Tomatoes for soup for the winter in the freezer. How long do they last in the freezer?

If you are wondering how to freeze tomatoes for the winter and whether they are frozen at all, this article will give a detailed answer. It's no secret that tomatoes are the product that you want to see on the table. all year round. And it’s a shame when in winter you have to be content with only tomato paste or canned tomatoes.

What to do? I’ll say right away that you can and even should freeze tomatoes. This vegetable retains its properties perfectly when frozen. Of course, you shouldn’t think that you can make a salad from these frozen tomatoes. However, soups, pizzas, vegetable casseroles and much more can be prepared from these tomatoes all year round.

For each case, we can prepare tomatoes separately. What does it mean? For example, for pizza we freeze tomatoes in slices. Such a semi-finished product will serve us wonderfully natural additive. In addition, the circles are suitable for cooking vegetable casseroles, pies or stews. It’s also worth connecting your culinary fantasy and figure out where else you can use this product. And for borscht, sauces, and gravy we will freeze tomato puree.

It is best to take tomatoes that are not too juicy for these purposes. Perfect suitable variety"cream". Such fruits cut well and do not leak. This means they will freeze well and not lose their shape.

So, wash the tomatoes and dry them a little. Then cut into circles about 0.5 cm thick. Place all the circles in one layer on parchment laid on a tray or cutting board. Parchment in in this case is very important, because without it the vegetables will stick to the board or spread. And tomatoes can be easily removed from it.

Now we send the tray with tomato slices to the freezer. Once the tomatoes are firm, you can transfer them to a plastic container with a lid or a ziploc bag. But you can simply pack it in a regular bag, tie it tightly and let out the air.

How to freeze tomatoes for borscht

Can be done. Or you can freeze only tomatoes for borscht. The main thing is to have freezer free space. This option for freezing tomatoes is incredibly convenient because we avoid canning and prepare portions, which is important. After all, we often need not large number. And you have to open a whole jar tomato preparation. Sometimes the balance in the bank simply disappears without waiting in the wings.

So, I suggest freezing tomato juice. The first thing to do is squeeze the juice out of the tomatoes. In this case, the tomatoes can be juicy. Then they will make excellent juice. You can also get fleshy tomatoes, but there will be a lot of pulp, which is also very good.

Received tomato juice pour into molds. I have small silicone ones for cupcakes. As it turns out, they are good for freezing juice. It can be added to a small pot of soup or stew in the future. In general, we’ll figure out where to use this tomato “ice cream” in winter. And now we are making a semi-finished product. Place the filled molds in the freezer. Let it harden well. Then transfer the pieces from the molds into a bag or container. We store it all winter and take it out when necessary. Throw the briquettes into hot dishes shortly before the end of cooking.

Frozen tomatoes for stuffing

In addition, tomatoes can also be frozen for stuffing. How to do this? Each fruit must be cored. Then place in a bag or spread with parchment in one layer. Let it freeze well and then transfer it to a permanent storage location. This could be a bag or container. In winter, we take out the tomatoes and rinse them cold water. And only then do we use it for its intended purpose, that is, stuff it with the chosen filling.

Freezing tomatoes in the freezer with peppers

If you want to immediately prepare tomatoes and peppers, I suggest finely chopping this vegetable and adding it to the prepared tomato juice. Mix and pour into molds. You can also use it as a form plastic container small volume.

In addition, you can cook tomato dressing with the addition of herbs and spices. To do this, add chopped herbs to the tomato juice and mix. Everything is ready! You can even pour this mixture into ice cube trays. Such bright ice cream will delight you throughout the cold season.

If earlier you asked the question: “Are tomatoes frozen?”, now you can choose a freezing method and start preparing this irreplaceable product for future use.

