Not every tomato harvest lines up with the time it takes to can. Some weeks you just need to get the tomatoes out of the kitchen and into the freezer before they go soft on the counter. The good news: freezing tomatoes is one of the easiest ways to preserve a harvest, and frozen tomatoes are genuinely useful all winter long — no fancy equipment required.
The Simplest Method: Whole Freezing
If you’re short on time, this is the way to go:
- Wash and dry the tomatoes completely.
- Core out the stem end with a paring knife.
- Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, a few hours or overnight.
- Transfer to freezer bags once frozen, pressing out as much air as possible.
Freezing them first on a sheet pan keeps them from turning into one giant tomato block, so you can pull out just what you need later.
For more ideas of what to freeze this season ➡️ Check out my Ultimate Freezer guide
The Skins Will Slip Right Off
One of the best parts about frozen tomatoes: run a frozen tomato under warm water for a few seconds and the skin slides right off, no blanching required. This makes frozen tomatoes an easy shortcut any time a recipe calls for peeled tomatoes.
A Slightly More Prepped Option
If you have a little extra time, cook the tomatoes down into a simple sauce or puree before freezing. This saves freezer space and means the hard part is already done when you go to use it. Freeze in portioned containers or flat in freezer bags so they thaw quickly and stack easily.
How to Use Frozen Tomatoes Later
This is where the real payoff is — a freezer full of tomatoes is a shortcut through the whole winter:
- Soups and stews — drop whole frozen tomatoes directly into a simmering pot; they break down as they cook
- Pasta sauce — thaw, peel, and cook down with garlic and herbs for a fast weeknight sauce
- Chili — frozen tomatoes go straight into the pot, no thawing needed
- Braises and pan sauces — a couple of frozen tomatoes deepen the flavor of almost anything simmering on the stove
A Few Notes
- Frozen tomatoes go soft and watery once thawed, so they’re best in cooked dishes, not fresh salads or sandwiches.
- Label bags with the date — most frozen tomatoes are best used within about 8–12 months for flavor, though they stay safe well beyond that.
- If your freezer space is tight, cooking tomatoes down before freezing is the better use of that space.
- Create a list of what you are putting up in the freezer and pantry to ensure they get used. ➡️ Grab a pantry and canning inventory log
Freezing tomatoes is one of those preserving methods that feels almost too easy, but it’s saved more weeknight dinners around here than I can count. Do you freeze whole or cook yours down first?
