FREEZING FRESH TOMATOES

Q. What about freezing whole tomatoes to use during the winter months? ~ Nancy.

A. Yes, you can freeze whole fresh tomatoes for use during the winter months. Just wash them well, remove any long stems, and place them on a sheet pan or other flat surface (not touching each other) and freeze them solid. Then package them in airtight containers or zippered bags.

Freezing will alter their structure (the frozen water inside of them will break down cell walls) so that they will be best used in cooking (making sauces, chopped up, and the like); they won't slice or wedge well. On thawing, they will peel easily, however.