Can tomatoes be frozen? It’s not only possible, but even necessary if you want to have access to useful and delicious product. Of course, frozen tomatoes contain less vitamins than fresh ones. But they are much more useful than canned vegetables. If red aromatic fruits are present in your diet all year round, the following positive changes will occur in the body:

• intestinal motility is normalized;
• blood composition will improve;
• the functioning of the heart and blood vessels is normalized;
• the risk of cancer will decrease;
• general well-being will improve;
• performance will increase;
• hair, nails and teeth will become stronger;
• immunity will be strengthened;
• metabolism will speed up.

What is better: freezing or buying fresh in the off-season

With the development of trade, housewives began to pay less attention to household preparations. Indeed, why freeze tomatoes if they are sold in the supermarket all year round? fresh fruits. But are they as tasty and healthy as it seems at first glance? The table shows comparative characteristics of homemade frozen vegetables and fresh imported fruits from the supermarket.

Table - Comparative characteristics frozen and fresh vegetables

Research has shown that freezing increases the activity of some antioxidants. Due to the disruption of the fiber structure, the bioavailability of substances increases.

8 rules for tasty and healthy preparation

Until a certain point, there was confidence that freezing did not affect chemical composition products. But, thanks to fundamental research, it became clear that such an impact leads to structural changes. Only shock freezing, used in industrial enterprises, allows you to preserve the maximum of nutrients and the texture of the product, close to the original.

Unfortunately, most home refrigerators, with the exception of the most modern models, cannot provide high-quality freezing. Cooling occurs very slowly, which leads to the formation of large ice crystals between the fibers. This leads to the fact that when thawing, vegetables lose their shape, and most of the nutrients leave with the water. Nevertheless, this option for home preparation does not lose popularity. To preserve taste and minimize vitamin losses, take into account eight recommendations on how to properly freeze tomatoes for the winter.

1. Prepare fresh food. Ideally, no more than six hours should pass from the moment of picking tomatoes in the garden to placing them in the freezer.
2. Choose quality tomatoes. Fruits without stains, mold, rot or mechanical damage are suitable for harvesting.
3. Wash vegetables thoroughly. Tomatoes need to be rinsed three times under running water so that no soil particles remain. Be sure to remove the stems.
4. Decide on the volume. One container or bag should contain exactly as many tomatoes as you can use at one time. Plus, a small batch will freeze faster.
5. Limit air access. If you freeze fruits in a container, it must have a lid. The air from the bags must be removed as much as possible and sealed.
6. Do not overfill the container. As tomatoes freeze, they expand slightly in volume. They can lift the lid and allow air to enter.
7. Label the container. Frozen foods become covered with white frost, and it is not always possible to determine by eye what exactly is in the container. Therefore, stickers with the name of the workpiece and the date of manufacture must be affixed to each container.
8. Do not refreeze. If the product has thawed, it should be consumed immediately. Repeated freezing makes vegetables useless and absolutely tasteless.

To freeze fresh tomatoes for the winter, stock up on special bags with an airtight zipper. You can make do with improvised means. Having placed the workpiece in the bag, iron its edges through a layer of fabric or paper.

How to freeze tomatoes for the winter: 5 ways

Considering that tomatoes are used in the most different dishes, it is not surprising that housewives have come up with many options for freezing tomatoes in the freezer for the winter. Analyze your usual menu and choose the options that suit you best.

Entirely

Peculiarities. Freezing whole tomatoes is a versatile option. The product can be cut into slices, circles, finely chopped, stuffed or processed into juice. For harvesting, it is better to choose small fruits with a minimum number of seeds. The optimal varieties are “Cherry” and “Cream”.

How to do

1. Wash the tomatoes and remove the stems.
2. Dry the tomatoes to prevent them from sticking together while freezing.
3. Place the fruits in a bag or container.
4. Place the preparation in the freezer.

Don't try to freeze green tomatoes for the winter. When thawed they will turn to mush. In addition, due to the bitter taste, the product will be difficult to “fit” into some dishes.

