Note:  This blog was originally published with the Glencoe Community Garden.  I am reprinting it here because it contains some wonderful ways to use all those tomatoes we have this time of year.  By preserving them now we get tomatoes that are at their height of flavor and nutrition.  I also added another way to preserve their goodness (see Tip #4 below!)

We had a wonderful group in the garden recently, talking about tomatoes, of all things.  Yes, it is that time of the year.  We are beginning to see the start of another abundant tomato harvest.  We talked about how to know when to pick a tomato, how to store it for maximum freshness and taste, even how to hasten the ripening process if your fruit is still green (yes, we even talked about the fact that tomatoes are biologically a berry, not a vegetable!)

If you are one of those who love tomatoes and want to take advantage of this fruit at the peak of its flavor and goodness, now is the time to buy them, when prices are low and they are in abundance. 

You don’t have to eat them all at once either!  Here is a summary of some of the storage ideas we talked about.

 

3 tips  for storing tomatoes to use later on in the year.

1. Freeze them.

That’s right.  You can freeze tomatoes and the process is rather simple.

Freeze them whole.  If you have smaller tomatoes, the simplest thing to do is wash them and remove the top core with a knife.  At this point you can choose to blanch them to remove the skins (see instructions below) or you can just freeze them in their skins.  When thawed the skins will be loose and should slip right off.  To freeze, just lay them out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and place them into the freezer until frozen.  Then place the frozen tomatoes in a zip-lock bag, making sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.

Dice them.  You may choose to pre-chop your clean tomatoes before freezing.  This is especially helpful if they are large.  Just dice them into 1 inch pieces (or smaller), lay them out on a cookie sheet, as proceed as above.

Puree them.  For this process, wash your tomatoes, cutting them into smaller pieces if they are large (1-2 inch pieces are fine) and puree them in your food processor.  Scoop the puree into zip-lock bags, making sure to press out any excess air before sealing.  It is helpful to label the bag (preferably before filling it!) with the amount of added puree.   Three- 4 cups is a good amount for a tomato sauce recipe.

2. Cook them.

Roasting is a great way to impart a richer, sweeter flavor to your tomatoes before freezing them.  It also allows you to add seasonings. 

To roast your tomatoes, wash and chop them as above.  Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and/or basil, drizzle with olive oil and roast at 300 °F until juices have evaporated.  This may take a while, an hour or more, depending on the size and amount of tomatoes that you are roasting.  It is best to check on them periodically and stir them to allow for even roasting.  Remove from oven when fragrant and soft.  At this point you can use them for any recipe calling for roasted tomatoes, or let them cool and put into zip-lock bags for freezing, as mentioned above.

Make tomato paste.  You can easily convert your tomatoes into tomato paste.  Roma or plum tomatoes are great for this purpose.  They contain more flesh and less liquid than other varieties.  Wash, chop and place on cookie sheet, as for roasting.  You can add chopped onion and fresh minced garlic as well.  Place in 350 degree oven until the tomatoes begin to soften (about 15 minutes, depending on size and amount).  Remove from oven and puree everything in a food processor.  Pour into a shallow casserole dish and return mixture to the oven.  Here’s where the flavors will start to develop.  Continue to roast the mixture (1 to 1 ½ more), stirring occasionally, until it has thickened to a paste consistency.

To store your tomato paste, let cool and then spoon into ice cube trays (sprayed with olive oil to help them slide out more easily when frozen).  Each cube will be about 1 tablespoon, ready for your next recipe!

3. Blanch them.

Blanching is a quick, easy way to remove the skin from the tomato.  This is desirable when you are not cooking the tomatoes and would prefer not to have the rough texture of the skin in a recipe (such as gazpacho).  Wash your tomatoes and remove the core.  Then, on the bottom of the tomato (opposite of the core end) cut a shallow “x” into the skin.  It just needs to break the skin and not cut into the flesh.  Now plunge your tomatoes into a pot of rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove with slotted spoon and immediately plunge into an ice water bath for 30 seconds.  At this point they should be cool enough to remove with your hands.  The skins should slide off easily.  If not, repeat the process:  boilng water, ice water, remove skin.  Your tomatoes are now ready to be used or frozen.

4. Dehydrate them.

Since first writing this article, I have become a fan of dehydrated foods.  I make crackers, raisins, fruit leathers, dried herbs, you name it and I have probably tried it!  It is also a great way to preserve tomatoes!  If you don't have a dehydrating machine, you can use your oven at its absolute lowest temperature setting - 120°F or lower is best.


Bonus!  Here is a light refreshing recipe for Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho.  It combines two fruits high in lycopene, watermelon and tomato! The recipe calls for red pepper flakes which gives it a little kick and helps cool us down in the heat of the summer, but if you leave it out this can double as a refreshing, energizing smoothie! Let me know which way you prefer it!
 

Tomato Watermelon Gazpacho