What are the best methods to preserve excess tomatoes?
Written by
Tina Carter
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.In the realm of producing glut of tomatoes, the method you choose has to correspond with what you plan to do with them: Freezing for flavourful sauces, canning for conveniently shelved, ready-to-use ingredients; sun-drying for sweet snacking as-is and pickling for green-tomato relish at any time of the year. Each will preserve different qualities of the tomatoes and create other ways to enjoy them in the months to come.
Freezing Advantages
- Retains 90% of fresh tomato flavor when frozen raw
- Minimal prep time: wash, dry, freeze whole on trays
- Ideal for later use in sauces, soups, and stews
- No special equipment beyond freezer bags
Canning Superiority
- Creates shelf-stable products lasting 12-18 months
- Preserves texture better than freezing for whole tomatoes
- Acidic environment prevents bacterial growth safely
- Allows creative infusions with herbs and spices
Freezing whole tomatoes. When cooking is the intention, you can wash firm fruit, dry it thoroughly, and freeze it in a single layer on baking sheets, then pack it in bags. Upon thawing, the skins will slip off tomatoes intended for making sauce. The texture will deteriorate, but the flavor should remain bright for several months; ideally, use them within six months.
Canned tomatoes are one product that can be hazardous if the processing procedure is not followed correctly. Select rather acidic tomatoes, such as the Roma variety, which contain citric acid. Process pints in boiling water for 45 minutes. Seals should be examined daily for the first week, and any containers with cloudy liquid or bulging lids should be discarded without fail. Properly prepared canned tomatoes keep in good condition for more than a year.
Sun-Drying Concentrates the Flavor. Slice the meat ¼ inch thick and sprinkle it lightly with salt. Turn out onto a screen rack in the full sun for four days, turning it from side to side twice a day. Cover and pour into olive oil with bits of garlic and herbs. The dried fruit is chewy and packed with concentrated flavor, perfect for sauces, pizza, and flatbreads.
Make your own Tomato paste. Put your tomatoes through a juicer, boil the juice for five hours, reducing it to a thick paste, and put thin layers on the sheets of your dryer. Powder that stuff in a blender and you have instant flavor. This method saves space and keeps most nutrients intact.
Read the full article: When to Harvest Tomatoes for Best Flavor
