How do you freeze ripe tomatoes?

To freeze ripe tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water, remove the stems and cores and add them to resealable freezer bags. Store the tomatoes in the freezer for up to 18 months.

Freezing tomatoes is a quick and easy way to preserve fresh produce. To freeze tomatoes, use the following steps.

1. Wash the tomatoes

Before freezing, wash the tomatoes thoroughly.

2. Blanch and peel the tomatoes (optional)

Blanching helps remove the peels from the tomatoes. To blanch tomatoes, add them to boiling water for one minute to 90 seconds and then let them cool in a bowl of ice. Run the blanched tomatoes under the tap to remove the skins. Blanching is not required for freezing tomatoes with skins.

3. Remove the stems and cores (optional)

To save space in the freezer, remove the stems and cores from the tomatoes. This makes it easier to add more tomatoes to the bags.

4. Bag the tomatoes

Pack as many tomatoes as possible to sealable freezer bags. Remove as much air from the bags as possible and seal them.

5. Put the bags in the freezer

Store the bags flat in the freezer.

Frozen tomatoes are flavorful and work well in sauces, soups and homemade salsa. However, as they do not hold their shape well, they do not work well in salads and other fresh dishes.