Without peel

Peculiarities. When frozen, the fiber structure of vegetables changes. The pulp becomes looser, but the peel remains just as tough. Few people will like such dissonance. To save yourself a lot of hassle in the future, remove the skins from the fruit before freezing. It is better to use miniature cherry tomatoes.

How to do

1. Wash the fruits and remove the stems.
2. Make a small cross-shaped cut in the peel.
3. Place the fruits in boiling water for half a minute, then immediately pour cold water over them.
4. Remove the peel.
5. Place a plastic bag or wrap around the cutting board cling film.
6. Place the prepared fruits on the surface, cover them with film or a bag and put them in the freezer for a day.
7. Transfer the tomatoes to containers or bags and place them back in the freezer.

Tomatoes thaw at room temperature in 15-20 minutes. It is important that they are defrosted in a non-metallic container, away from light and heat sources.

In circles

Peculiarities. Tomatoes, cut into slices, are ideal option for pizza. At the right time, remove the dough from the freezer and place it on the dough. It is important that tomatoes do not need to be defrosted, and this significantly saves time.

How to do

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into slices 1-1.5 cm thick. Judging by the reviews, if the plates are thin, they will become limp when thawed.
2. Wrap the cutting board with film, lay the workpiece in one layer, cover with cellophane and place in the freezer for five to six hours.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a container or bag and put them back in the freezer.

If you plan to use tomatoes for salads, freeze them in slices. To preserve the texture of vegetables as much as possible, defrost them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for about 12 hours.

Pieces

Peculiarities. For lovers of vegetable stews, it is convenient to freeze tomatoes in small pieces. Just take the product out of the freezer and add it to the dish you are preparing. It is important to use juicy and fleshy tomatoes.

How to do

1. Cut each tomato into quarters and remove the seeds.
2. Chop the pulp into cubes.
3. Place the workpiece in one layer on a board covered with film. Cover the product with a bag on top and place it in the freezer for three to four hours.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a bag or container and freeze them again.
5. If it is not important for the cubes to be crumbly, put the tomatoes in a bag immediately after cutting and freeze.

If you are planning to cook a dish with frozen tomatoes, keep in mind that they reach readiness twice as fast as fresh ones. Add the tomatoes last.

Tomato "tablets"

Peculiarities. If you like tomato flavor in your dishes, the right solution is to freeze the tomatoes. Format vegetable ice very convenient for soup, borscht and sauces. Just take a couple of “tablets” out of the freezer and add to the dish you are preparing. And also this good way disposal of overripe and crushed tomatoes.

How to do

1. Wash the tomatoes, remove the sepals, cut out any spoiled fragments.
2. Pass the vegetables through a meat grinder. If you like smooth juice without peel and seeds, rub the puree through a sieve.
3. Divide the workpiece into small portions. The juice can be poured into ice or muffin molds, into cut bottoms plastic bottles and even into figured children's beads.
4. Place the preparation in the freezer for a day.
5. Remove the tomato “tablets” from the molds. If the ice does not come away from the walls well, dip the mold in boiling water for a couple of seconds.
6. Place the blanks in a container or bag and put them back in the freezer.

Tomato puree can be frozen in pure form or with flavoring additives. It could be bell pepper, fresh or dried herbs, grated garlic and onion.

Stuffed fruits

Active and busy people never have enough time to cook. Semi-finished products come to the rescue. But why buy products of dubious quality in the store if you can make delicious preparations on one's own? Set aside a few hours to prepare frozen tomatoes for the winter with delicious minced meat.

How to do

For stuffed semi-finished products, choose medium-sized, dense, fleshy tomatoes. The peel must be dense so that the fruit does not lose its shape after defrosting. The process of preparing semi-finished products consists of three stages.

1. Preparation. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stalk, cut off the “cap” and remove part of the pulp with seeds.
2. Filling and freezing. Fill the blanks with minced meat and place them in one layer on a cutting board covered with film. Cover the product with a bag and put it in the freezer for a day.
3. Packaging and storage. Transfer the workpiece into bags or containers and put it back in the freezer for no more than four months.

