Freezing Tomatoes best flavor even in Black & Colored Varieties

PennyM · February 11, 2012

I've converted over 100% to freezing my Tomatoes for Winter usage.
I find it simpler and in my opinion preserves the flavor the best.

I just put the Tomatoes under a quick blanch...pouring scalding hot water on them and then a blast of cold water to cool them off. The blanch kills any undesirable Bacteria, Fungi, Enzymes, etc.
Once cold enough to handle I simply cut them into 1/4's and place in a Freezer bag.

I found that Black tomatoes don't put up very well due to being lower acid. But they Freeze very well. I guess that would be true of other colored tomatoes that aren't red and low acid. And Black tomatoes are now my favorite fresh tomato, particularly the Cherokee Purple and the Japanese Trifele Black.
Here's part of our Frozen tomatoes.
I love to use them all winter long in chili's, Spaghetti Sauce and Soups.

Here's a pic of my Tomato presentation at our produce stand in Myrtle Beach, SC. The best tasting tomatoes came out of Johns Island, SC. They were every bit as flavorful as good old 'Jersey Tomatoes'.

Truly Tomatoes,
Penny

Plantersville · February 11, 2012

Penny, I am with you on the freezing part..........
years ago I canned about 50 quarts of tomatoes but the second year I started freezing them. Much easier!!

Zana · February 11, 2012

I do a combination of both. Some varieties seem to can better than others, others are better for freezing....and some are just good for fresh eating.

JamesL · March 6, 2012

PennyM and Zana,
When you talk canning, are you talking about water bath or pressure?

I have never canned, but was considering pressure canning and had recently looked into it.
Only drawback to freezing for me is the need for a much larger freezer.....

Granite26 · March 6, 2012

Water bath canning works well for me. I will freeze a few but they do not keep as long as canned ones.

jgaleota · March 6, 2012

I do both water bath and pressure, but only pressure for tomatoes. It takes a lot less energy (natural gas in my case) than keeping that wb boiling for 30 minutes. You also don't have to worry about low acid tomatoes (I do increase the pressure to 10 pounds instead of the recommended 5). Been doing it for many years and works great. I think the flavor is as good as frozen and as Granite says, they last a lot longer.

Zana · March 6, 2012

I do mine in WB canning, mostly. If worried about low acid, I add vinegar or lemon juice to the tomato mixture before canning.

When I canned up blacks/purples in basic sauces, I added lemon juice. But its worth it, since it makes such a great sauce for pastas or seafood....or as a base for a bbq sauce in the dead of winter.

Zana

FarmerShawn · March 6, 2012

We water-bath can, and have for years. Last year we did up at least 80 quarts for us and our in-laws. We have a huge chest freezer, and it is so full of other stuff that there is no way we could fit that many tomatoes in it. I do freeze ice cubes of tomato paste, though. They are just so easy to pop out and use. This year, for the first time, we used our new vacuum bag machine (FoodSaver) and it has cut down dramatically on freezer burn. I like to just open a jar of canned tomatoes, (we do them in chunks) strain the seeds out (we skin before freezing) and enjoy delicious tomato juice. Love it - especially with salt and pepper and a dash of jalapeno powder for a bit of bite!

PaulF · March 6, 2012

We have been 100% tomato freezers for many years. Easier to do and they stay usable just as well. We also mix and match on all colors; makes for really good additions to sauces and soups/stews.

b54red · March 6, 2012

We have found that if you put a huge pot of cut up tomatoes on the stove and slowly cook them down to reduce volume you can use much less space when freezing. We also dip off the excess water or soup and use it to make vegetable soup. It sure cuts down on the cooking time and reduces the risk of scorching the sauce when cooking it down.

JamesL · March 7, 2012

All good tips y'all. Thanks.

Tracydr · March 13, 2012

I freeze my tomatoes temporarily until I have enough to can. I also sometimes freeze store bought tomatoes on sale. Eating tomato soup right now, made of store bought Roma's, frozen, on sale for 10 cents a pound. The frozen tomatoes are easier to can and cook with because the skins slide off and they lose a lot of water. You can also squeeze a lot of seeds out and skip straining I'd you're not picky.

livinonfaith · March 13, 2012

Tried freezing the way Penny describes last year and really liked it. It certainly was fast and easy! (Two of my favorite things

)

And if you freeze fresh basil blended with olive oil into small chunks, you've got the best part of a good pasta sauce ready to defrost and go!

Freezer space could certainly be a problem, as well, at least if I could get enough tomatoes. I'm actually still praying for that problem.

pdxwindjammer · March 30, 2012

When my tomato season is in high gear my kitchen ends up looking like a slaughter house!

Tomato juice everywhere!

I have canned in the past and I still make red and green tomato chutney, which I can. But now I just make huge batches of marinara and soup stock out of a combination of peppers, onions, garlic and eggplant from my garden. Everything is ready about the same time.

I do what b54red does and skim the watery juice off the top and use that for soup stock. I tend to not want to waste any part of the tomato so after blanching the tomatoes and discarding the skin, I squeeze the seeds out, strain the juice and cook down the juice in a pan and reduce that down for a great tasting fresh tomato juice.

I am going to invest in a small freezer just for preserving my harvest each year.

My little seedlings have all popped out and I am looking forward to reaping the rewards in a few months!

DogsandDirt · June 1, 2012

I need to freeze some tomatoes with pretty severe cracks. What is the best way to prep them? Blanch and peel, cut out the bad parts and freeze in zip lock bags? I wanted to freeze them whole, however, on another thread it was suggested not to use those with severe cracks. Unfortunately those are few and far between, especially after the last round of (much needed) rain.

