To help keep tomatoes fresh longer, first rinse with cold water. After they have completely dried, microwave them for six seconds. If you microwave more than one at a time, make sure the tomatoes are not touching one another. If they touch, they will begin cooking. This microwave trick works for both freshly harvested or store-bought tomatoes.

Microwaving onions or tomatoes in this manner kills bacteria and helps preserve the vegetables longer.

Freezing Tomatoes

Freeze without Blanching
Freezing tomatoes is very easy. You can wash them, dry them and simply put them in freezer bags. When thawed, the skins fall off easily. If you use your tomatoes in stews or crockpot recipes, you must thaw the tomatoes and remove the skins before putting them in the pot.

To avoid having skins at thaw time, blanch the tomatoes first, then freeze.

Freeze after Blanching

Blanching tomatoes is simple. Place them in boiling water long enough for the skins to crack and peel away (2 to 5 minutes).

Boil water in a large pot. (Stock pots are great for this).
Using tongs, place tomatoes in the pot one at a time.
As you add tomatoes, make sure to spin the ones already in the pot so that the surface of each tomato is covered or subjected to the hot water.

When cracks begin to appear on the tomato skins, use the tongs to take the tomatoes out.

If the tops of your tomatoes have green shoulders, the green part of the tomato will not peel. Cut that part off AFTER you blanch them and before you put the tomatoes into freezer bags.

Drain and cool. The skins will peel away easily. You can chop the tomatoes at this time, or simply put them whole in freezer bags and freeze.

I like to freeze them in the quart-sized freezer bags. Each bag holds two to four more tomatoes that you would find in a 14 oz can of tomatoes. I do not squish the tomatoes into the bag; rather just press them comfortably together.

Having some of the tomatoes chopped in the freezer saves time later; however chopping them is messy (juice runs all over the place!) It is easier to chop them partially thawed just before use.

Green Tomatoes
Freezing tomatoes should work with green tomatoes also, but I have never tried. I’m not certain how well they would peel using either method. (Many people like to eat fried green tomatoes.) I do not think the green tomatoes would be very good for frying after being frozen, but they could be used in stews or sauces.