12 hours before cooking, you need to remove the tomatoes from the freezer and move them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Place the semi-finished product on a greased baking sheet vegetable oil, and bake for 20 minutes.

Filling options

The most important thing about stuffed tomatoes is that they are tasty and hearty filling. The table contains the most good options. The number of components is calculated for ten medium tomatoes.

Table - Best fillings for tomatoes

Baking stuffed tomatoes, a few minutes before they are ready, season them with a spoon of mayonnaise mixed with grated cheese. This will make the filling more juicy and tender.

What to look for when buying in a store

Housewives who have not yet acquired a refrigerator with a blast freezing function prefer to purchase frozen vegetables in the supermarket. There are five basic rules for a successful purchase.

1. Packing date. It should fall at the end of summer - beginning of autumn, when the largest tomato harvest is observed. If vegetables are packaged in winter or spring, it means they have been in the warehouse for a long time before freezing. And it’s not a fact that storage rules were followed.
2. Best before date. Do not buy a product whose expiration date exceeds six months. Most likely, it contains preservatives.
3. Friability. Feel and shake the bag of tomatoes well. The contents should be crumbly. If the pieces stick together into several or one large lump, it means the product is frozen. Snow inside the package is also a sign of re-cooling.
4. Storage conditions. There are usually thermometers on refrigerators in supermarkets. They should show a temperature no higher than -18°C.
5. Package. The bag of tomatoes should not have any mechanical damage, should not be wrinkled or foggy. A sign of package integrity is slight swelling.

Once you have selected quality frozen tomatoes, place the packaging in a plastic bag. Tie it so that an air cushion is formed inside. This will keep the product at a low temperature while you take it home.

Tomatoes appeared in Russia in 1780 at the instigation of Empress Catherine. However, the bright red fruits brought from Europe did not impress the nobles. They found the vegetables “not to taste right.” But after a few years, agronomist Andrei Bolotov convinced people that tomatoes were not only harmless, but also healthy, and their taste was easy to get used to. Since then, fragrant red fruits have firmly entered into Russian culture. culinary traditions. Recipes for frozen tomatoes for the winter will help you enjoy vegetables all year round interesting story and rich aroma.

Tomatoes do not lose their value all year round. Although they are considered summer vegetable, V winter time are also in demand. In winter, the taste properties are not as pronounced as in the summer, so resourceful housewives stock up on tomatoes from summer to winter. A common way to prepare tomatoes is freezing. Every housewife knows how to freeze tomatoes in the freezer for the winter.

Some people wonder whether it is possible to freeze tomatoes at all, whether they will lose their taste. Tomatoes are allowed to be frozen, and even necessary. Yes, some nutrients lose their potency when frozen, but frozen vegetables are much healthier for the body than canned tomatoes.

Regular consumption of tomatoes promotes positive changes in the human body:

• work is returning to normal gastrointestinal tract;
• blood is purified;
• the functioning of the cardiovascular system is stabilized;
• the general condition of the body improves;
• efficiency increases;
• the functioning of the immune system improves;
• hair, nails, teeth are strengthened;
• the risk of cancer is reduced;
• metabolic processes are carried out correctly.

Freezing vegetables for the winter will always allow you to diversify the dish, making it tastier and healthier.

Studies have shown that when a product is frozen, it loses up to 30% nutrients. This happens due to the lack of professional freezing equipment. Enterprises use shock freezing of products, which allows them to preserve maximum nutrients and vitamins.

Most even modern freezers do not provide fast freezing. The process of freezing products occurs quite slowly, which affects the further content of vitamins and minerals in them.

When defrosted, the product loses its original shape, and all microelements leave along with the water.