February 11, 2012	#1
PennyM LIAR AND THIEF Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 45	Freezing Tomatoes best flavor even in Black & Colored Varieties I've converted over 100% to freezing my Tomatoes for Winter usage. I find it simpler and in my opinion preserves the flavor the best. I just put the Tomatoes under a quick blanch...pouring scalding hot water on them and then a blast of cold water to cool them off. The blanch kills any undesirable Bacteria, Fungi, Enzymes, etc. Once cold enough to handle I simply cut them into 1/4's and place in a Freezer bag. I found that Black tomatoes don't put up very well due to being lower acid. But they Freeze very well. I guess that would be true of other colored tomatoes that aren't red and low acid. And Black tomatoes are now my favorite fresh tomato, particularly the Cherokee Purple and the Japanese Trifele Black. Here's part of our Frozen tomatoes. I love to use them all winter long in chili's, Spaghetti Sauce and Soups. Here's a pic of my Tomato presentation at our produce stand in Myrtle Beach, SC. The best tasting tomatoes came out of Johns Island, SC. They were every bit as flavorful as good old 'Jersey Tomatoes'. Truly Tomatoes, Penny

February 11, 2012	#2
Plantersville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Plantersville, Texas Zone 8 Posts: 138	Penny, I am with you on the freezing part.......... years ago I canned about 50 quarts of tomatoes but the second year I started freezing them. Much easier!! __________________ Chuck I love to eat, sleep and fish........not necessarily in that order!

March 6, 2012	#8
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	We water-bath can, and have for years. Last year we did up at least 80 quarts for us and our in-laws. We have a huge chest freezer, and it is so full of other stuff that there is no way we could fit that many tomatoes in it. I do freeze ice cubes of tomato paste, though. They are just so easy to pop out and use. This year, for the first time, we used our new vacuum bag machine (FoodSaver) and it has cut down dramatically on freezer burn. I like to just open a jar of canned tomatoes, (we do them in chunks) strain the seeds out (we skin before freezing) and enjoy delicious tomato juice. Love it - especially with salt and pepper and a dash of jalapeno powder for a bit of bite! __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

March 6, 2012	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,294	We have been 100% tomato freezers for many years. Easier to do and they stay usable just as well. We also mix and match on all colors; makes for really good additions to sauces and soups/stews. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

March 13, 2012	#13
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	Tried freezing the way Penny describes last year and really liked it. It certainly was fast and easy! (Two of my favorite things) And if you freeze fresh basil blended with olive oil into small chunks, you've got the best part of a good pasta sauce ready to defrost and go! Freezer space could certainly be a problem, as well, at least if I could get enough tomatoes. I'm actually still praying for that problem.

February 11, 2012	#3
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	I do a combination of both. Some varieties seem to can better than others, others are better for freezing....and some are just good for fresh eating.

March 6, 2012	#4
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	PennyM and Zana, When you talk canning, are you talking about water bath or pressure? I have never canned, but was considering pressure canning and had recently looked into it. Only drawback to freezing for me is the need for a much larger freezer.....

March 6, 2012	#5
Granite26 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Western WI Posts: 359	Water bath canning works well for me. I will freeze a few but they do not keep as long as canned ones.

March 6, 2012	#6
jgaleota Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 133	I do both water bath and pressure, but only pressure for tomatoes. It takes a lot less energy (natural gas in my case) than keeping that wb boiling for 30 minutes. You also don't have to worry about low acid tomatoes (I do increase the pressure to 10 pounds instead of the recommended 5). Been doing it for many years and works great. I think the flavor is as good as frozen and as Granite says, they last a lot longer.

March 6, 2012	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	We have found that if you put a huge pot of cut up tomatoes on the stove and slowly cook them down to reduce volume you can use much less space when freezing. We also dip off the excess water or soup and use it to make vegetable soup. It sure cuts down on the cooking time and reduces the risk of scorching the sauce when cooking it down.

March 7, 2012	#11
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	All good tips y'all. Thanks.

March 13, 2012	#12
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I freeze my tomatoes temporarily until I have enough to can. I also sometimes freeze store bought tomatoes on sale. Eating tomato soup right now, made of store bought Roma's, frozen, on sale for 10 cents a pound. The frozen tomatoes are easier to can and cook with because the skins slide off and they lose a lot of water. You can also squeeze a lot of seeds out and skip straining I'd you're not picky.

March 30, 2012	#14
pdxwindjammer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 625	When my tomato season is in high gear my kitchen ends up looking like a slaughter house! Tomato juice everywhere! I have canned in the past and I still make red and green tomato chutney, which I can. But now I just make huge batches of marinara and soup stock out of a combination of peppers, onions, garlic and eggplant from my garden. Everything is ready about the same time. I do what b54red does and skim the watery juice off the top and use that for soup stock. I tend to not want to waste any part of the tomato so after blanching the tomatoes and discarding the skin, I squeeze the seeds out, strain the juice and cook down the juice in a pan and reduce that down for a great tasting fresh tomato juice. I am going to invest in a small freezer just for preserving my harvest each year. My little seedlings have all popped out and I am looking forward to reaping the rewards in a few months!

June 1, 2012	#15
DogsandDirt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Dallas/FortWorth, TX Posts: 116	I need to freeze some tomatoes with pretty severe cracks. What is the best way to prep them? Blanch and peel, cut out the bad parts and freeze in zip lock bags? I wanted to freeze them whole, however, on another thread it was suggested not to use those with severe cracks. Unfortunately those are few and far between, especially after the last round of (much needed) rain.