How to Freeze Tomatoes & Corn on the Cob

Freeze fresh tomatoes and corn to enjoy them year-round.

When harvesting fresh tomatoes and corn during the summer, you may end up with more than you can use right away. Preserve the fresh produce in the freezer to extend its useful life, locking in the flavors and nutrients so you can enjoy tomatoes and corn throughout the year. Proper packaging also protects them from freezer burn, which may affect taste and texture. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Paper towels
Large cooking pots
Slotted spoon
Bowls
Ice water
Knife
Spoon
Colander
Freezer bags or containers
Vegetable brush
Plastic wrap

Instructions

Freeze Tomatoes
- 1
  
  Select ripe, fresh tomatoes that are high quality. Avoid soft and bruised tomatoes. Rinse the tomatoes under cool running water to remove dirt and debris. Dry the tomatoes with paper towels.
- 2
  
  Fill a large cooking pot with water. Bring the water to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into the water for 20 to 45 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon.
- 3
  
  Place the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water immediately. Allow them to sit in the ice water for 1 minute and slide the skins off the tomatoes.
- 4
  
  Remove the cores. Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze the tomatoes and remove the excess water and seeds with a spoon. Remove as many of the seeds as possible. If you want to freeze the tomatoes whole, you only need to remove the core.
- 5
  
  Dice the tomatoes into small cubes, slice them into thin slices or leave them in halves. You can also leave the tomatoes whole. Place the tomatoes into a colander to drain completely.
- 6
  
  Fill freezer bags or containers with the tomatoes. Leave 1 inch of space at the top to allow for expansion. Remove as much air as possible from the bags and place the tomatoes into the freezer.
Freeze Corn
- 7
  
  Remove the husks and silk from the fresh corn on the cob. Scrub on the corn with a vegetable brush and cool running water.
- 8
  
  Fill a large cooking pot 3/4 full with hot water. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- 9
  
  Fill a large bowl with ice water. Set the bowl off to the side of the cooking pot.
- 10
  
  Place one ear of corn into the pot of boiling water. Blanch small corn ears that are 1 1/4 inches in diameter or less for 7 minutes, medium ears that are between 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter for 9 minutes and large corn ears that are over 1 1/2 inches in diameter for 11 minutes. Blanch the corn in batches and use the same batch of water up to five times before replacing it.
- 11
  
  Remove the corn from the boiling water. Place it into the ice water to cool quickly. Allow the corn ears to cool for the same amount of time that you blanched them. Drain the water from the corn.
- 12
  
  Wrap the corn ears in plastic wrap. Store them in a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and place the bags into the freezer.

Tips & Warnings

If you cannot freeze it immediately, place fresh corn on the cob in the refrigerator to prevent the sugars from breaking down.
Avoid washing tomatoes in a sink filled with water because the tomato can absorb the dirty water into itself easily.
Never use soap or detergent to wash fruits or vegetables because they can absorb the chemicals.
Frozen tomatoes may have a mushy texture when you thaw them.