How to Freeze Whole Fresh Tomatoes for Later Use

During the gardening season my tomatoes don’t ripen at the same time. This is especially true during the beginning and at the end of the growing season. So, how do I preserve those fresh homegrown tomatoes until I have enough of them to cook down to make tomato sauce? Well, I’m going to tell you!

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Here’s how you can quickly and easily freeze your whole tomatoes for later use.

Wash all of your tomatoes under cold running water to remove dirt. Use a small parining knife to remove the stem area from the top of each tomato. Use the knife to cut a small X in the top of the tomato to slightly open up the top. While the water is flowing from your kitchen faucet rinse the tomato again…using your fingers to loosen up any seeds from inside. Shake the excess water off.

I lay a clean cotton towel on a baking sheet on my counter top. Lay the tomatoes on top to slightly air dry. I like to let them sit out about an hour or so. Toss the tomatoes into freezer storage bags or storage container. I like to re-use old bread bags just for this purpose. Twist the top shut. Place the bag into the freezer.

Throughout the growing season I add fresh tomatoes to it. I often end up with 4-5 bags of frozen whole tomatoes in my freezer. At the end of the growing season I get them out to process them into homemade tomato sauce. You simple place them into a pot of boiling water….boil for 2-3 minutes to get the skins lose (blanching). You can find complete step-by-step instructions on How to Blanch Tomatoes and Remove Their Skins on the TCC blog.  You can then cook them down to make homemade tomato sauce, pasta sauce, use in your favorite soups & stews, in salsa recipes, etc.

If you’re looking for a great Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe for Home Canning, you’ll find one on the TCC blog with hundreds of other home canning recipes.