Learn this easy method for how to freeze tomatoes to ensure that a surplus never goes to waste—and find easy ways to use them up whenever you have time down the road. Plus, no blanching!
How to Freeze Tomatoes
Over the years of being married to a gardener, I have learned that there are times in the summer when we have way too many tomatoes. We also live next door to a farmer, so we are sometimes double loaded up. This method for freezing tomatoes is SO helpful for those times.
It’s also amazing at cutting down the time it takes to cook fresh tomatoes into sauce, salsa, or soup because you get to drain off a lot of the liquid when you thaw them out. Our neighbor taught us this—when we plan to make salsa, we freeze the tomatoes first, then thaw them. This releases a lot of the water, but keeps the flavor, and greatly reduces your cooking time.
Less liquid in the tomatoes means less time you need to spend simmering it off.
This method for freezing tomatoes saves time, the peels slip off easily, and you always have an easy way to store too many fresh tomatoes. And it cuts down on cooking time when you’re ready to use the tomatoes.
So many benefits!
Ingredients You Need
You can really use any kind of tomato you have or prefer—heirloom, paste tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or classic tomatoes—in any color and any size.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how this method works. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Remove the stems from the tomatoes.
- Place into a freezer bag (plastic or silicone). Seal and freeze.
- Thaw.
- Save the liquid to use in place of stock or discard (it’s mostly water).
TIP: I like to store cherry tomatoes and larger tomatoes separately, but you can start a bag and simply add to it as you have more to add.
Frequently Asked Questions
Honestly, you really just need to put them into a freezer bag and freeze them. This is simple and it allows you to then slip the peels off when you are ready to cook them. It also releases the liquid when you thaw them, which cuts down on the amount of time you need to simmer them. (Less liquid in the tomatoes to start means less time to evaporate it.)
You can remove the stems and place them into a freezer bag. Then freeze.
You can blanch tomatoes before freezing if you want to remove the skin. Then you can add them directly to recipes like soups and stews. I find that to be too hard to manage with a house of kids and a busy schedule, so I prefer not to blanch them.
How to Use Frozen Tomatoes
Once you thaw your tomatoes, drain the liquid, and peel them (which sounds like a lot of steps but is super straight forward!), you can try them in:
- Marinara Sauce with Extra Veggies
- Italian Lentils with Tomatoes
- Lentil Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Vegan Tomato Soup
Best Tips for Success
- Use gallon or quart size plastic or silicone freezer bags.
- I like to freeze cherry tomatoes and bigger tomatoes separately so they freeze and thaw at the same rates.
- You can start a bag and add to it over the course of the summer.
- Plan to thaw the tomatoes at least overnight as they can take a while to thaw, especially if your bags are full.
- Drain off the liquid and peel off the skins before cooking with your thawed tomatoes.
Related Recipes
Cooking Tips
How to Freeze Rhubarb
Preserving
How to Freeze Peaches (the Easy Way)
Preserving
How to Freeze Spinach
I’d love to hear any comments or questions if you try this method, so please comment below to share.
How to Freeze Tomatoes (the Easy Way)
Ingredients
- 8 tomatoes (or more or less depending on what you have on hand)
Instructions
To freeze tomatoes:
- Wash and dry the tomatoes.
- Remove the stem.
- Add to a freezer bag (plastic or silicone), remove as much air as possible, and seal.
- Freeze for up to 1 year.
To thaw frozen tomatoes:
- Remove a bag from the freezer. Place into the sink or a large bowl at least overnight. (They take a while to thaw if the bag is full.)
- Once thawed, slip the skins off (they slide right off). You can discard the liquid or use it in place of stock in recipes.
- Cook tomatoes as desired. (See recipe ideas in the Notes.)
Notes
- Use gallon or quart size plastic or silicone freezer bags.
- I like to freeze cherry tomatoes and bigger tomatoes separately so they freeze and thaw at the same rates.
- You can start a bag and add to it over the summer.
- Once you have your thawed, peeled tomatoes, try them in: Marinara Sauce with Extra Veggies, Italian Lentils with Tomatoes, Lentil Soup, or Black Bean Soup.
Nutrition
This post was first published August 2021.
