The Best Way to Freeze Tomatoes

Freezing tomatoes is the easiest and fastest way to preserve tomatoes. Freezing tomatoes locks in nutrients and flavor. Choosing tomatoes, either from one’s own garden or a farmers' market can be a little tricky. Pick tomatoes that are not fully ripe but are mature, avoiding overly ripe or mushy tomatoes. Once tomatoes have been selected, they need to be washed under a stream of water and gently rubbed to remove any soil, pesticides and fertilizers.

The next step is to remove stems and then remove the skins. To do this, bring a stock pot of water to a boil. Place tomatoes in boiling water, a few at a time, for about 30 seconds. Immediately take tomatoes out of boiling water and plunge them into ice water. This will help the skins pull away from the tomatoes. Once peeled, they can be frozen whole, cut into halves or quarters or pureed. If freezing whole or in pieces, place in freezer on a cookie sheet for about two to three hours until they are crisp.

Remove from freezer and place in freezer style containers such as rigid plastic, freezer grade plastic bags or glass containers. Vacuum sealers are also good for freezing tomatoes since the air is taken out, which prevents freezer burn. Tomatoes can also be frozen with the skins on. Once thawed, the skins will pull away from the tomatoes.

Frozen tomatoes should only be used in recipes that call for cooked tomatoes as freezing will destroy the texture of the tomatoes. Frozen tomatoes may be stored in a freezer from 10 to 18 months.