Have you bought a few too many cherry tomatoes from the store? Or have you grown more than you can eat? Do you know the best way to store cherry tomatoes for the longer term?
Can You Freeze Cherry Tomatoes?
Yes, you can freeze cherry tomatoes for up to 6 months. Once washed, freeze them on a baking tray. When they’re frozen solid, tip them into a bag and return them to the freezer for the long term.
Do Do Cherry Tomatoes freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Cherry Tomatoes? No
How To Freeze Cherry Tomatoes
When freezing larger tomatoes, you would often peel them first, but when it comes to cherry tomatoes, this can get very fiddly, and you lose a lot of tomatoes in the process.
Luckily, cherry tomato skins can be a little softer than larger plant varieties, so it shouldnāt cause you too much of a problem. You can still choose to peel if you prefer but be aware that it will take some time.
So how do you freeze cherry tomatoes? Letās take a look:
- Wash
Wash your cherry tomatoes thoroughly. Remove the stems. And allow the tomatoes to drain. They need to be dry before freezing. - Spread onto a Baking Tray
Grab yourself a baking tray and place the cherry tomatoes onto the tray. Make sure that they are placed apart, and that the tomatoes are not touching. - Freeze
Put the tomatoes into the freezer. The tray needs to be kept flat and still at the top of the freezer until the tomatoes are frozen. - Bag Up
Once the cherry tomatoes are frozen, you can take them out of the freezer and transfer them from the baking sheet into a freezer bag or container. - Label
Label the bag or container with the date and name of the contents. - Freeze
Pop the bag containing the cherry tomatoes back into the freezer until you need them.
Whenever you need a handful of delicious cherry tomatoes, you can grab the amount you need out of the bag or container and then reseal the rest for use at a later date.
Yes, you can! Consider how you normally use cherry tomatoes and cut them up accordingly. If you usually cook with them whole then leave them whole when freezing them.
Create Tomato-Infused Cubes
Consider placing each tomato in an ice cube tray slot, add in some of your favourite herbs and garlic and then fill with olive oil or water. Once frozen, you can pop them out and store them in freezer bags. You’ll have flavourful, portion-sized tomato cubes ready for cooking.
How Long Can You Freeze Cherry Tomatoes?
If you are like many other gardeners, you will be glad to know that you can keep your cherry tomatoes in the freezer for up to 6 months. Plenty of time to use up all of those tomatoes and ensure that none go to waste.
Beyond 6 months, they will remain perfectly safe to eat but you will find that their intense, sweet flavour will have degraded and you may even find them a little bland.
Cherry tomatoes will last for around 1 week in the fridge. Beyond this, they will become soft and squishy. They can still be used for a few more days in sauces, soups and stews.
How Do You Defrost Cherry Tomatoes?
The best way to defrost your cherry tomatoes is slowly. You can do this by grabbing the amount you need out of the freezer and popping them into a bowl.
You can either put this bowl of tomatoes into the fridge to defrost slowly. Or, if you need them a little quicker, you can put the bowl on the kitchen counter instead.
If you add tomatoes to a soup, stew, casserole, or sauce, you can also get away with adding the cherry tomatoes from frozen. Super easy, and it works just as well as defrosting them beforehand.
Can You Refreeze Cherry Tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes will lose their shape and texture in the freezer. They will become soft and mushy, which is great for sauces, but it does mean they wonāt refreeze very well.
The more often you freeze, the more degradation of shape and flavour there will be.
If you have thawed out and cooked your cherry tomatoes, you could freeze the cooled sauce or meal without too many problems.
Do Cherry Tomatoes Freeze Well?
Cherry tomatoes donāt freeze particularly well if you are expecting to use them in salads or whole. The texture change is considerable, and they wonāt even retain their tomato shape!
However, the taste should be fine, so as long as you plan to cook with the cherry tomatoes, their soft texture shouldnāt be a problem, and your meal will be delicious.
Sources
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