Drowning in summer tomatoes? If your garden is overflowing and you’re not ready to can, freezing is the easiest way to save the harvest — without wasting a single tomato. It buys you time, keeps waste down, and makes canning even easier when you’re ready.
Why Freeze Whole Tomatoes Before Canning?
- Saves time – Freezing lets you put off canning until cooler days or less chaotic weeks.
- Skins slip right off – After freezing, the skins peel easily when thawed — no blanching needed.
- Less pressure during harvest – You can preserve tomatoes at peak ripeness without needing to can them immediately.
- Helps reduce waste – Freezing gives you a simple solution when you’ve harvested more than you can use fresh.
Should You Peel or Core First?
Pro Tip from a Dietitian
Important: If you’re freezing tomatoes whole or halved, there’s no need to core them first. In fact, freezing makes those steps easier later:
- Peels: Once thawed, the skins will loosen and slip off with very little effort — no boiling water or ice baths required.
- Cores: You can leave the cores in if you’re freezing whole or halved tomatoes. Remove them later during thawing if you don’t want them in your sauce or salsa. If you’re tight on freezer space, coring and chopping can help them pack down smaller.
- Tip: A small paring knife makes coring easy later when the tomatoes are soft.
How to Freeze Tomatoes (Step-by-Step)
- Sort and Wash
Choose ripe (but not overripe) tomatoes. Rinse well to remove dirt and debris. - Optional: Core or Cut
- If you’re short on freezer space or want quicker thawing later, halve or quarter the tomatoes and remove cores now.
- Otherwise, you can freeze them whole.
- Optional: Deseed using a food mill.Â
- Bag and Freeze
- Place tomatoes in freezer-safe bags or containers.
- Press out as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. If I am only freezing tomatoes for temporary storage (before canning), I use a straw to suck out available air, to limit oxygen present that can decay food.
- Label with the date and type of tomato (e.g. cherry, Roma, slicer).
- Lay flat in the freezer so they stack and thaw more evenly later.
Bonus Tip: Freeze on a Sheet Pan First
For easier handling later, freeze tomatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan before transferring to bags. This is especially helpful for smaller tomatoes, like cherry or cut tomatoes, which release more liquid and tend to clump when frozen directly in bags.
Freezing in a single layer helps prevent clumping and makes it easier to grab just what you need.
How to Use Frozen Tomatoes for Canning
When you’re ready to can:
- Thaw in the fridge, ideally in a colander with a plate to catch liquid.
- Peel and core if you didn’t already.
- Drain excess liquid if your recipe requires a thicker sauce.
- Then proceed with your favorite salsa, sauce, or crushed tomato recipe.
Important Safety Note: Always use a tested canning recipe and adjust for acidity if needed.
What about the texture of thawed tomatoes?
Frozen tomatoes lose their fresh texture — they’ll be soft once thawed.
Great for: tomato sauce, chili, tomato soup, stews, shakshuka. They’re not ideal for fresh use, like slicing into salads.
Why this method preserves more than just time
Freezing can help preserve nutrients better than canning in some cases. While both methods cause some nutrient loss, water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and folate degrade more with heat than with freezing. According to research on vegetable storage and preservation, freezing retains higher amounts of vitamin C compared to heat-processed methods like canning.
With that said, it’s important to point out that you’re likely to cook the tomatoes at a later date, so heat will likely be applied at some point, unless you make my favorite fermented salsa recipe!
Want to go the extra mile? Try a vacuum sealer
Vacuum sealing frozen tomatoes helps reduce air exposure, slowing oxidation and freezer burn. If you’re stocking up for winter, it’s worth the investment to keep flavor and nutrients intact longer.
Step-by-step Video Tutorial
Freezing tomatoes before canning gives you flexibility, reduces food waste, and simplifies your preservation workflow. Whether you’re short on time or just prefer to batch your kitchen projects, this method is a small shift that makes a big impact during peak harvest.🎥 Watch the step-by-step video here
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