Freezing Tomatoes

A friend just dropped off a bushel basket of 'maters. What should I do to freeze them? Puree, make sauce, ?

Give them to me!

Just kidding. Yeah, I'd make sauce and freeze it in batches. Freezing them whole really is counter-productive, they'll be mush when you thaw them. If you have the time and inclination, get out the pressure cooker and mason jars and can some of them - they last quite some time.

I have found that with some of the smaller fruit types I like to blanch/peel them, then split in half and slow cook in the oven until nice caramelization. Then I make those into a nice sauce and freeze in batches. Throw some diced onion over them while in the oven. Alton Brown makes a nice simple sauce this way that will freeze well. May want to check out his recipe.

[Robin Garr]

A friend just dropped off a bushel basket of 'maters. What should I do to freeze them? Puree, make sauce, ?

What the others said: Make sauce, freeze sauce. My frozen garden tomato sauce keeps us alive through the winter.

My method is allegedly from Liguria in coastal northwestern Italy and keeps a fresh taste, not dark, sweet Southern Italian caramelized: Put as many tomatoes as will fit in a large pot. Rinse them but keep them whole. Throw in some onion, some garlic and some salt. Throw in a couple of big sprigs of basil. Go postal on the tomatoes with a knife so as to slit them and start the juices running. Then cover, put over high heat just until the liquids start to boil. Then reduce heat to low and cook for another 20-30 minutes, no more. Let it cool and run it through a Foley food mill to separate sauce from seeds and stems.

This makes a great, fresh tasting sauce, and we freeze it in dozens of leftover Lotsa Pasta one-pint plastic tubs for single-meal portions.

A friend just dropped off a bushel basket of 'maters. What should I do to freeze them? Puree, make sauce, ?

What the others said: Make sauce, freeze sauce. My frozen garden tomato sauce keeps us alive through the winter.

My method is allegedly from Liguria in coastal northwestern Italy and keeps a fresh taste, not dark, sweet Southern Italian caramelized: Put as many tomatoes as will fit in a large pot. Rinse them but keep them whole. Throw in some onion, some garlic and some salt. Throw in a couple of big sprigs of basil. Go postal on the tomatoes with a knife so as to slit them and start the juices running. Then cover, put over high heat just until the liquids start to boil. Then reduce heat to low and cook for another 20-30 minutes, no more. Let it cool and run it through a Foley food mill to separate sauce from seeds and stems.

This makes a great, fresh tasting sauce, and we freeze it in dozens of leftover Lotsa Pasta one-pint plastic tubs for single-meal portions.

I plan to make sauce and paste and am looking for the best way to freeze just tomatoes as well. Luckily I inherited Mom's old Foley when she decided to become a RV gypsy and use it every summer. I found a few recipes like yours Robin, one that recommends a slow-cooker.

I have found that with some of the smaller fruit types I like to blanch/peel them, then split in half and slow cook in the oven until nice caramelization. Then I make those into a nice sauce and freeze in batches. Throw some diced onion over them while in the oven. Alton Brown makes a nice simple sauce this way that will freeze well. May want to check out his recipe.

Thanks John. I use your method to make what my wife calls $20.00 Tomato soup. I throw a few garlic cloves in the roasting pan as well. Good stuff.

It see that you have got a few ideas for sauce, but I am getting the impression that you are looking for a way to just freeze the tomaotes alone. I have not heard many good things about fresh/frozen tomatoes. One thought might be to sun dry some and then freeze. That would at least keep the flavor pure, or more so than cooked into a sauce.
Robins sauce sounds very good. We make something similar on occasion when we need a lighter summer type sauce,but we add a little wine to it. Not to get too far off subject, but maybe theres an idea here for the next hot bytes food challenge..red sauce challenge. Maybe let the local chefs be the judge and critique the forum members entries.

Along the same lines as others here, because we're going to have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, I'm going to do as was suggested by several folks over at egullet, and that's the slow-roasted method, using a fairly traditional slow-roasted formula that I already use, with chopped garlic, olive oil and fresh thyme (although dried works as well). You can actually use any tomato, just slice 'em in a way that makes freezing easy. Slice your tomatoes, scatter over a sheet pan or roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle whatever amount you prefer of chopped garlic and thyme, salt and pepper (or just dump everything in a huge mixing bowl first to coat and then spread on the pan), and put into a low heat (250-300) for anywhere from 2 to 4 hours (finish time depends entirely on what you want the finished thing to be, drier and more caramelized, or juicier). And then either use now with a good crusty bread and some goat cheese, or in a salad or over pasta or whatever, and then freeze what you want to keep over winter and spring.

It see that you have got a few ideas for sauce, but I am getting the impression that you are looking for a way to just freeze the tomatoes alone.

Bingo. Most sources say blanch,skin, deseed and freeze. I was thinking maybe all that plus a coarse puree/small dice. Will this work? I have a light duty vacuum sealer.

University of Nebraska says you can frozen whole. Wash very well discard any bruised fruit and cut away the stem scar. Dry them very well then place on cookie sheet and freeze. The peels will come off easy when thawed later. Main point they made was to use only perfect tomatoes and wash very well. I found similar instructions for whole tomatoe freezing at a California University site as that pretty much said the same thing. Obviously they are going to pretty mushy after the thawing but I cant see how that would matter for cooking them. I have also been reading that you lose alot of flavor by removing the seeds. I was often told they will leave a bitter taste but others say this is a myth. I recall in the book Heat there is mention of the Americans fear of tomatoe seeds, pointing out so much flavor is in the gel they are held in. I have always found the less you process a food or spice the longer it will hold its flavor. I will be giving the whole freezing method a shot as well as drying and canning. Let us know what you end up doing please.

I had good success last year just simply quartering fresh tomatoes and freezing them. They lasted several months in pretty good condition.

I can them. I love the idea of connecting with something that cooks had done before freezers.
This scares the wits out of my very best friend. (also known in our circle as the best baker in the world)
I don't bake and I've yet to poison anyone with my canned tomatoes and sauce.

I do freeze low acid foods out of having no other choice such as my chilis.

Just a thought because it was not posted.

Best,
Sarita

David,

Depending on tomato-type I do three of the methods mentioned: Garden-fresh sauce (plum tomatoes) , oven roasted /dried (plum or regular tomatoes) or can them with a little basil. (Plum tomatoes). My oven roasted are like Colleen's, but I roast on a higher temp to get more carmelization and use fresh oregano and garlic as my spices. The canning thing was new last year - I found it really easy with tomatoes in smaller quanities and I REALLY appreciate those jars of tomatoes for my fall/winter cooking. ( In case anyone is looking for plum tomatoes, I had very good luck last year getting Graf's produce at the Beargrass Farmer's Market to bring my in a case of plum tomatoes specifically when I had time to can them).

Enjoy all those tomatoes!

Deb

Thanks Deb. I spent yesterday making two different kinds of tomato paste and froze them in ice cube trays. I used to help Mom can veggies from the garden and got my fill back then. I have most of the hardware still so may give it a new shot.

Can anyone recommend a cheap place to buy jars, lids, and rings? I know most major grocery stores sell them, any place cheaper?

David,

I know, by marriage, about "getting your fill of canning"- Brian feels exactly the same from growing up with serious canning in eastern Kentucky. No such thing in my house growning up. I found I could do 12-16 jars easily in a couple of hours, without any special equipment (except jars and a pair of tongs). Made it much less intimidating and much more fun!

I believe I picked up my jars for cheap at Meijer.

So, did you add any spices to your tomato paste- or is it just cooked, reduced tomatoes? It's one of the very few things I haven't made with tomatoes...
Deb