How to Freeze Tomatoes Whole - No Blanching! No Peeling! (Plus how to defrost and use them!)
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- This is hands down the fastest, easiest way to preserve fresh tomatoes! Don't get me wrong, I love canning, but sometimes you just need to put up some extra tomatoes in a hurry, or maybe you don't quite have enough yet for a big batch of sauce.
Either way, check out how simple it is to freeze tomatoes and how to use them when they come out of the freezer!
For more tips and tricks to help you live a little greener and save a little money, check out my blog thecrunchyginger.com/ !
Please SUBSCRIBE! And thank you very much for watching :) - Jak na to + styl
I used this method for tomatoes last summer, '22. Used the last bag a couple weeks ago. It worked for me because my tomatoes didn't ripen at the same time so I could just add more to the bag as they ripened. The only thing I did differently was to also cut a small X into the blossom end of the tomato. Made for very easy slipping off of the skin!!
I did this for the first time this year and it’s worked amazing! I put my tomatoes flat on a sheet pan to freeze overnight then put them into 2 gallon freezer bags in the deep freeze. I thawed them overnight in 5 gallon buckets and I’m actually about to pull my last 7 pints from the canner! I canned 72 pounds of tomatoes this year all grown here in my little suburban yard. I can’t believe how well this works.
I'd like to add another step that will help if you decide to turn your frozen tomatoes into sauces...
1. After you remove the peelings turn them cored hole down on a cookie sheet until they completely thaw out.
2. After thawing on the cookie sheet I estimate 90% of the water that was in the tomato's has drained onto the cookie sheet.
3. Pick up each tomato, shake the water off and put as many as your blender and grate them .
4. Pour your grated tomatoes into a sauce pan that you are going to cook them down in.
5. Then I add Mrs Wages Pasta Sauce mix or salsa mix or whatever you want to make out of your tomatoes.
6. Heat to a boil then reduce and simmer until you get the right consistency.
7. Here's the magic...a pot of grated tomato's that used to take 4 hours to cook down now only takes about an hour because all the tomatoes water was left in the cookie sheet! BTW, now I do my tomato canning in the winter...
Good Luck and Happy Canning!
This is great, thanks! Love the diy vacuum sealer idea!
What a great idea! Canning takes so much time..and love the straw idea also! Thank you!
Thank you for showing this method.
love this .i never thought about freezing tomatoes also love the straw idea iam gonna try that for sure
Thanks for the tips!
Thank you for this fantastic idea.this will be so good and fast.🇨🇦♥️🌹
Your video just came up on my feed. Just what I was looking for because I have more tomatoes than we can eat right now. Thank you for the tip on freezing them! I am going to do this tomorrow!
Subscribing now! 👍
What a great idea thanks.
Will try. Very clever!
Very helpful video thank you
I freeze them that way too. But the tip with the straw....excellent..I will be doing that from now on. Great video thank you!
Thanks for the tips
Wow!! Thank you for the wonderful tips!!
You’re welcome!
Love your vacuum straw idea, im going to try that on the pile of Heirloom Tomatoes i have this year.
Thanks sooo much!!! Love it!!! 😀
I pretty much do the exact same thing except I slash an x in the bottom of my tomato’s so they peel even easier and I weigh what goes in each bag. Makes it easy when I want to make soup or sauce!!! Great video 👍
Thank-you. Your step by step with before and after are exactly what I was looking for. Great post, keep up the great work.
I’m glad it was useful to you! And thanks so much for your encouragement! It’s much appreciated 😊
That straw trick is amazing
Lol thanks 🙌🏻
Woah, this was awesome! Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome!
I love the straw tip to evacuate the air in the freezer bag. Enjoyed your video! I was looking for an easy way to save extra tomatoes.
Thanks! I’m glad you found it! Hope it helps 😊
Wow Allise...a great way to freeze tomatoes, for have too many, for decided to pop on you tube & came across you video!! So easy, what you have to do with whole tomatoes. Love the straw tip, for I do have vacuum sealer, for going to try the straw method, for looks so cool...lol Yes, you are right about canning & peeling tomatoes, for lived on a farm & my mom did loads of canning & peeling them tomatoes was, well a pain in the ....!!! Happy I came across your video & subscribe & a big thumbs up!! And look at all the other videos you have!!! Have a great day, you hear!!!
So glad it helped you out! Thanks for saying, hi!
Great presentation and I loved the straw method for removing air from the ziploc bag! It proves that simplest is best.
Agreed! Sometimes simplest is the best lol! And thank you 😊
Awesome!!! I have a ton of tomatoes I was trying to figure out what to do with...I know that I'm doing tomorrow! Thank you!!
Yay! It’s so easy- I just wish I had more freezer space! 🍅🍅🍅
Great idea of the vacuum sealer 😂👍🏻
🙌🏻
Great idea, Thnx
What a great tip thank You
You’re welcome!
