Can you freeze diced tomatoes if you do not use them all? This question might have popped into your mind while cooking a large family dinner. Throwing away freshly cut tomatoes or leftover canned diced tomatoes is not a sustainable way of living. This article will discuss the different ways to freeze and save your diced tomatoes and use them for future recipes.
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Can You Freeze Diced Tomatoes?
Like other fruits, you can freeze your diced tomatoes and save them for future use. While storing, you can freeze whole cherry tomatoes, chop them up, or squash them into a puree. No matter which method you use, when you defrost and add them to your recipe, they’ll offer the same tender juiciness.
One thing you should ensure while freezing diced tomatoes is to use good-quality freezer containers. Since tomatoes expand when frozen, inferior quality containers can burst open under pressure. You can also use heavy-duty, quality freezer bags to freeze your diced tomatoes instead of containers.
How to Freeze Diced Tomatoes
Perhaps you have a surplus of fresh diced tomatoes or have an unfinished tin of diced tomatoes you’d like to keep. Irrespective, freezing is one of the best ways to save your diced tomatoes. Here are the best methods to freeze your diced tomatoes.
1. Freezing Fresh Diced Tomatoes
One of the easiest methods is to store your diced tomatoes with the skin still on them. This method works best if you want to freeze diced fresh tomatoes.
Simply place your diced tomatoes on a clean baking sheet and put them directly into the freezer. Once the tomatoes are frozen, you can transfer them from the sheet into freezer bags. This way, you can save them in portions for use in stews, soups, and more.
2. Freezing Diced Stewed Tomatoes
You can also preserve your diced tomatoes by cooking them for a few minutes before freezing. Pop your leftover diced tomatoes into a saucepan. Cover them and cook for over 20 minutes until they are tender. Then place the base of the pan with the cooked tomatoes in ice-cold water to cool down.
Once they reach room temperature, you can transfer your tomatoes to freezer bags or containers for easy stacking. Then store your diced stewed tomatoes in the freezer until you need them again.
Conclusion
Being stuck with canned or freshly diced tomatoes is more common than you might think. Storing your tomatoes in the freezer is one of the best ways to keep them fresh for your next tomato-based recipe. So, for those asking, “Can you freeze diced tomatoes?” the answer is yes, and the above guide will show you how.