O.k. I have a bunch of tomatoes. Both red and orange. I HAVE to do something with them. I'm the only one in the house who will eat a live tomato (YUM!). The guys did NOT like my spaghetti sauce that I made last year.

Freezing is what I'm thinking, but I need some guidelines or help - got any? I know that if I'm planning to cook the tomatoes later, it's not a problem freezing them. My foodsaver and I are ready to go!

Linda

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
The skins slide right off when defrosted.

OMG! I am so happy to know this. I have been blanching, removing skin and then freezing as I thought that I'd not been easily able to remove the skins once they'd been frozen.
The things I learn here...

When mother had a garden she froze tomatoes all the time.
She says she did not blanche them, just dipped them in boiling water for a second to make the skins slip off easily and then cut them in random chunks and froze them.
You can't make sandwiches or salads with them after they thaw but they are good in soups & stews, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Tayhudson:
Do they travel well? Say by UPS or Fed Ex to places such as Georgia???

Dawn

They seem pretty thin skinned to me. I asked them, but they just blushed. LOL

lmj

Do they travel well? Say by UPS or Fed Ex to places such as Georgia???

Dawn

I've washed them and frozen them whole. I didn't bother blanching and taking the skins off. They are mushy when defrosted... but still tastier than super market tomatoes. The skins slide right off when defrosted.

For those who are over burdened with tomatoes, I have three suggestions:

1. Share with the food pantry in your town...
2. Share with your non-gardening friends.
3. Freeze them. Not hard, blanch, as in hot water till the skins break away from the meat of the tomatoe, put in an ice cold bath of water and ice cubes. Then you can run them through the food processor, for sauce, or freeze whole. Great for winter dishes when you get tired of canned.

I've never frozen them, but maybe if you crush them you'll have instant sauce base. I don't know how they thaw.

Save a few and try a caprese sandwich or tomato-avocado salsa. My current fave is tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and a sprinkle of red onion on toasted dark rye bread. Needs no marg. The salsa is just tomato, avocado, red onion and a drizzle of lime juice.

I don't know nuttin' about freezin' no tomatahs, but you gotta at least make bruschetta with some of the fresh ones before you freeze! I LOVE bruschetta....YUMMO!

Rachael Ray has some great stuffed tomato recipes. One of them I am determined to try this week. It has ricotta, parm/reggiano, salt, pepper, lemon zest and bake to yumm. Check it out at the foodnetwork site.

Here's a link. It's pretty straightforward. This is basically what my CSA told me last year.

Peg

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/tomato.html