That's awesome...Thank You!!!💛💛
You are so welcome!
Thank you. I found it useful.
Awesome! Thanks 😊
Thank you!!!
I didn't know you could do that , thanks.
That was totally awesome. Heading in now to do that. With my tomatoes. I got tired of canning and my wife was saying just as I found this we need to do something with those tomatoes on the countertop. Again fantastic thank you for sharing.
Lol perfect timing!
Genius! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m totally drowning in tomatoes over here 😂
We've been doing this for years. We use them in soups stews and baked beans. We dip them in hot water and score the bottom then just squeeze them and the whole skin slips off in one piece. No need to core them. We find they are still good a year later.
Awesome!!! We’re in a tiny cabin with no stove and an over abundance of tomatoes. And of course don’t Want to waste them! Thanks !!
Perfect!
Elise about 50 years ago I had a huge garden and a Hugh crop of tomatoes! I washed them, dried them and popped them in the freezer, as is. I put them directly into the pot or skillet. They cooked down like mashed or stewed tomatoes. The core usually separated in the process and easily was spooned out.
I got this method from a senior farm lady at her vegetable stand. That means that my method of freezing tomatoes has been around at least a hundred years!
Wow! Thanks for the tip and the great story!
Wow!!!! Thank you!!!
Glad to help!
Thank you!
That's great! I never would have thought about freezing them! I have lots coming in right now in my little container garden and I've made tons of sauce that I've frozen.....but never fresh ones. Thanks for the video!
You’re welcome! You can even make sauce from the frozen ones later when you have more time (if you want.). Since the skins slip right off after being frozen, it takes some of the extra work out of the process, too!
I’ll tell you what I really needed to see your video we have an over abundance of tomatoes right now and I don’t care but I do freeze I never thought I could freeze a tomato thanks to you later I’m gonna do that today thank you have a wonderful day
Can not care sorry
Congrats on your abundance of tomatoes! What a great problem to have 🍅
Thanks!
Awesome! 👍 I have a LOT of excess organic heirloom tomatoes and my friends and family are tired of getting the freebies 😐😠.
So, sucks to them, I’m gonna freeze em, enjoy them in winter.😊
I’m so jealous!! I wish I could take them off your hands. So crazy heat waves this summer have really stunted my heirlooms 😭
No major pains! Well, the skin is gone but now I have to figure out some way to get rid of the seeds, remembering what Dr. Grundy says about Lectins and tomatoes and heart health.
I'm going to try this right now! What a great video. The only question I have, is would you still be able to use either the full size tomatoes or cherry tomatoes in a salad or would they taste funny. Guess I'll have to experiment.
Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
Thanks for that, we usually have a glut of toms and I make pasta sauce by the gallon, but peeling the damned things is a personal bugbear and I look forward to trying this method. For beefsteak tomatoes and other larger varieties I use an apple corer.
This video is very interesting. Some years ago we had a glut of tomatoes so I put some in the freezer. The problem was they were inedible due to a metallic taste! Some time later I tried again, this time I skinned the tomatoes and cooked them before putting them in the freezer. This time they were fine and useful for soups and sauces etc. I wonder what I did wrong?! 🍅🍅🍅
Thank you
Thank you ! I just started a garden and I am the only one that eats tomatoes in my house but I have a tree growing. Was wondering what to do with extras.
Nice! More yummy-ness for you!
WOW THANK YOU !🥰
You’re welcome! 🤗
@@TheCrunchyGinger my only problem is Why didn't I do this before now? I have waisted way to many veggies 🤧
Lol I hear ya!
I am torn between this method and blanching and peeling them first. Perhaps I'll do both and see which I prefer.
Thank you just subscribed to you
Thank you!
How long can we keep them ?
What if i dont have a freezer bag?? What easy thing can be used??
Do you have to hole them? Mine are Roma tomatoes.
I freeze them whole and I take out what I need either in a plate or right in the bag. I wash in vinegar n water. I do all peeling n remove any bits after thawing.
Brilliant! I will absolutely be doing this! Thanks for sharing!
hi can i ask is it not necessary to blanch them before freezing? It seems blanching is necessary for other veggie, and I am just wondering why it is not the some for tomato.
Also may I know what is the reason to take out the top of the tomato?
Hi! If you plan on storing them for more than a few months, you may want to blanch them to prevent flavor loss.
Taking the core out is not completely necessary, but it tends to be kind of hard. So most folks prefer to remove it. Hope that helps!
so i just froze a gallon bag of tomatoes for the winter, now what do i do with them
Could a person thaw them and make a fresh salsa as appose to making canned salsa?
Hmmm... I guess you probably could. But I think it would be better to make the salsa with the fresh tomatoes and THEN freeze the salsa. When you thaw frozen tomatoes, they are more like canned tomatoes and might be difficult to work with.
