Freezing Tomatoes Correctly – Make the Most of Your Crop
So you have successfully nurtured and lovingly tended to your tomato plants all season and now they are literally starting to bear the fruits of your labor. There is usually only one problem now and that is the sheer number of tomatoes your plants are producing. There is no way that you will be able to eat them all before they start to go bad, so what can you do? You freeze them!
There has been so much written as to why you should not freeze your tomatoes, with the main reason being that they do not taste the same after freezing. Actually they do taste just as good but tend to be a little softer and so are more suitable for soups and sauces. Providing that you freeze them correctly, they will make the best tomato dishes around.
You can freeze tomatoes with or without their skins. You should wash them thoroughly with cold water and cut away the scar around the stem before preparing them for freezing. If you want to peel your tomatoes first, then dip them in hot water until the skin splits and then remove it with care. The rest of the process is the same either way.
When you are ready to freeze your tomatoes, clear a space in your freezer big enough for a cookie sheet and then prepare the tomatoes. Wash them, blot them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel and then choose how you would like to freeze them. Whole is best because it maintains the flavor but you can chop or slice them instead. Prepare them in the way you have chosen and then place them on a cookie tray and insert it into the freezer.
When your tomatoes are well and truly frozen, remove the tray from the freezer and transfer your tomatoes into sealed bags or containers to make sure that the ice does not damage them. When you are ready to use them, they will be perfect, available and very tasty.
>>Harvest to Home: Preserving Tomatoes
The Author:
Annette Welsford is a co-author of the best selling book How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes. This glossy 88 page tomato growing “bible” has sold thousands of copies to enthusiastic tomato growers in more than 62 countries. To see more articles and tips on growing tomatoes from a horticultural expert, visit http://www.bestjuicytomatoes.com
Photo. Ernesto Rodriguez
