How to Dry and Freeze Tomatoes

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Dried tomatoes are generally rehydrated before eating. To rehydrate, pour boiling water or vegetable stock over them and let them sit for a few minutes, or until the skins are soft. Drain them in a strainer over a bowl. Add the leftover liquid to dressings, soups and sauces to zip up their flavor and nutrition.

Rehydrated tomatoes can be used whole in lasagna or pizzas, and are delicious served with fresh chevre on crusty bread. They also can be chopped or sliced for use in salad dressings, marinara, pasta and risotto, or made into a paste to add richness to hummus, pesto, cream sauces and soft cheeses. My favorite way to serve them is to add them to a garlic-and-herb olive oil marinade for fresh mozzarella.

Freezing Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be frozen in many forms, from whole to a finished marinara sauce. Let’s start with the fastest technique, which is to freeze them whole, a great solution when time is short or the harvest ramps up. To prevent individual fruits from sticking together, I freeze them on a cookie sheet first, then package them in zippered freezer bags when they’re solid.

Frozen whole tomatoes turn mushy when thawed, so their use is limited to cooked recipes. To use them in sauces, simply thaw them, put them through a food mill to remove seeds and skins, and cook the sauce down to thicken it.

Individual frozen tomatoes are easy to use a few at a time, peeled and chopped, to add fresh garden flavor to a winter soup. Or chop half a dozen to combine with wilted winter greens and garlic, and serve over fresh pasta with parmesan cheese. To prepare, thaw them slightly and twist the skins; they’ll slip right off. Then let them thaw completely, and squeeze the tomatoes one at a time to expel the seeds. Drain slightly, and chop or add the pulp whole to a sauce.

Another great way to preserve tomatoes is to make a simple sauce and freeze it by the pint in bags. I cool the sauce to room temperature, then freeze bags of sauce flat on a cookie sheet. Flat packages are easy to stack in the freezer when it gets full.

But my favorite tomato treasures in the winter are stewed tomatoes, pre-made tomato-onion soup and a sauce I use for huevos rancheros, which I make every New Year’s Day with eggs from my hens.

Tomato Preserving Tips

• Use only healthy, unbruised fruits to prevent spoilage and off flavors.
• Fully ripe tomatoes are the most flavorful and nutritious.
• Tomato seeds get tough and bitter when you cook them a long time. For sauces and juices, strain out the seeds with a food mill or strainer after you cook them.
• To save cooking time when you want to thicken your sauce, first simmer quartered tomatoes for 15 minutes, then put them through a food mill and refrigerate the strained liquid overnight. Much of the watery part will rise to the top, and the next morning it can be poured off as tomato juice. Then freeze or can the pulp for sauces.
• Always label your container with the contents and date. (If you don’t, I promise you won’t remember.)
• When not enough storage space is an issue, dried tomatoes take up the least amount of room.
• The fastest way to preserve a large harvest is to freeze the tomatoes whole.
• When you make tomato soups, sauces and other prepared dishes, you are not only storing tomatoes, but also time in a bottle — making quick but garden-fresh meals a delicious possibility.

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