Rinse, dry, remove hull and put them in a freezer bag.
How do you freeze potatoes and bananas
Can the frozen tomatoes be used in salads or are they just for stews?
I think once you thaw them, they are soggy, and no longer firm for salad
i have been freezing whole tomatoes for over 30 years. but i still have a question! i learned to only freeze tomatoes with no blemishes. is that true?
Did you remove the stem part on the cherry tomatoes too? Or put the cherry tomatoes in whole with stem intact?
I do pop off any little leaves/stem (the“hat” as we like to call it).
Thank the lord! I was wondering as well but felt stupid to ask. 😆 🤣
Would you still be able to use them in salads, or would they be better in soups, sauce, etc.?
Not in salads. They will come out more like canned tomatoes. So they are perfect for sauce and soup/stews!
@@TheCrunchyGinger Thank you.
I saw a comment on a website from someone who said they put them in salads while still partially frozen but if you let them thaw, they become mushy.
How long will they stay good frozen?
I am wondering the same thing.
How long will they last in the freezer?
Up to a year
Simply place in a freezer bag and put the bag in the freezer nothing more
Noticed that your tomatoes were still somewhat frozen when cutting them. Would like to see what they’re like when totally thawed. Am betting a bit mushy.
Perfect to make small batch of ketchup or bbq sauce
Yes! Yum 😋
😅
Why do you need to cut the pit?
Well, I suppose you don’t absolutely have to. But it’s usually kind of hard and so folks generally core them.
How about a grapefruit knife?
That’d work!
I dehydrate them and make a fine tomato powder, keeps for years...
Good idea.
What is the purpose of hauling the tomatoes ?
You don’t “have to” take the core out, but it’s generally kind of hard and so most people prefer to remove that part.
@@TheCrunchyGinger I see. Thank you !
Any tips on cucumbers I have them coming out of my ears so is my neighbors lol
Lol Well, my kids gobble them up faster than I can grow them, so I rarely have extra. I guess canning pickles or relish and fermenting are the obvious choices. But I have seen a recipe floating around the Internet for dehydrated cucumber “chips”, thin sliced and seasoned slices dried. It looks pretty yummy. Some folks do freeze them for smoothies or soups, but that seems less appetizing to me.
Everything seemed great except the quality of the vacuum seal method 😉
Fair enough! Lol
Hello Thanks for the tip.......I want to use mine for tomato sandwiches, I noticed when you sliced them you did not do slices and yours were still froxen I guess my question is how long does it take for them to thaw out for my sandwiches ? Thanks
When the tomatoes thaw out they will be more like the consistency of canned tomatoes, a bit watery and soft. I’m not sure they would be very good for sandwiches. I prefer to use them in soups, sauces, pasta, etc. Hope that helps.
@@TheCrunchyGinger Thank you
Is it necessary to peel the skin off? Is it inevitable?
Nope. Many folks just don’t like the texture of them.
@@TheCrunchyGinger thank you very much
Have you ever sliced the frozen tomatoes for sandwiches ?
Just curious 🤨
No, after freezing they will be on the mushy side like other frozen veggies. They are best for adding to soups, stews, stir fry, pasta, sauces, etc.
Ok !
That's kinda what I was thinking.
Thanks a bunch for the reply 👍
Excellent! the old-timer- 3-ring binder of copied Extension Office scientific recipes is now out the window! Just freeze the MF’s!😊
When you thaw them out they will turn to mush
no. The cells will over expand and burst and the flavor will be gone!
Why does everyone peel the tomatoes after un-freezing?
The peels can be a bit on the chewy side I think. But if they don’t bother you, just leave them on!
ALL I DO IT WASH OFF WITH WATER AND PUT IN THE FREEZER.
I don't understand why tomatoes in the supermarkets seem to be picked before they are ripe ? They can't move the product fast enough ? Well they can reduce prices or package and sell frozen tomatoes ! I call vine ripe deseptive advertising cus the don't taste ripe to me. We should demand ripe tomatoes ! I think this is a huge reason people don't want to eat salad . While my hamburger is cooking I pick a ripe tomato , to put on it. , Perfect.
I recently went to a very large local fruit & vegetable farm. I was looking for tomatoes to can and knew fresh was so much better than grocery store. After a week to tomatoes looked just like when I’d bought them, so this same farm brought a large truck to my town with their produce. I happened to touch one of the tomatoes and it was almost frozen. The tomatoes had been chilled😡. No wonder they weren’t ripening. 25 pound and I finally found a good use for them, salsa!
That sounds so frustrating! I’m glad you were able to find a good use for them. Nothing like fresh salsa!
Whole tomatoes take to much room
Why do Americans peel tomatoes?
You don’t peel the skins off when you make sauce?
You dont keep alot of straws around becuz of your vice.....................................