Can I freeze fresh orange tomatoes?

Question

We decided to try to grow a vegetable garden this year and we have done very well in the tomato department. I don't want to only enjoy a week's worth of homegrown tomatoes and then have to start buying them from the store again, and I don't want to can them either. So can I freeze them whole?

Answer 1

Yes, you sure can freeze them. Cut them up in small portions or just freeze the smaller ones whole.

They're good for soups & stews, veggie dishes.\

You can also slice up the fresh green ones, dip in egg mixture & flour & sautee until slightly brown. Or sautee them without the breading. They're delicious that way.

Answer 2

When I use to have a bigger garden than I do now, I would freeze tomatoes but I would core them and run them briefly in a food processor first and then put them in zip-loc bags. I even left the skins on. I would use them to make spaghetti sauce. Then later on I decided to just make lot and lots of sauce and freeze that instead. To me that worked better since I made so much at once and had it ready to just take out of the freezer when I wanted it. The sauce had less moisture in it also because it had cooked down already.

Answer 3

Ripe tomatoes are about 97% water. Freezing them will cause them to burst. It won't effect the taste, but the texture will be gone, as will the ability to slice them.

Answer 4

Depending on the size, you can decide if you should or not. If they are small, the whole inside will get frozen and taste watery. If not, they'll last a little longer.

Answer 5

Yes, they freeze very well, but they won't be like fresh. Here's a couple of links for more info.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ687.html

http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingtomatoes.htm

Answer 6

yes you can freeze them but they will only be suitable for soups and stews when you defrost them