1. Should only be frozen fresh vegetables. The ideal time after the tomatoes are brought from the garden until freezing is 6 hours.
2. Tomatoes should not be rotten, wrinkled or otherwise damaged.
3. Tomatoes must be thoroughly washed under running water.
4. Tomatoes should be frozen in small batches. One container should contain one serving.
5. The container in which the tomatoes will be frozen must be sealed to prevent air from entering.
6. It is strictly forbidden to defrost and refreeze the product. To do this, you should label the container where frozen vegetables will be stored so that, if necessary, you can remove the desired product from the freezer.

On store shelves, special bags or containers for freezing are sold to ensure tightness and quality of storage.

Selection and preparation of suitable fruits

To ensure quality freezing, you need to carefully select the fruits. Tomatoes should be fresh and meaty. Preference should be given to tomatoes of medium ripeness. If they are overripe, they will lose their density, which is necessary for freezing the fruit.

Green tomatoes are also not suitable for freezing, as they do not have pronounced taste properties, in addition, they can give the dish a bitter taste.

Before purchasing a specific variety of tomatoes, you should choose the method in which the tomatoes will be frozen. For example, the cherry variety is suitable for freezing whole fruits.

High-quality freezing also depends on careful preparation of vegetables for it. When preparing tomatoes, you should follow a number of simple rules:

• Rinse the tomato fruits thoroughly under cool water;
• Place the tomatoes on paper towels to dry thoroughly;
• choose a freezing method.

When placing tomatoes in the freezer, place them on top of other foods to prevent them from losing their shape.

The freezer must maintain the optimal temperature for freezing vegetables. First you need to pre-freeze the vegetables, spreading them out on cling film, then distribute the tomatoes into portioned vegetable freezer bags and place in the freezer for long-term storage.

You should first prepare the place for freezing tomatoes in the freezer. Vegetables should be placed on top of other foods so that they do not lose their shape.

The best ways to freeze tomatoes at home

To prevent tomatoes from becoming shapeless and tasteless when frozen, you need to learn how to store them correctly. There are many in a variety of ways freezing tomatoes at home:

1. Whole fruits.
2. Slices without peel.
3. In pieces.
4. In the form tomato puree, frozen in molds.
5. Stuffed tomatoes.
6. Freezing tomatoes and peppers.
7. In the form of tomato juice.

Each housewife has her own freezing method. It is important to choose the best one for yourself, which will help diversify your favorite dish.

Whole fruits

Freezing whole fruits is quite simple. Cherry and Slivka tomato varieties are suitable for this freezing option.

Simply wash the vegetables under cool water and place them on paper towels to absorb the moisture. You can pre-freeze tomatoes. Then you should put the tomatoes in bags designed specifically for freezing and put them in the freezer for storage.

Slices without peel

The red vegetable can also be frozen without the peel. This method is used because after freezing the peel becomes harder, some people do not like this.

To properly freeze peeled tomatoes, do the following:

• wash the vegetables thoroughly;
• remove stems from vegetables;
• Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for half a minute, then rinse them with cold water;
• peel tomatoes;
• place the vegetables on film, covering the top with cellophane;
• pre-freeze vegetables in the freezer for 24 hours;
• Pack the frozen tomatoes in portions into freezer bags and place them in the freezer for further freezing.

In the future, frozen vegetables can be used to prepare first courses and salads. And also for stuffing.

Freezing tomatoes in slices is very useful for making pizza, sandwiches a quick fix. For this freezing option, it is enough to rinse the tomatoes well under cool water and let them dry. Then prepare the slices into thin circles and place them on cling film in the freezer. After preliminary freezing, place the circles in special bags for long-term storage.

Pieces

For this freezing method, you need to choose fleshy tomatoes with a hard skin. Cutting is done into cubes or thin slices. If you wish, you can peel the tomatoes. Vegetables are immediately distributed into freezer bags. Frozen tomato pieces are added directly to dishes without requiring prior defrosting.

