Looking for a quick easy way to preserve tomatoes? Freeze them raw! Simply dice, flash freeze, bag them up and you’ll have garden tomatoes all year long.
Farm Tip Friday this week is another garden tip! You should all know by now that my favorite quick way to preserve what I grow in my garden is by freezing it {zucchini + broccoli}. Tomatoes are no different! Freezing them is a quick easy way to preserve tomatoes that everyone has time for. One day I will learn to can them by myself, but it is not today. For now, freezing my excess works great.
Why is freezing tomatoes so quick and easy? Because this is all I do:
Step 1: Slice them into small-ish pieces.
I usually do about 1 inch by 1 inch, roughly. I don’t worry too much about trimming the ends. I remove any bad spots but that’s about as technical as I get.
Step 2: Flash freeze on a baking sheet.
Line a baking sheet with parchment {or something else the tomatoes will be easily removed from} and line ’em all up. Stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Or whenever you remember they are in there. A couple days, if you’re me.
Step 3: Place into zip-top baggies.
Put as many as you think you’ll use at one time in a zip top freezer bag. I usually use 2 cups at a time so I put about that many in a bag. Don’t sweat this too much, you can always just use what you need and stick the rest back in the freezer!
So, after I do this quick easy way to preserve tomatoes, how do I cook with them?
SO MANY WAYS, YOU GUYS! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Frozen tomatoes are the backbone of many of my soup and stock recipes.
- I love using them in pasta sauces to give them a fresh summer taste.
- I like to thaw and drain them and then use them to make salsa.
- I use them in place of canned diced tomatoes frequently, the skins fall off easily after they are thawed.
- In this pasta recipe, of course.
Tell me how you preserve tomatoes and what your favorite thing to make with them is!
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