What Should I Do with Frozen Tomatoes?

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer at The Kitchn
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer (and The Kitchn's Dinner Therapist), with more than 10 years professional experience. Since graduating from The French Culinary Institute, I've authored 3 cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen.
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published Nov 25, 2015
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Q: I am new to freezing fresh tomatoes. I put them in the freezer bag, and when I took one out and set it in a bowl on the counter, it was a runny mess and didn’t seem edible — even for soup or stew. Do you have any helpful advice?

I probably have 80 to 100 wonderful Early Girl tomatoes frozen that were so delicious eaten over the summer.

Sent by Barbara

Editor: While tomatoes can certainly be frozen as a method of preservation, their texture, as you recently discovered, isn’t quite the same once they thaw. Unfortunately there’s no way to save the fresh, just-picked taste. However, frozen tomatoes do work well in sauces and stews. As you simmer the sauce or stew all that extra water will evaporate, leaving you with fresh tomato taste. Alternatively, you could consider cooking the tomatoes into a tomato sauce, and then freezing that.

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Kitchn readers, do you have any tips on the best way to preserve tomatoes?

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Ingredient
Tomatoes
Vegetables