Tomato puree, frozen in molds

For this method When frozen, juicy, even slightly overripe, tomatoes are used. Tomatoes are crushed in a meat grinder or using a blender. The finished tomato puree is poured into molds. Ordinary silicone molds for cupcakes or ice are used as molds.

To avoid the tomato leaking out of the mold, do not pour the puree to the very edge. Tomato puree is frozen for 8-10 hours, then removed from the molds in the form of frozen pieces and placed in portioned bags.

Freezing stuffed tomatoes

Fruits are suitable for stuffing durum varieties. Stuffing tomatoes begins with cutting out the core of the fruit. For stuffing, any filling is used, at the request of the hostess. It can be meat, mushroom, vegetable filling.

Stuffed tomatoes are laid out on a board, placed in the freezer, and pre-frozen. Then the vegetables are put into bags and placed in the freezer for further freezing.

In the freezer with pepper

Very tasty addition the food will include tomatoes and peppers together. They can be stuffed and frozen together, they will turn out awesome preparations. The same steps are carried out with peppers as with tomatoes. It should be thoroughly washed, dried, cored, and placed in the freezer. Since peppers are much firmer in texture than tomatoes, you don't need to freeze them first.

Before freezing tomatoes and peppers, you should perform a number of steps:

1. Prepare juice from tomatoes.
2. Grind the pepper.
3. Combine pepper with tomato juice.
4. Pour into molds.
5. Store in the freezer.

Tomato juice

Most resourceful housewives immediately turn the tomatoes into tomato juice and freeze it. To do this, whole tomatoes are washed well under running water, cut into pieces and crushed using a blender. The finished juice is poured into molds and placed in the freezer.

Tomato juice perfectly diversifies any dish. In liquid form, tomatoes retain much more vitamins and beneficial properties.

How long and how are frozen tomatoes stored?

The duration of storage of vegetables depends entirely on the power of the freezer and the temperature maintained in it. Optimal temperature for long-term storage of tomatoes – 18 degrees below zero. This temperature will allow frozen tomatoes to last for 10-12 months. If the temperature is lower, the shelf life will be reduced to 4-6 months.

Tomatoes are stored in special bags where air access will be limited.

Defrosting frozen fruit

The principle of defrosting tomatoes will depend on what method was used to freeze them. Tomatoes frozen whole are defrosted at room temperature. After the tomatoes have melted a little, you can cut them in a way convenient for you.

If the tomatoes are intended for salad, they do not need to be thawed. Just cut them into thin slices and add to the salad.

If you want to add peeled tomatoes to a dish, place them in a container of boiling water for a few seconds, then easily remove the peel.

Red vegetables frozen by other methods are added to dishes only in frozen form and are not previously defrosted.

What can you cook

Frozen fruits are used to prepare various delicious dishes. Exactly the same as tomatoes in fresh, freezing vegetables can be useful for preparing any dish. Frozen whole fruits are added to first courses, vegetable stew, salads and others.

Tomato puree makes good cold vegetable snack, if you add caviar from zucchini and eggplant to it. Tomato puree is also used as a sauce or instead of ketchup.

Tomatoes, chopped into pieces, are useful for adding to pizza, scrambled eggs, hot sandwiches and other snacks using tomatoes.

So, tomatoes are suitable for consumption not only fresh, but also frozen. It is important to choose a convenient way to freeze tomatoes for yourself, and then use them for a variety of your favorite dishes. Tomatoes should be prepared for the freezing process, stored properly, defrosted, and prepared as a delicious meal.

Tomato is a vegetable that will enrich the body with essential vitamins and decorate any dish!

Tomatoes are in demand all year round. There is no doubt that in the summer they are much tastier and more aromatic than those grown in greenhouses and sold in winter. Well, the price of tomatoes in summer is several times lower. To winter period you could enjoy the present summer taste tomatoes, they can be frozen.

In order to start freezing, the tomatoes must be washed in cool water and wiped dry with a paper towel. Freezing wet tomatoes will cause them to stick together and become deformed, which is undesirable.

