Freezing Tomatoes
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Freezing tomatoes is a great way to store your tomatoes if you don’t want to can them. Do you have tomatoes getting over-ripe but don’t have quite enough for a canner load or recipe? Freeze them for later canning.
If you are not planning on canning them, simply keep them in the freezer until ready to use in your recipes.
How to Freeze Tomatoes Whole
How to freeze the tomatoes is so simple: Just wash, pull off the stems, stick them in a zip lock baggy, and pop in the freezer!
Be sure and label the bags and squeeze as much air out as possible.
The other option is to peel your tomatoes and make a sauce to freeze. I’ve got more on freezing tomato sauce here with process and packaging options.
Thawing Out whole Frozen Tomatoes – The Fun Part!
The fun part is when you thaw your tomatoes out to use them. Just pull out the amount needed and run them under warm water. The skins slip right off in your hands.
Allow them to thaw the rest of the way, and you are good to go.
I did a quick video of thawing out frozen tomatoes in my kitchen. Click on the player below to see how easy it is.
How to Can Previously Frozen Tomatoes
Remember, the freezing process affects the texture of your tomatoes. They will not be like fresh. They are softer and great for using in soups, casseroles etc.
If you are thawing them out to then can them, you’ll need to use a hot pack recipe. Something like tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce. They are not for canning like a raw pack tomato.
- An Easy Guide to Canning Tomato Sauce
- How to Can Tomato Juice in a Pressure Canner
- Canning Zucchini in Tomato Sauce, a great basic for your pantry.
- Canning Soup: Adapt Your Recipe to Make It Safe for Home Canning
Expert Tip: If you are adding your frozen tomatoes to a dish that you are eating and not canning, they can thaw right in the dish while it is cooking. You don’t have to peel them unless it is for canning purposes. For supper peeling is optional.
I have images of smaller tomatoes on this page, but it works with any tomato, big or small.
You can even freeze cherry and pear tomatoes if you want.
Freezing those cherry or pear tomatoes that are overflowing in your garden is a great idea too!
I always had a lot of waste with these tiny treats. My kids and I love to snack on cherry and pear tomatoes, so I always plant one bush each.
They are so prolific that there is no way we can keep up with the bushes. So now I freeze them. Pull them out when I need for a recipe.
Recipe Card
Freezing Tomatoes
Equipment
- Freezer Bags or containers
Ingredients
- Tomatoes
Instructions
- Wash tomatoes and pull off the stems.
- Place tomatoes in freezer bags/containers.
- Remove air, seal, and label.
- Freeze.
Freezing Tomatoes Tips & FAQs
Canning Questions and Answers
Technically yes you can. But I’d strongly suggest you cut them out now. It will be much more difficult to do later. As the tomatoes thaw they are very soft and it will more difficult and messy to get them cleaned up later.
Yes, you can freeze them then thaw and can them all at once. I’ve heard it does affect the flavor, but I have not noticed it. I figure it is because I’m using the tomatoes in cooking so maybe the seasonings, etc. cover it? It has not been a problem for me.
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I am a beginner to canning my own vegetables but have a question that I cannot find any answers. I need to split up my canning tomatoes over several days. Question is: how long can tonatoes that have been blanched and skinned be in a bowl in refrigerator before becoming tainted and unsafe to use for waterbath canning??
Mickey I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that officially tested but in my opinion a day is fine. So peel and cut them up one day… can them the next. I’ve done this often. I personally wouldn’t leave them more than a day or two at the most.
I have ran tomatoes through a food mill and have a bunch of juice that I want to make sauce with. But it’s not enough to make it worth canning right now. My garden still has a bunch of tomatoes that need to ripen. I was wondering if it would be safe to freeze the juice to cook down later, make into a sauce and then can when I have a worthy amount?
Yes freezing the sauce now to use later is just fine.
Hello Sharon. When defrosting the tomatoes to use for canning, do you reserve the tomato liquid that accumulates and use it in the jars, particularly for crushed tomatoes? I filled a vessel with frozen tomatoes and as they defrost the bottom is full of tomato water. Thanks.
You can do that. It would be similar to what I do here…. Canning Tomatoes Tip