How to Preserve Summer's Bounty Quickly

When your tomatoes are ripe and the corn is filled out and you seem to be running out of hours to preserve your bounty, one must wonder, "will I ever go to bed?" Oh, but you will. I have found a few short cuts of my own, that I am certain my Grandmother would be astounded.

For my tomatoes, I always start a table outside for the ones that are not fully riped but are in jeopardy of becoming "mush" because the bottom of the tomato is partial on the ground. This creates a soft spot in the tomato and will eventually cause the entire tomato to rot. This can be quit yucky!

Once you have enough tomatoes ripe, a beautiful deep red color, you can "blanch" them quickly in hot water. This will loosen the peel and it will slip right off. Be very careful, the insides of the tomatoes are very hot. I like to put mine in the kitchen sink, cleaned before hand of course, in a colander and rinse with cool water. Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, you can begin removing the peelings by lightly inserting a small paring knife under the peeling, the peel will slip off in your hand. Now is the time to practice your knifing skills by coring the tomato and creating the shape and texture of your choice. Shape and texture should be determined by how you wish to use the tomatoes and types of recipes you will be using the tomatoes in. (I will cover this in another hub for summer's bounty recipes.) I leave mine whole unless I am making spaghetti sauce.

At this point, you are ready to begin packaging your tomatoes in freezer bags. I usually will freeze a few quarts of just plain tomatoes. They are great for basic sauces and soups. Then I will make my own spaghetti sauce with the wonderfully ripe red tomatoes along with some bell pepper, onion and basil, all from the garden (I will cover this recipe in another hub). The spaghetti sauce is best canned, but for time savings sake, I will freeze several quarts and save the canning for a weekend. Remember, use the frozen tomatoes and sauce first.

Here's where I take my short cut. When freezing the tomatoes, I freeze them whole without the core. Once you have them whole, you can dice them or mince them once thawed and when you need then, again saving time. It's easier to break them down later and you have more recipe options. I use quart freezer bags and fill them 3/4 of way. Once you have the tomatoes in the bag, seal the bag, all but one corner and gently press the air out of the bag. Be watchful as sometimes air bubbles hide in the tomatoes. This step is vital to prevent freezer burn.

Frozen tomatoes will last a really long time if prepared correctly, one to one and half years in the freezer, provided no thawing or increase in freezer temperatures occur. Enjoy!