How To Blanch And Freeze Tomatoes

Are you having a crazy good year of tomatoes in the garden? I know I have them taking over my kitchen. If you are looking for a super-easy way to save them to enjoy in the winter, check out these tips on how to blanch and freeze tomatoes.

How To Blanch And Freeze Tomatoes

Well, there are different ways to preserve tomatoes such as canning and drying, sometimes you just want to use a super-easy way. That is when it is time to freeze tomatoes.

By doing that it allows you to enjoy that garden-fresh tomato flavor even in the middle of winter. No, they may not be good for adding to salads, sandwiches or other things like that. But they are amazing for sauces, stews, salsa, juice and so on.

There is no skill needed to preserve tomatoes this way either. And while some (myself included) love canning, there are others who are worried about glass jars busting. So this makes for a great and easy option to save those tomatoes.

If you are looking for other food freezing ideas, here are a few to check out.

• Can You Freeze Pineapple? Yes, You Can And I Will Show You How!
• How To Freeze Strawberries
• Freezing Preservation- Preserve by Freezing

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you have to remove the skins?
No, but… Sometimes the skins are the toughest parts. When eating fresh on something like a sandwich or in a salad you don’t really notice it, they stand out a little more when making soups and sauces. Therefore I choose to remove mine.

If you want to freeze tomatoes with the skins on, simply give them a good washing. Remove the stem and freeze whole on a cookie sheet then place it in a bag when frozen. You can also chop and put them in a bag or container and freeze that way. When freezing tomatoes with skins, there is no need to blanch them first.

What do you freeze them in?
Then can be frozen in either freezer-safe containers, ziplock bags, or in vacuum-sealed bags. I like to either use packed containers or vacuum-sealed as I have found they keep the best. If using any type of bag these little bag holders are so helpful! 

What can I do with the skins so they are not wasted? 
You can toss them right in the compost bin or in the worm compost bin! Nothing gets wasted!

Best Way To Process Tomatoes For Freezing:

Start by washing all the tomatoes you will be processing and removing any stems.

Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. You don’t need a large pot as you will only be doing a few at a time.

Drop a handful if working with small tomatoes or a few large ones into the pot of boiling water. Leave them in for about 30-40 seconds making sure the whole tomato is coated in the hot water.

With a slotted spoon or skimmer remove them from the boiling water and drop in a bowl of ice water. Allow them to sit for about 30-40 seconds.

Then simply pick them up and start peeling off the skins. They should be really easy to peel.

Trim off any bad spots or hard areas where the stem ways if any.

Place in container or bag, and seal it when it is full.  I like to do a second seal just up from the first when I do seal moist items just to be sure it is sealed.

Then just put it in the freezer until ready to use. I do find it helpful to put the date you packaged it on the container so you can use the oldest ones first to avoid freezer burn.