How to Freeze Tomatoes for a Basil Pesto
If you have extra basil, you can make basil pesto. Freezing tomatoes fresh from your garden to go with the basil pesto is a wonderful way to keep your food healthy. Tomato basil pesto tastes delicious on a number of dishes such as gnocchi or pasta. Freezing tomatoes is a convenient way to store your food. During the long winter months, simply remove a bag from the freezer. By freezing your tomatoes, you will also save the vitamins and nutrients inside them. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Place the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water. Do only a few at a time. Leave the tomatoes in the water no longer than 30 to 45 seconds.
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2
With a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. This makes the skins come right off. You do not have to remove the skins, but if left on, they will become tough and chewy in your pesto.
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3
Remove the skins. With a paring knife, cut away any bruises or tough parts you find on the tomato.
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4
Cut the tomato in half and then in chunks. Place these into a colander as you work on the rest of your tomatoes. This will help remove the seeds and extra juice.
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5
You can add them to your basil pesto. When you are making the basil pesto, simply add the tomatoes into the food processor.
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Pour this into ice-cube trays or other freezer safe containers. Put into your freezer. When they are frozen, pop them into a resealable bag and keep frozen. To freeze only the tomatoes to add to basil pesto when you are making the meal, proceed to the next step.
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Fill freezer bags with the diced tomatoes, leaving an inch of clearance for expansion. A vacuum food sealer works great as it removes all the air from the bag. If you do not have one, you can use a resealable bag, but try to squeeze out all the air. If you do not have a vacuum food sealer, proceed to next step.
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Place a straw in one corner and close the bag as far as possible. Suck the air out using the straw. When you have sucked out most of the air, keep sucking as you remove the straw, closing the bag quickly shut.
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Place the bags into the freezer. The next time you want tomatoes to go with your basil pesto, you will have them already prepared.
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