Too many tomatoes than you know what to do with? Here's the lowdown on how to freeze them and enjoy this seasonal gem for longer

I honestly don't know what I would do without tomatoes, as I use them in so many of my favorite dishes. However, I do sometimes overcompensate for my tomato addiction by buying too many at once, meaning they go past their best before I have time to use them. It can also be a problem if you grow your own and end up with an abundant harvest. So I've been learning how to freeze tomatoes to ensure I never waste this versatile ingredient.

Since then I've been able to enjoy my tomatoes when they're in the prime in an array of summer salads, without worrying that any I don't have chance to use will go to waste. With these tips on how to freeze tomatoes from a professional chef and food waste experts, I know that I can whip some out of the freezer whenever I need them to make a pasta sauce, soup or quick tomato sauce for pizza recipes.

Once you learn about organizing a chest freezer to make optimal use of the space, you'll feel inspired to freeze far more kitchen produce, including some things you didn't know you could.

1. Freeze tomatoes whole and raw

Freezing tomatoes whole is the easiest way when it comes to portioning them out for recipes, as well as the fastest method to freeze them. Freezing tomatoes whole also quickly frees up space in my small fridge.

Lori Taylor, founder and CEO of The Produce Moms, shares her advice. 'If you're looking to freeze whole, raw tomatoes all you need to do is gently rinse them under cold running water, pat them dry with a paper towel or clean cloth, and then allow the tomatoes to individually freeze on a baking sheet until solid so they won't stick together in the freezer. After two to four hours, the tomatoes can be transferred into freezer bags or containers.'

If your freezer is on the smaller side for storing tomatoes and fills up quickly like mine, using a freezer shelf like this Expandable Freezer Shelf from Amazon will help you make the most out of the space.

2. How to freeze tomatoes pre-blanched

I didn't know that blanching tomatoes before freezing had any benefits, but professional chef and CEO of Harry's Famous Sauce, Renee Guilbault, explained to me how it can make a notable difference.

'Blanching tomatoes for 30 seconds before freezing makes peeling the tomato skins easier later on and preserves their color better.' This will make your summer dishes far more vibrant, as well as save you time battling to remove fiddly frozen-on skin.

Ensure your blanched tomatoes cool completely to room temperature before freezing them. If you don't do this, bacteria can develop in your tomatoes, and the overall temperature of your freezer will be negatively impacted.

Homes & Gardens' Head of Interiors, Hebe, also shared that she freezes her tomatoes in this way and likes to grate them straight from frozen onto salads and into sauces, which is a great tip if you can't wait for them to defrost.

3. Score tomatoes before freezing

If you're in a hurry and don't have time to blanch your whole, raw tomatoes, you can make life easier for your future self by taking a couple of minutes to score them at the base. Even if I'm blanching my tomatoes I'm going to do this before popping them into freezer bags for the easiest ever peeling later on.

Sarah Corbin of the Food Recovery Network, says, 'For tomatoes, I suggest lightly scoring the bottom of each tomato with an 'X' and then tossing the tomatoes whole into a freezer bags, after individually freezing them on a baking sheet. They'll be perfect to use later for sauces and stews, and easy to peel when they defrost.'

You can also pre-core larger tomatoes prior to freezing (to remove a step when you're ready to cook) using something like the Winco Tomato Stem Corers from Amazon, then you can score the tomato flesh with an 'X' on the side instead of the bottom, to help with easier peeling.

4. Freezing tomatoes sliced or chopped

If you have pre-sliced too many tomatoes, the good news is that you can still freeze them to avoid them going to waste.

'To freeze tomatoes sliced or chopped, just wash and dry them, optionally peel, and then freeze pieces chopped to your desired size on a baking sheet for two to four hours until solid for bagging up,' says Lori. 'Doing this is good if you want pre-portioned frozen tomatoes for specific recipes, or if you have leftover sliced tomatoes.'

As an avid baker, I have plenty of reusable baking mats in my kitchen, which work wonders for flash freezing slices. The Mainstays Reusable Silicone Baking Mat from Walmart is so easy to clean, as well as being a reusable alternative to freezing your tomatoes on parchment paper.

5. Freezing blended tomatoes

Blended tomatoes, either raw or roasted, are such a staple in my kitchen, and I love to make mine from scratch (when time allows) instead of heading to the store for tinned versions. Freezing batches, though, is always a time-saver and means you've always got some on hand. Batch freezing is a really useful method if you have been growing tomatoes and have a large crop to deal with.

'Blended tomatoes are so versatile and can stay in your freezer for 6 to 8 months,' says Renee. 'All you need to do is wash your tomatoes, peel and/or cook if desired, then add them into a blender. Once blended to the right consistency, freeze in ice cube trays for soups or sauces, and larger portions in bags for when you need a cup or more for recipes. The key is preventing air exposure by removing all air from freezer bags for optimal freshness and portioning them based on how you'll actually use them, so you can thaw the right amount for what you need easily.'

Don't forget to let your blended tomatoes cool down before freezing, and to lay any airtight bags flat so they can stack in the freezer comfortably and won't burst open during freezing, when they'll expand.

Freezing tomatoes FAQs

Do tomatoes change texture once defrosted?

'Tomatoes freeze well for all sorts of culinary applications, but they do lose their lovely, fresh texture after being frozen,' says Renee.

For this reason, it's best to use thawed tomatoes in cooked dishes like stews, soups and stocks where the texture of your tomatoes isn't a star feature.

Do you have to thaw frozen tomatoes before use?

Depending on the dish, you don't have to thaw your frozen tomatoes before use, making freezing them even more convenient.

'For soups, stews, and sauces, you can add frozen whole or chopped tomatoes directly into the pot,' says Lori. Any frozen tomatoes added into these dishes will naturally thaw and break down during the cooking process.

If reading this has inspired you to want to start growing your own, we've got the lowdown on when to plant tomatoes, as well as the best tomatoes for growing in pots and make sure you read the tomato growing mistakes to avoid before you start!

And, if you're looking for some delicious recipes to include your defrosted tomatoes in we can recommend Noor Murad's pan-fried tomatoes with za'atar, pine nuts and halloumi.