Putting Up Tomatoes, the Easy Way

Starting in mid-July, I have more tomatoes than I and my family can eat. Figuring out what to do with the surplus harvest is a problem that I, and many other people who grow tomatoes, have every summer.

Many people, most of them more industrious than me, resort to canning. But with two kids, a husband, and a full-time job, I just don't have the time for that. I've cut corners by using my chest freezer to store the extra tomatoes.

Almost any type of tomato works well for freezing, but I grow Italian plum-type tomatoes specifically to freeze them. After tomatoes are frozen their texture changes. This makes them useful mainly for soups and cooked sauces. That is, however, not all that different than canned tomatoes.

Frozen tomatoes, if treated and stored properly, will still have that great tomato flavor everyone loves from summer. And they'll be far superior to the supermarket tomatoes you'll find in January.

Here's how I freeze my tomatoes and use them during those long winter months.

First, I wash the tomatoes and check them for signs of rot or other problems. Though the requirements for freezing might not be as stringent as for canning, why invite trouble? I avoid imperfections, particularly rot, that might interfere with food preservation.

After I wash the tomatoes, I make sure they are completely dry. I lay them out on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. This requires that you have a freezer large and wide enough for a whole cookie sheet. If there's no room, try several smaller pans. Freezing tomatoes individually in this manner ensures that they will not stick together during storage.

When the tomatoes are completely frozen, I transfer them to zippered one-quart freezer bags such as those made by Ziploc or Glad. Using thicker zippered bags helps prevent freezer burn. I lay the bags flat in a freezer that is opened infrequently, such as a chest freezer. Using smaller bags allows me to portion the tomatoes as I use them.

When I use the tomatoes, I cook them in soups and stews. You can drop whole, frozen tomatoes straight into the pot. Sometimes, however, a little more preparation is necessary or preferable.

Some people don't like their tomatoes with the skins on (this doesn't bother me). If you'd like to skin your frozen tomatoes, thaw them partially in warm water. When the outer layer of the tomato has defrosted, rub off the skin. The rest of the tomato, still frozen, will remain undisturbed. You can then drop this into the pot.

Making crushed tomatoes is easy, and a fun project for boys. Microwave a one-quart bag of tomatoes to partially thaw them. Then lay the bag, closed, on your countertop. Ask your son to beat it with a rolling pin. I guarantee you that he'll do a fine job of crushing them.