze out), since these are the amounts usually called for. Regular tomatoes I just put in Ziploc bags, since a lot of those I use in various amounts.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#12

Post: # 20775Unread post brownrexx
Tue May 26, 2020 12:20 pm

karstopography wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 9:22 am Thanks @brownrexx , this is the information I was hoping to get! Sounds like a great approach and, yes, I think all the heat in the kitchen and messy processing is something to avoid if possible. Your response gives me hope that I can freeze the slicers and have something tasty and worthwhile once thawed.
They are tasty and worthwhile but you can't eat them like a raw tomato, they are too soft. They are really only good for cooking but you can still taste that fresh tomato goodness in the finished product.

They have a much fresher taste than canned tomatoes in my opinion.

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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#13

Post: # 20779Unread post worth1
Tue May 26, 2020 2:28 pm

This is the type of food mill I was speaking of.
Maybe not this exact one but something like it.
This makes fast work out of a lot of produce.
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChc ... EAo&adurl=
Worth
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#14

Post: # 20781Unread post worth1
Tue May 26, 2020 2:33 pm

Talked one person into getting one and they were never so happy.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#15

Post: # 20788Unread post bower
Tue May 26, 2020 5:14 pm

I freeze a lot of whole tomatoes in ziplocs and I use them instead of canned tomatoes in paella, chili, curry, etc. Just run under warm water and wait a minute to chop or slice and add them frozen to the pot. Another thing, you can use them for pizza toppings, if you slice them thin while frozen. Small to medium sized tomatoes seem to work best for this, maybe because they thaw through to just the right stage for slicing - bigger tomatoes sometimes shatter into chunks because the inside is still a rock when the outside is ready.
I like to roast some fresh tomatoes chopped and tossed with oil, garlic, herbs, to make sauce. I put them in at 400F for half an hour then turn the oven off and let them sit in the oven overnight to dehydrate a bit, then run through the blender and freeze in small containers just enough for a pizza.
I don't have the gear for canning, but also it seems like a lot more work. ;)
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#16

Post: # 20792Unread post Shule
Tue May 26, 2020 6:42 pm

If you do freeze your tomatoes, it may be easier using them in slow cooker recipes, since you shouldn't have to wait for them to thaw that way (unless they're all stuck together in a block and won't fit).
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#17

Post: # 20793Unread post Shule
Tue May 26, 2020 6:50 pm

I'm thinking about getting a food dehydrator, this year. Have you thought about something like that?
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#18

Post: # 20797Unread post karstopography
Tue May 26, 2020 7:31 pm

[mention]Shule[/mention] I do have a counter top dehydrator, a Hamilton Beach. I’ve used it several times for beef jerky. I’m growing San Marzano along with the Roma, good idea, those both should dry nicely.
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#19

Post: # 20802Unread post pepperhead212
Wed May 27, 2020 12:04 am

[mention]Shule[/mention] That's another thing that I do with some of the tomatoes. And they also work well in Mexican foods, even though they aren't normally called for. I toast the dried tomatoes in a skillet like the dried chiles, and soak in enough water to make an equivalent amount of regular tomatoes, before blending them. smooth. Most of the tomatoes I dry reduce from 1 lb to 1 oz (plum tomatoes don't have as much moisture, but also don't have as much flavor, IMO).
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Re: Freezing Tomatoes

#20

Post: # 20804Unread post Nico
Wed May 27, 2020 2:16 am

I also have a surplus of tomatoes all year round, I give tomatoes to my family and friends, the truth is that I love that they tell me that they have a unique flavor. For me it was also a lot of work canning tomato and others, until I discovered the storage tomato "ramallet", I put enough storage tomatoes and I add them, I enjoy the rest of the season tomatoes and when winter is coming, every time I need a Tomato I pick it up from the rope, I have natural tomato the rest of winter.
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