The taste and benefits of tomatoes all year round: how to freeze tomatoes for the winter in the freezer and what to cook from them

We eat tomatoes all year round. But the vegetables sold in supermarkets in winter cannot be compared with those grown in our own garden beds. They are unflavoured and fibrous. An easy way to preserve summer flavor is to freeze tomatoes for the winter at home.

What tomatoes can be frozen

For freezing you will need ripe and firm medium-sized fruits. The Cream and Cherry varieties are optimal for this.

Green tomatoes cannot be frozen! They do not retain their shape, spread after thawing, are bitter and will ruin any culinary masterpiece.

Preparing for freezing

The tomatoes are washed under running (not hot) water and wiped dry so that they do not stick together or become deformed in the freezer. And then - just a flight of ideas!

Choose according to your taste - cut into rings, small pieces, give it an original shape or freeze whole, with or without peel.

How to freeze tomatoes for the winter - recipes and freezing methods

We bring to your attention the most popular methods.

Freezing in circles

Let's start freezing. Choose fleshy fruits with thick skin, cut them into circles 8-10 mm thick so that the tomatoes retain their shape better, place on a flat plate or cutting board and place in the freezer. After 4-5 hours, transfer to a bag.

Freezing whole tomatoes

To freeze whole tomatoes, place the washed and dried fruits on a special mat or cutting board at a distance of a few mm from each other.

It is important that the tomatoes do not touch each other. Place in the freezer.

After 3-4 hours, transfer the frozen food into bags for storage. These tomatoes can be used in various dishes. Take it out, defrost it, clean it and cut it as you like.

Freezing in pieces

You will save time in the kitchen in winter if you freeze tomatoes immediately cut into pieces. You do it according to the already known and understandable scheme: cut it, freeze it for 3-4 hours, put it in a container for storage.

Preparing stuffed tomatoes

Another way to save time is to freeze stuffed tomatoes. Cut off the “lid” from the side of the tomato stalk and remove the pulp. Place the filling into the resulting “container”.

Place the tomatoes on a cutting board in the freezer until completely frozen, 5-6 hours. After this, put it into packaging bags.

Filling for stuffing: mushrooms, meat, vegetables, etc. To give the dish a bright taste, add grated cheese. Salt and pepper the filling before freezing.

Attention! Mushrooms and meat for filling are used ready-made, i.e. fried or boiled.

Freezing tomato juice and paste

Fruits that have lost their marketable appearance and are not suitable for harvesting whole or in pieces are frozen in the form of juice, paste in jars, glass (sterilized) or plastic bottles, bags of the same volume that is used at a time after defrosting.

When filling containers, the main thing is to leave free space so that the container does not burst when it freezes.When freezing in bags, use two plastic bags instead of one to be safe.

Reference. The advantages of this storage method: the juice is not boiled or put into jars, the paste is packaged in portions.

Freezing tomatoes for pizza

Freeze tomatoes for pizza in rings or thin slices. Place the chopped vegetables on a tray in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

Take it out, carefully separate the sticky pieces and put them in a bag. When preparing pizza, spread the filling on the dough, add tomatoes and grated cheese on top.

Tomato puree, frozen in molds

Is it possible to freeze tomato puree that has undergone heat treatment? Yes. Pour the boiling puree into silicone molds for ice or muffins of the required size, let cool and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours. After this, transfer the frozen figures to a storage container.

To better retain its shape, wrap each “tomato” with cling film. This puree is added to stews, soup or meat.

Blanched tomatoes in the freezer

Vegetables are blanched before freezing. To do this, remove the stem from each fruit and make an incision in the shape of the letter “X” on the opposite side. Then immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. As soon as the peels begin to curl up where the cut is made, remove them and place them in ice water.

After these procedures, the tomatoes can be easily peeled with your fingers. Next, transfer the peeled fruits to a baking sheet, cutting board or flat plate and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Only after this, put it in bags and put it away for storage.

Preparation of vegetable pulp

Peel soft tomatoes, pass through a meat grinder or chop with a blender, pour into disposable cups or other molds.Store in the freezer this way.

How to freeze Cherry tomatoes

All freezing methods are also suitable for miniature Cherries. All you need is a “jewelry” technique for cutting vegetables.

Read also:

The simplest DIY preparations: storing garlic in glass jars.

A selection of the best methods for preserving garlic at home throughout the winter.

A selection of the best ways to freeze green beans.

How and for how long to store frozen tomatoes

The freezing stage lasts from 3 to 6 hours. After this, put the resulting frozen food into bags or containers. Try to keep the container large enough for one serving so you can use the tomatoes straight away from the freezer. With frequent changes in temperature (warm-cold), tomatoes lose their shape and stick together.

Important! Frozen tomatoes can be stored in the freezer for 8-12 months.

Defrosting and use

For cooking, defrost only whole tomatoes. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, then cut and add to the dish. Place the stuffed tomatoes in the oven immediately so they don’t lose their shape. Tomato paste, pulp, puree, and chopped tomatoes do not need to be defrosted before adding to a dish.

Now in winter you can easily prepare many dishes:

• stuffed tomatoes in the oven;
• borscht or soup with fresh tomatoes (tomato pieces, in the form of paste);
• vegetable stew, stew (tomato puree);
• casserole, pasta sauce (vegetables frozen in small cubes);
• Thinly sliced ​​tomatoes are more suitable for layered vegetable casserole;
• salad.

Pasta recipe with tomato puree

You will need:

• 200 g spaghetti;
• 200 g frozen tomato puree;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 150 g hard cheese;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil;
• salt, pepper, seasonings to taste.

Thaw the tomato puree, add chopped garlic and place in a hot frying pan with olive oil. Rinse spaghetti, boiled until al dente, and place in a frying pan. Add salt and spices to taste. A mixture of Italian herbs goes well with this dish. Simmer without a lid until excess liquid evaporates.

Sprinkle the finished dish with grated cheese before serving.

Conclusion

Before the advent of large freezers, tomatoes were salted, pureed, juiced, ketchuped, rolled into sterile jars and stored in the cellar. Now everything is much simpler. Because it's freezing! This method has many advantages: taste, vitamins are preserved, and it is convenient to store. The housewife spends less effort and time, and the result exceeds expectations.