Freezing tomatoes isn't complicated! We'll tell you about the different variants and give you tips on how to best preserve the vegetables.
Freezing tomatoes – you should consider that
If you have harvested or bought too many tomatoes, you can freeze them and make them last longer. However, you should note that the vegetables afterwards is no longer suitable for raw consumption because freezing causes it to lose a lot of liquid and become mushy. Frozen tomatoes are, for example, ideal for making sauces or chutneys. If you want to freeze tomatoes, you will need the following utensils:
- fresh tomatoes
- sharp knife
- Saucepan with hot water
- Bowl of ice water
- Freezer bags or cans
Freezing tomatoes: step by step
- Make sure that you only ripe and fresh tomatoes used for freezing. They should be firm and undamaged. You can cut out bruises or dark spots with a knife.
- Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and removes the stem base. Then you can pat them dry.
- If you want to freeze whole tomatoes, you should first peel off the skinbecause otherwise it would burst. To do this, scratch the fruits crosswise on the underside and briefly put them in boiling water. Then you can pour it off and immerse it in ice water so that the skin loosens. Then it can be easily peeled off with a knife.
- Alternatively, you can also use the tomatoes cut into small pieces and frozen in portions. To do this, you should remove the seeds, but the tomatoes do not have to be skinned.
- Now you can freeze the tomatoes by putting them in freezer-safe containers and hermetically sealed. When stored in the freezer, they can be kept for at least one year.
Freeze tomato sauce
To better preserve the flavor of the tomatoes, you can also freeze cooked and processed tomatoes (for example as a sauce or soup). It is important that the food has cooled down completelybefore they are bottled and placed in the freezer. The advantage: The tomatoes no longer have to thaw, but can be warmed up directly in the pot or in the microwave.
With us you will find delicious recipes for tomato sauce and tomato soup, we also explain how to dry tomatoes or cook them down. Exchange ideas for more cooking tips in the BRIGITTE Community!