Here’s an easy tip if you want to savor fresh tomato flavor but are too lazy to can: freeze them!
September and October is a great time in the Bay Area where you can get ripe tomatoes at a pretty good price since it’s the end of the season. It’s tempting to buy a lot of tomatoes but there’s only so much you can eat in a week before it goes bad.
What can you do? Canning is always an option especially if you have a massive quantity but it’s a labor-intensive process that requires specific equipment from canning pots to funnels to jars.
Another great, quick option to keep a couple of extra pounds of tomatoes? Freeze them.
You can enjoy farmers market or garden tomatoes all winter long by freezing them. I recently discovered this fantastic tip last summer and it has changed my cooking life. It’s less time-consuming than canning and you don’t need any special equipment. However, you will need room in your freezer.
Here’s how to freeze fresh tomatoes.
- Wash, core, and dry whole ripe tomatoes. It’s important that they’re dry before you put them in the freezer.
- Weigh and place tomatoes in a sealable plastic bag, removing as much of the excess air before closing. For ease and convenience, weigh what you normally use in each bag. For instance, I weigh bags in 28 ounces which is the size of a large can of tomatoes. When I want to make tomato sauce, it’s easy to grab a bag without thinking too much.
- Label each bag with the name, date, and weight of the components. Then, place the bag in the freezer.
And here is how to use your frozen tomatoes.
Tip: Freeze Tomatoes to stock up for the winter