Methods for freezing fresh tomatoes

Freezing fresh whole tomatoes

This is the easiest way to freeze. The main thing here is to choose the right fruit. For this method of freezing you will only need dense, ripe tomatoes with thick skin. The “Cream” and “Cherry” varieties are ideal.

Place the prepared tomatoes in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible and place in the freezer. Carefully dried fruits are the key to success!

Whole tomatoes can also be frozen without the skin. To do this, make a cross-shaped shallow cut near the stalk and lower the tomato into boiling water for 30 seconds. After such manipulation, the skin is removed in one motion. The peeled fruits are placed on a cutting board covered with cling film, covered with cellophane on top, and sent to the freezer for a day for pre-freezing. After 24 hours, the tomatoes will freeze and can be transferred to bags. And the packages, in turn, are sent to the freezer.

Tomatoes frozen in this way are used for preparing soups, salads, main courses, and also for stuffing.

Tomato slices frozen for the winter

Here preference should also be given to fleshy fruits with thick skin. Prepared tomatoes are cut into slices 8 to 10 millimeters thick. Tomatoes that are cut too thin will crumble when defrosted. Next, the tomatoes are laid out in layers in a tray for freezing. Each layer is covered with cling film or a plastic bag. If you don't have a special tray in your freezer for freezing small foods, then a cutting board or flat plate will do just fine. After about 6 hours, the tomatoes will set and can be transferred to a freezer bag.

Tomatoes, frozen in slices, are ideal for making pizza, hot salad or sandwiches.

Freezing tomato pieces

This method will also not cause much difficulty. Dense tomatoes are cut into pieces or cubes. If necessary, you can first remove the peel. Freezing is done immediately into portioned bags. Here, the friability of frozen products is not necessary, since vegetables will be added to ready dish without pre-defrosting.

This kind of freezing will be useful for making soups, goulash, sauces and gravies.

Tomatoes in the form of tomato puree, frozen in molds

Slightly overripe and juicy tomatoes. You can also use substandard fruits with pre-cut damage. To prepare the puree, the tomatoes are passed through a meat grinder or crushed in a blender. The finished puree is placed in molds and frozen. Silicone muffin molds or just ice molds can be used as freezing molds. The main rule is not to pour the puree to the very edge of the mold, since when it freezes, the liquid expands and the puree may leak out.

After the tomato juice has frozen, which will take about 8 - 10 hours, ice-cold tomato cubes removed from the molds and transferred to packaging bags. Filled bags are stored in a freezer.

Frozen tomato puree is used to prepare a variety of sauces.

See video: How to freeze tomatoes - three ways

Freezing stuffed tomatoes

To freeze stuffed tomatoes, you need to choose the densest fruits. Using a knife, remove the “cap” from the stem side of the tomatoes and take out all the pulp. You can stuff tomatoes with any filling: meat, mushrooms, cucumbers, pumpkin, etc. Ready stuffed tomatoes are first frozen on a cutting board, and then completely frozen put into portioned bags and put in the freezer.

In this video, Lidiya Zavyalov will tell you in detail how to cook stuffed tomatoes:

How to defrost tomatoes

Only whole tomatoes should be thawed. To do this, you need to keep them at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and then cut them in the way you need and put them in a dish.

Tomatoes frozen in circles, pieces, in the form of tomato briquettes, as well as stuffed tomatoes do not require preliminary defrosting.

In this video, Eleonora Ametova will talk about freezing tomatoes for the winter:

Lubov Kriuk will tell you about two ways to freeze tomatoes:

Choose your freezing method fresh tomatoes!

As you know, vegetables provide our body with an invaluable service, filling it with microelements, vitamins, amino acids, and carbohydrates. They ensure the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and also help improve the functioning of other organs. It must be remembered that regular use Eating vegetables has a positive effect on health and strengthens the immune system. For people prone to becoming overweight, these low calorie foods should become an integral part of the daily diet.

