Cherry tomatoes...can I freeze them?

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suziquzie

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Can I freeze them to throw in my tomato sauce later or would it not be worth the work?
I have over 2 pounds worth, I'll be using some for kebobs tonight, but DH doesnt eat them so not many. Other than snacking on them for a week straight I'm not sure I can use them up... they were buy one get one free, and I wanted 1 anyway so why not take the free one!
 
Slice several and make a tomato sammich out of the little devils...plenty of Hellman's...S&P....let the juice run down off your chin...down your elbows its better...Come to think of it...ya better make two!

A cold pasta salad with lots of 1/2's.....

In short...I wouln't freeze them personally!
 
Freezing them whole will be fine, though they will only be good for sauce-related meals since they will be mushy when thawed. Clean, dry, and flash freeze before packing into a ziplock bag so they won't become one big lump.

When you pull them out, run under some hot water and the skin will just peel off.

Alternatively, put them in a blender (skin and all) and puree. Pour in to a silicon muffin pan to flash freeze in small portions, then store in ziploc bag.
 
There is a flavor component in tomatoes that is destroyed when the tomatoes go below 50 (I think it is 50) degrees F. For that reason alone, I would not freeze them.
 
There is a flavor component in tomatoes that is destroyed when the tomatoes go below 50 (I think it is 50) degrees F. For that reason alone, I would not freeze them.
I would love a reputable reference to that if you can find it. I'm doing some Google searches since the question came up and I'm not finding the negative situation.

Instead every place tends to confirm freezing small tomatoes whole and larger tomatoes by cutting in to quarters.
 
This one does not say why, but does say not to go below 50. So you don't have to search through the whole thing here is the part that says it...

If kept in the house, expose them to a south window, and rotate them regularly to give uniform light. Daily temperatures should be kept below 80 degrees Fahrenheit but not lower than 50 degrees.
 
Here is one source I was able to find.
Here is another.
Interesting references, but the subject here is about "freezing", not general refrigeration storage. Not the same thing.

Refrigeration is generally at 33°F-40°F which is why the general rule is NEVER refrigerate tomatoes since they need to be kept at a higher temperature to remain fresh.

Freezing, however, is a totally different issue.
 
If you read the other references you will see that it is not just about keeping them fresh, but to keep them from having the sugars destroyed. This happens at temps below 50. Last I checked, freezing is below 50 :LOL:
 
I'm saddened that you obviously do not know/understand the difference between refrigerated and frozen, but my final statement is from a university website (with the link) and I will leave it up to the others to decide for themselves what they can or cannot do with their tomatoes.

"Freezing Tomatoes Tomatoes may be frozen whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Additionally, you can freeze them raw or cooked, as juice or sauce, or prepared in the recipe of your choice. Thawed raw tomatoes may be used in any cooked-tomato recipe. Do not try to substituted them for fresh tomatoes, however, since freezing causes their texture to become mushy. Tomatoes should be seasoned just before serving rather than before freezing; freezing may either strengthen or weaken seasonings such as garlic, onion, and herbs."
Freezing Raw Tomatoes (with and without their skins)
 
I am not debating that you can't safely freeze tomatoes, as your link is saying. What I am saying is that when a tomato drops below 50 degrees F then the flavor suffers. Your link is not talking about flavor quality. It is talking safety. The safety was never in question. The quality of the flavor was.

The tomato does not care that the temp drop was from sitting in a fridge, freezer or on a counter top in NE in the winter when the heat goes off. 50 degrees is 50 degrees.

And yes I do understand the difference between refrigerated and frozen :glare:
 
Let me amend my original statement, as I did not read close enough. I would rather freeze them then let them go to waste so I should not have said that for that reason alone I would not freeze them. I do stand by my statement though that the flavor will change (assuming they have not already been held below 50).
 
I agree with jennyema, the puree frozen sounds great. I'm not sure about over 2 pounds worth of it, but a good portion of the tomatoes for it. The puree can be good for all sorts of things too... I'm thinkin right now of a grilled cheese with the puree as a spread. Mmmm. *mouthwaters*
 
I agree with jennyema, the puree frozen sounds great. I'm not sure about over 2 pounds worth of it, but a good portion of the tomatoes for it. The puree can be good for all sorts of things too... I'm thinkin right now of a grilled cheese with the puree as a spread. Mmmm. *mouthwaters*

That gets my vote! I love a slice of tomato on a grilled cheese! Oh, off topic, sorry.
 
Actualy, I was looking for what I could do with them besides freezing them, that's why I started this in the "I have these ingredients" forum.... so it really wasn't off topic!
Thanks everyone. Starting to look like a thawing poultry thread......
 
THIS THREAD HAS BEEN SPLIT!

There was some "executive level" "confusion over the intent of the OP's question ... so it has been split.

We will leave this thread to discuss the topic of freezing tomatoes

Alternative uses for cherry tomatoes (other than freezing) has been moved back to the original "I only have these ingredients..." forum as: Cherry Tomatoes
 
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