How to Can Diced Tomatoes for the Freezer
Due to the variable pH levels occurring from one tomato to the next, it is generally not safe to can them using the water bath method unless extra acid is added. While doing this is perfectly acceptable, why bother with the fuss when you can simply freeze the jars instead? This easy instructional will show you how to preserve your summer bounty of tomatoes into a useful product you can use later. You’ll be thanking your past-self for the work done when you pop open a jar in February and feel the summer sunshine cascading out!
- Prep Time55 min
- Cook Time5 min
- Total Time1 hr
- Ready in1 Hr
- Yield4 - 500ml jars
Ingredients
- Approx. 6 lbs or 2.5 kg tomatoes**
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large basil leaf per jar (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the 4 mason jars by washing them well with soap and water.
Rinse off any dirt or debris from the tomatoes.
Trim the stem end off and cut a shallow ‘X’ into the base of each tomato.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare a large bowl full of ice water.
Dunk the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Transfer to the ice water and let sit for another minute. It’s easier to do this in batches.
At this point, the tomato peels should be starting to slough off. Remove all of the peels from the tomatoes.
Dice the tomatoes into 1cm pieces.
Transfer diced tomatoes to a pot and add a good pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Prepare your mason jars and put 1 basil leaf into each jar.
Add diced tomatoes to the jars, leaving lots of head room since they’ll expand once frozen.
Screw on lids and let cool before transferring to the freezer, where they will last the winter.
*Plum tomatoes work best for this recipe as they contain less juice than their beefsteak counterparts. San marzano or Roma are good varietals.
*This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, you’ll need approx. 1.5 lbs/pint or 0.5 kg/500ml of tomatoes per jar.
