More tomatoes and an easier way of preserving your bumper crop.

My tomato plants are still producing so it was bound to happen.  Given my banner year for tomatoes and my new obsession with the Ninja blender, it was only a matter of time before the two collided.  This summer I've learned how to peel, seed and freeze tomatoes.  I've made homemade marinara sauce.  Both where easy but a bit time consuming and require some planning ahead. 

The other night I was browning meat for tacos.  Sometimes I add salsa for flavor so adding tomatoes makes perfect sense.  I've tried just adding chopped tomatoes but the peel separates and won't incorporate into the meat.  My children won't eat it if they see it. 

I couldn't add my peeled an seeded tomatoes because they were frozen solid and I've also learned that the skin is very nutritious, so I popped some tomatoes in the blender peel and all, added some water and made a tomato puree. 

I added the tomato puree to the browned meat with herbs and spices and it was delicious! I made a second batch to pop in the freezer to use another night (see last picture.)

  Knowing how easy this is and that the tomato skin has so much value means that this is going to be my new method of preserving tomatoes. More nutritious, less time. It's a win/win.

 

 

I froze the puree very flat in a freezer bag, this way when it's frozen I can break off smaller pieces if I need just a bit.  No need to defrost the whole thing.

 

I ♥ my freezer - my favorite freezing tips

Over time I have really learned how to use my freezer to help me save time, money and eat healthier.  Some of these tips might seem obvious to some of you but to me they were nothing short of revolutionary and they have changed the way I shop, cook and eat.  I save money buying in bulk or when produce is fresh and on sale and I know I eat healthier by making healthy foods more convenient to use.

 

Cooked Bean & Lentils. 

Often I cook a batch of beans or lentils but don't eat them right away but if you freeze the leftovers in a storage container then you need to take the whole container out to use them and sometimes I just want to grab a 1/2 cup of beans or lentils on a salad.  Here is a way to freeze them so you can just use what you need, keeping the rest frozen.

Spread beans (I have lentils in pictures below) in a thin layer on wax paper.  I even did a double layer to save space.  Lay flat in freezer until lentils are just frozen (you might want do the first step on a plate or small cutting board to make transferring to the freezer easier.)  Once frozen, drop them in a freezer container or freezer bag, removing wax paper.  Since they are already frozen they will not stick together in the bag and you can remove as much as you want without defrosting the rest.

Cooked (Turkey) Bacon

I love turkey bacon but occasionally I can't eat a package fast enough to prevent spoiling.  Use same basic method as above.  Lay slices so they are not touching one another on wax paper and freeze.  Once frozen store as desired. 

Time saver! Frozen bacon will crumble.  No need to get out cutting board and slice up.  Just crumble frozen bacon using hands directly into frying pan (or egg mixture as I do,) they defrost quickly when heated.

Onions or Garlic

Freeze chopped onions directly in a plastic bag, not need for single layers because they break up easily even after freezing.  This is great when you chop up a giant onion and don't need it all right away.  When it's time to use them I don't defrost them, I just add them frozen to my recipe.  If you are like me and usually sauteing onions in olive oil, use caution when adding the frozen onions...as the defrost in the oil there may be some spitting oil. 

This works really well for garlic, too.  Have you ever wondered who can use up those great bags of peeled garlic cloves available in some stores?  Freeze them!  You can also freeze unpeeled garlic.  Just separate out the cloves first. 

Time saver! Frozen garlic peels MUCH easier

 

Coffee or Juice 

Coffee is expensive and there is always some leftover.  Freeze into cubes then store in bags.  Use them in smoothies or iced coffee drinks.  Works great with juice, too.

 

Fruit

I haven't met a fruit that doesn't freeze well for use in smoothies or recipes.

Below are bananas and strawberries that are getting too ripe, sliced and frozen directly in the bag.

 

 

 

Kale, Spinach or other greens.

I have been starting my days out with a green smoothie for breakfast for about a month now and I'm addicted but I don't have time in the morning to chop a bunch of kale.  The frozen method works so much better!  Wash kale.  Sometimes if the stems are really thick and tough I will remove at least the ends.  Freeze whole kale leaves in freezer bag.  Time saver! Once frozen gently smash kale inside bag, the frozen kale will break up into little pieces and you never had to pick up a knife.  I also freeze spinach and other greens, too.

 

Tomatoes

See my previous post about freezing tomatoes. This bag is still in my freezer waiting for some cold fall or winter night when we want a yummy marinara.

 

 Do you freeze foods?  I'd love to hear your tips and tricks.

 

I'm linking up with  At the Picket Fence.  It's a great blog with lots of inspiration and great Friday link ups. Check them out!

How To Peel, Seed & Freeze Tomatoes

My garden runneth over with tomatoes.  I've been hit & miss (mostly miss) with tomatoes in the past, because I have a coastal Southern California garden I don't always have the heat needed to grow great summer vegetables.  Since I don't have to worry about frost, a few years ago I started planting tomatoes in the winter, as soon as they show up in stores.  Having the longer growing season seemed to help but I still was lucky to get a dozen good tomatoes every summer.  This year, I spent extra time getting the vegetable beds ready and it has sure paid off!

After eating many, many tomatoes and giving away a bunch to friends and family I am still left with a huge amount so I decided to prepare some for freezing.  I am a big fan of freezing foods but have never tried tomatoes.  It was surprisingly fun, easy and kid friendly.

First peel and seed your tomatoes.

Bring a pot of water to boil and while waiting for water to boil core out the stem and cut an X in the bottom of each tomato.  If you have a child who is old enough to handle a knife, the cutting of the X's was such a fun task that my children fought over who could do it (they took turns.)

Place tomatoes, a few at a time, in rapidly boiling water.  Watch them carefully, most of our tomatoes started to peel themselves after only 20-30 seconds in the water.  Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as you see the peels curling back, you don't want to cook the tomatoes, just get the skin loose.  Immediately place in ice water bath to stop them from cooking and to further loosen the skin.  Leave them in the ice water until well chilled, just a minute or so and then remove with slotted spoon and place in another bowl.

 The tomatoes should now peel very easily, you should only need to give them a gentle squeeze and the peels should just slide right off.  A few of my tomatoes were stubborn so I repeated the boiling water and ice bath.

When all the tomatoes have been peeled, cut them in half and use your fingers to gently dig out the seeds as best you can, you don't have to get them all.  Do this with a strainer over a bowl to catch the seeds and reserve the juice. When I was all done I pushed the seeds around the strainer a bit to really squeeze out all the juice.  Add the juice back to the peeled and seeded tomatoes.

I sometimes freeze in glass storage containers but they do take up a lot of space in the freezer and since there is air in the container I feel the food inside doesn't last as long once frozen.

To save space in the freezer, place desired amount of tomatoes in plastic zip bags, leaving at least an inch at the top.  Squeeze out excess air and zip closed.  I use Natural Value bags which are PVC and BPA free.  Freeze while laying flat.  Once frozen you can stand them up and keep them well organized. Don't forget to label your bags or glass containers so you know what you've got and when it needs to be used up.  Tomatoes should last up to a year.

I'm linking up with Shabby Nest. and At the Picket Fence.  Both great websites with lots of inspiration and great Friday link ups.  Check them out!