The benefits of tomatoes

In addition to their beneficial properties, vegetables have excellent taste qualities And pleasant smell. They go well with other foods when cooking. various dishes. One of the most delicious and healthy vegetables are tomatoes. They contain antioxidants, one of which, lycopene, is many times more powerful than vitamin E. beneficial properties. It is used as effective remedy prevention cancer diseases. Since tomatoes are red vegetables, they have a positive effect on the composition of the blood, saturating it useful substances. In addition, tomatoes help prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels.

To preserve tomatoes for the winter, housewives resort to all sorts of tricks and recipes: canning, drying, and some know how to freeze tomatoes in the freezer. At the same time, tomatoes retain a large amount of vitamins and microelements. It is very convenient to use frozen tomatoes for preparing various dishes during the cold season. Recipes for such preparations for the winter differ little from each other.

Which tomatoes are best?

There are several ways to keep tomatoes fresh in the freezer. To begin with, choose the right fruits. Elastic but not too hard specimens are suitable. Before storing tomatoes in the freezer, carefully inspect them for holes from pests. Such vegetables are also allowed to be harvested, but they will take longer to process. For storage in the freezer, you can use any variety of tomatoes, but this is the most suitable one. There is no excess water in it. Due to this, tomatoes of this variety are used for cooking thick sauces without long cooking.

How to freeze tomatoes

Large specimens with dense, fleshy pulp must be cut into slices. Before freezing tomatoes in the freezer, they need to be laid out on a cutting board and, after covering with cling film, put into the freezer. It is not necessary to add salt and pepper. A little later, you need to pour the frozen tomatoes into a plastic bag, seal them tightly and put them back in the freezer. Vegetables prepared in this way are used in making pizza and added to soups and meat dishes.

It is very convenient to use frozen peeled tomatoes in winter. To prepare them, boil water and then put the fruits in there for one minute. Hot water softens the peel and makes it easy to remove. After this, you need to squeeze the liquid and seeds into a colander, and pour the juice itself into a bottle. If desired, you can also freeze it and then use it to make sauces.

Freezing small varieties

Smaller ones are sent for storage in the freezer as a whole. To begin, rinse the fruits thoroughly and wipe them dry. After spreading the tomatoes on a cutting board, put them in the refrigerator so that they freeze thoroughly. After some time, the cold tomatoes are poured into the bag. They are stored on the top shelf of the freezer with other vegetables so that the tomatoes do not get crushed.

Before using, let the fruits cool down until room temperature within 20 minutes. After this time, the skin of the tomatoes will be easy to remove. To do this, you just need to pry it with a sharp knife at the base of the fruit.

How to freeze crushed tomatoes

There is another very good recipe. Before freezing tomatoes in the freezer, they need to be washed, dried and minced. If it is not available, the fruits can be crushed using a blender or grated on a fine grater. As for spices, only herbs are allowed to be used.

Beautiful vegetable mix it turns out if you add bell peppers to tomatoes. Place the chopped vegetables over silicone molds and freeze them. After a few hours, the tomatoes must be removed from the molds and transferred to special bags for freezing. After this, everything goes into the freezer for storage.

Frozen Tomato Sauce Recipe

Chop the tomatoes by straining them using a metal sieve. Then let them cook for five minutes. A minute before the end of time, add chopped bell peppers and onions. Ready sauce cools, pours into a plastic container and goes into the freezer for storage.

They are used in the preparation of many dishes: tomato puree, sauce, gravy, ketchup and even soup. Storing tomatoes in the freezer will help ensure that you and your loved ones have access to natural vitamins during the cold season.

Before use, rinse in cold water. Whole fruits can be stuffed various fillings: minced meat, rice, cheese, other vegetables - and also used in preparing your favorite delicious dishes. In winter, when there are few natural vitamins, frozen vegetables seem more tasty and aromatic.