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How to Freeze Fresh Raw Tomatoes (No Blanching)
It is the end of summer and your tomato plants have given you enough tomatoes from your backyard garden that you want to preserve them for just a little bit longer.
Maybe you picked up some from the farmers markets you visited and are needing a quick way to preserve your fresh tomatoes.
Either way, this one pro tip you will learn about is the easy method you can use to enjoy vine-ripened tomatoes beyond the summer season, even in the middle of winter!
This is the simple method of how to freeze fresh raw tomatoes whole without blanching! You can do this with little effort, and no special equipment needed!
This method works with many varieties of tomatoes, such as plum tomatoes, grape tomatoes, san marzanos, roma tomatoes, paste tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. Virtually any variety of tomato will work with this method.
They all will yield the wonderful results we want to go into sauces and soups despite the type of tomato you choose! The end result is like canning tomatoes but without the extra time and work involved, you know, the easy way!
I have found this to be a great way to preserve my ripe tomatoes with minimal effort!
First you must prepare the tomatoes and make sure you have removed any bad spots. Wash them well, and slightly dry them, then place right into a zip lock freezer bag.
If you needed to cut the bad spots out, then I recommend a flash freeze on a cookie sheet in a single layer. This will prevent them from sticking to each other in a large blob.
Secondly, you want to be freezing tomatoes soon after harvesting. This is the best way to ensure that you get the best results in the end product of your recipes you plan to use them in.
Summer tomatoes are the best tomatoes, so you can get the best flavor!
This freezer method is the easiest method for me as I am a busy homeschool Mom of three who needs to make food preservation quick! This great idea not only saves me time, but money as well since the frozen tomatoes will be going into my recipes and not into the compost!
A few tips to consider when freezing your own tomatoes without blanching.
- Your tomatoes do not have to be perfect tomatoes, they just need to be ripe and not rotten.
- Consider how much freezer space you have available because freezing whole tomatoes will need some room.
- To prolong the time you have to freeze them, consider a vacuum sealer instead of a ziplock bag to prevent freezer burn. Having too much air in your bags will increase the likelihood of freezer burn.
- There is no need to cut out the stem, I just simply remove the stem end.
- Its best to go with ripe tomatoes as green tomatoes do not lend well to this method.
- Choosing the meatiest types of tomatoes will lend to large quantities with the most pulp.
- Because of the higher water content of tomatoes, you have the option of straining off and using as a broth replacement, or leaving in before blending.
The easiest way to defrost the tomatoes when you are ready to use them is to add the bag to a large pot of hot water, not boiling water. This will quickly thaw the tomatoes and allow the tomato skins to be easily peeled off.
Alternately you can thaw them overnight in the fridge with the same results, or on the counter at room temperature.
After they are thawed, squish them with your hands while still in the bag. Then pour the bag into a large bowl. You can now easily pick out the skins!
If you want to keep the skins IN the sauce or recipe you are making, then run them through a food mill to break them down better.
The texture of the tomato will be as if it were stewed which lends well to any recipe that calls for homemade tomato sauce.
I use my thawed tomatoes in my recipes such as Keto Ketchup, or in the sauce for my Keto Pizza.
Another way to use them is in a pot of my Low Carb Ground Beef Stew or some homemade spaghetti sauce made in the instant pot.
I put 6 cups peeled tomatoes in along with some basil, garlic and onion and process it for 18 min letting the pressure release naturally. Add in 1 cup of water if the tomatoes are not juicy enough.
This is the easy answer to pasta sauce without having a pot boiling away on the stove making a mess!
You can make this marinara sauce in a crockpot also if you wish.
Did you have a huge garden of juicy tomatoes this year? Are you excited to enjoy all of the fresh garden tomatoes from your amazing tomato season during the cold months?
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