Freezer Tomatoes

One family can only eat so many tomatoes.  And, my family has a TON of tomatoes thanks to an amazing neighbor.

Here are the three boxes of tomatoes our neighbor brought over.  That’s some serious tomatoes! :)  Since the tomatoes in my garden did horrible this year, I was super thrilled…and then totally overwhelmed!

My initial plan was to dice the tomatoes and then freeze them, but that is a LOT of work!  So, I opted for freezing them whole. 

Ready to freeze your own tomatoes?

Wash your tomatoes (don’t worry about removing the stem or skin spots now) and then drop them into boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  (This blanching process will make removing the skins super easy!)

Transfer tomatoes into a colander to cool.  Be careful, they are SUPER hot!

After your tomatoes have had a chance to cool, cut out the stem and core of the tomato using a small knife.  As you remove the stem, the skin will slide right off!  Love it!

Now, add the whole (or diced) tomatoes to freezer bags and seal, making sure all of the air is removed.  Freeze flat so the tomatoes take up less room in your freezer.

Now, you’ll have tomatoes all winter for your favorite chili or soup recipe!