How to Freeze Cherry Tomatoes
If you have too many tomatoes on hand, then you’ll want to know the best ways to freeze cherry tomatoes. Once frozen, your cherry tomatoes will last for months and can be used in soups, stews, sauces, and dressings.
Cherry tomatoes can grow like crazy, and all tend to ripen at once! If you grow them in your home garden, you’re bound to have a bumper crop at some point. Or you could come across a great deal in the produce section and end up with more cherry tomatoes you can use.
These sweet little fresh tomatoes are tasty in salads, sauces, and so much more, but having too many is a common problem! I love sharing cherry tomatoes with friends, family, and neighbors, but if there are just too many, it’s a great idea to freeze them. They’re too delicious and healthy to go to waste.
Did you know that cherry tomatoes contain even higher concentrations of antioxidants than other tomato varieties? These include flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds – all of them are anti-inflammatory and can help protect our cells from oxidative damage that leads to diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. That’s a lot of good in a tiny fruit!
Why You Need This Recipe
- Frozen cherry tomatoes are quick and easy to use, and you can take only the amount you need out of the bag—no need to defrost all of them.
- It’s super simple! Cherry tomatoes are one of the easiest things to freeze.
- The riper fresh produce becomes, the less nutritional value it has. Freezing locks in the cherry tomatoes’ health benefits.
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
Every kitchen should have exactly what’s needed to freeze cherry tomatoes quickly and easily. All it takes is some basic equipment and minimal effort.
This is the equipment you’ll need to freeze cherry tomatoes:
1. A Baking Tray
Use a large baking tray to flash-freeze your cherry tomatoes. You have to spread them out in a single layer in the freezer. You could also use a plastic serving tray or any other large, flat surface with sides.
Remember, cherry tomatoes are round and will roll, so you can’t use a plastic cutting board.
2. A Colander
A colander makes washing cherry tomatoes easier but is not essential.
You can also soak them in any container, wash any dirt off, and rinse them well.
3. Freezer-Friendly Bags
The best way to store frozen cherry tomatoes is in zip-top freezer-friendly bags.
You could use any airtight container if you don’t have suitable bags.
Ingredients and Substitutes
This recipe has a single ingredient: cherry tomatoes!
To ensure you pick the best cherry tomatoes, here are some tips on which ones are suitable for home freezing and how you can use them.
Cherry Tomatoes
Only choose ripe, firm, unblemished cherry tomatoes for freezing. They should have a vibrant, healthy color and firm shape. Freezing could cause the cherry tomatoes to lose their shape, so it’s vital to start with high-quality tomatoes that are not wrinkly or discolored. If you come across some cherry tomatoes that are not perfect, rather use them for something else.
Before you freeze cherry tomatoes, remember that the texture will drastically change after they’ve been frozen and defrosted. You’ll no longer be able to use them raw, for example, in a salad.
The freezing will change the texture significantly because of the high water content. But don’t worry, there are so many delicious ways to use frozen cherry tomatoes! You can use them in sauces, stews, curries, dressings, or soups.
Did you know tomatoes are technically a fruit and not a vegetable? See my article on fruit starting with T.
Here are a few tips to change it up:
- You can freeze up to several pints of cherry tomatoes at once. You’ll just need enough baking sheets to arrange them in a single layer for freezing.
- Frozen and defrosted cherry tomatoes won’t have the same shape and flavor as fresh cherry tomatoes. So, they are best used in cooked foods like soups and stews as opposed to salads.
- For best results, follow the recipe tips below. You can also use this method for grape tomatoes or other types of tomatoes including baby tomatoes.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes by hand. Then, place them in a colander and give them a gentle rinse with cool running water.
No need to cut or slice the tomatoes unless they are larger tomatoes.
Step Two
Drain the tomatoes and lay them on a clean towel. Pat them dry with a paper towel and then transfer the whole cherry tomatoes to a baking sheet or cookie sheet.
Step Three
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Then, transfer the cherry tomatoes to a zip-top bag for long-term freezing. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible.
Recipe FAQs
You can freeze cherry tomatoes for up to six months. Although they’ll be safe to eat after that, the flavor will have degraded, so they won’t be as sweet and intense anymore.
Absolutely! Roasted cherry tomatoes have a delicious flavor, especially if you add additional herbs or spices during the roasting process. Toss the cherry tomatoes in a little olive oil and add flavor like rosemary, oregano, or garlic—roast at 300°F for around 30 minutes. Cool them and store them in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container.
Yes, you can. However, the shape and texture of cherry tomatoes drastically change with freezing – they become all soft and mushy. The more you freeze cherry tomatoes, the more the shape and flavor degrade. I usually only refreeze thawed-out cherry tomatoes if I’ve already used them in cooking.
No, you don’t. It won’t make a difference to how the tomatoes keep in the freezer, so there’s no need to take this extra step.
More Guides to Freezing Foods You Might Like
- How to Freeze Ripe Avocados
- How to Freeze Cucumbers
- How to Freeze Bananas
- How to Freeze Zucchini
- How to Freeze Cauliflower Florets
- How to Freeze Raw Beets
More Vegetable Resources For You
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How to Freeze Cherry Tomatoes
If you have too many tomatoes on hand, then you’ll want to know the best ways to freeze cherry tomatoes. Once frozen, your cherry tomatoes will last for months and can be used in soups, stews, sauces, and dressings.
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Sort through your cherry tomatoes to select the ripe, plump, unblemished tomatoes for freezing.
- Remove the stems from your cherry tomatoes by hand. Don’t cut them; it will rupture their skins and let the flavorful juices out.
- Use a colander to wash your cherry tomatoes thoroughly under running water. Give the colander a shake and let the water drain.
- If you don’t have a colander, soak the cherry tomatoes in water for a few minutes and rinse them thoroughly afterward.
- Use paper towels or clean kitchen cloths to pat the cherry tomatoes dry. They must be completely dry before you freeze them.
- Place the dry cherry tomatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Flash-freeze the cherry tomatoes for 2 hours.
- Transfer them to freezer-friendly bags and put them back in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to use your frozen cherry tomatoes, use them from frozen or thaw them in a bowl in the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can freeze up to several pints of cherry tomatoes at once. You’ll just need enough baking sheets to arrange them in a single layer for freezing.
- Frozen and defrosted cherry tomatoes won’t have the same shape and flavor as fresh cherry tomatoes. So, they are best used in cooked foods like soups and stews as opposed to salads.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Freeze Time: 2 hours
- Category: Snack
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 13
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 3.7 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.9 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
Both my red and yellow cherry tomatoes have tougher skins. How and when would they be removed? Or will they soften up?
You don’t need to remove the skins.
I love having frozen tomatoes to blend into dressings!