How long will frozen cherry tomatoes keep?

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.

Can I freeze cooked cherry tomatoes?

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.

Can I refreeze cherry tomatoes?

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.

Do I have to blanch fresh cherry tomatoes before freezing them?

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.

How to Freeze Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

Scale

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes

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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.

Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
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