How To Freeze or Can Tomatoes

Freezing tomatoes is a great way to ensure you'll have that fresh, summertime taste in your soups, stews, and sauces. It's best to use ripe, but firm, tomatoes. Clean them thoroughly, and if you're unsure if they're organic or not, you may need a mild veggie and fruit cleaner. Gently rub to get all the gunk off, then rinse well. Remove the stem. Dip in a few tomatoes at a time into boiling water about 30 seconds until the skin loosens, then place in ice water to further loosen the skin. Take the skins off and discard. Cut out the core and either freeze whole or cut in half or quarters. Pack into the zippered freezer bag, leaving about a one inch space at the top.

Tomatoes have been canned for many years, and any type of tomato can be canned. Since some tomatoes have less acid, it's a good idea to add some lemon juice so the tomatoes won't spoil. It's also a good idea to do the hot water bath process, where you just place your filled jars in hot, boiling water for 45 minutes, making sure the jars are covered completely with water.

When canning, make sure your jars, lids, and rings are sterilized completely. After, place the tomatoes in a sink and completely cover with boiling water for about a minute. Then, to completely loosen skin, rinse with ice water. Remove skin, core, and any tough parts, and cut into pieces. Throw them into a big pot. Bring tomatoes up to a boil, keeping them at a light boil for about 30 minutes. Remove pinkish looking scum with a metal spoon. Fill jars, leaving at least a 1/4 inch air space. Tighten the lid and ring and turn upside down so the heat seals the lid. This takes about 20 minutes, and you should hear a pop.