Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumI got so many tomato's from my garden.....
Been a great year for growing them in Central Maine. Stupid me bought 12 plants and I've got 40 picked and another 50 or so on the vine.
So, I bought a blender and picked basel and chive that I have growing. Goings to blend it all up and freeze for winter use. Bought (4) quart size SS freezer containers.
My question is...can I blend and freeze or should I cook before freezing?
Kali
(55,007 posts)that is how cooking decisions get made around here
OAITW r.2.0
(24,455 posts)msongs
(67,395 posts)jpak
(41,757 posts)and have a big red hotdog cook out.
Should reduce yer tomatoe plenty
tymorial
(3,433 posts)Too hot and too much rain at the wrong time I think. My plants just never bore much fruit sadly. Damn, I am jealous of you!
Okay, now that I have sufficiently whined, I would recommend canning or jarring. I know you mentioned freezing but it won't last you as long. The prep is similar in that you don't need to completely cook. You blanch for no more than a minute in boiling water. Enough so that you can easily remove the skin. After that you prepare for freezing.
So, yeah, you don't have to completely cook but put a date on your bag or container to know when you put it in the freezer.
Also, have an ice bath ready after removing the tomato from the boiling water to stop the cooking process. You will still be able to easily remove the skin.
patphil
(6,169 posts)We've been making tomato sauce from our garden for decades. We usually have at least 8-10 quarts in the freezer at the end of the season, and still have to give away a lot of tomatoes.
We also make a lot of chili, and other tomato/tomato sauce dishes, but there's just so much two people can eat.
We never considered growing less tomatoes. It's just something we do.
Also peppers, shallots, beans, lettuce, beets, snow peas, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, lots of herbs, etc.
Oh, and don't forget strawberries. Once planted they start to take over the garden, and have to be cut back every year.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,455 posts)Do not want to food poison myself, accidently, this winter.
MyOwnPeace
(16,925 posts)it took forever, but now they're going crazy and my freezer is full!
I use this grinder to give me the juice/pulp - and with some of it I make soup for the day - or juice for a few days, but the rest I cook down and freeze.
https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Strainer-Sauce-VICTORIO-VKP250/dp/B001I7FP54/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1dGJBhD4ARIsANb6OdnHkkHw68qHvgqw-5F5T_OCVVIKiyeKYC7QqfKNtSIsHcdimWCdYgUaAmj_EALw_wcB&hvadid=409906612755&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9006277&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7879103350085216670&hvtargid=kwd-1693189243&hydadcr=13930_11130054&keywords=tomato+grinder&qid=1630883530&sr=8-18
But, as I said, the freezer is full!
You can now find me walking through parking lots looking for unlocked cars........
OAITW r.2.0
(24,455 posts)I 've been giving them away for a few weeks, but no one wants any more.
I think I will puree, cook to reduce the water, then freeze. Also, I will cook some shallots and garlic in olive oil, then add the tomato's.
Deuxcents
(16,190 posts)You could donate to a food bank if there are too many. Surplus garden veggies are a treat, I would imagine, so far north. Your Grren thumb has given you a bounty, for sure.
msdogi
(430 posts)Use them for marinara all winter, they're so good, much better than any canned tomatoes
OAITW r.2.0
(24,455 posts)I eat them raw, like apples....a liitle celery salt and garlic pepper and enjoy the flavor. Usually with a gin Bloody Mary, on the back deck.
Retrograde
(10,133 posts)make up a good, thick sauce and freeze that - it takes up less space. If you freeze them uncooked, they'll be mushy when you thaw them because tomatoes contain a lot of water: they'll still be tasty, but the texture may be different.
yellowdogintexas
(22,250 posts)Damn those things are good.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,455 posts)finished the last batch of reds I picked last week. Time for another forage!