Sam's Blog: How to Store Tomatoes (Long Term)

A bounty of homegrown tomatoes or a gift of a purchase from the farmer's market can leave you with a glut of wonderful fresh tomatoes. Rather than eat nothing but tomato sauce and salads for the next week, consider storing some of your tomato bounty long term for use in cooking. Just be sure to enjoy the rest of the tomatoes in salads, sandwiches and on bruschetta because this method only leaves tomatoes suitable for cooking.

Edit Steps

Choose the tomatoes you'll be storing long term.
Choose the tomatoes you'll be storing long term. Avoid any that are mildewed or rotten. Wash the tomatoes to clean them. Remove the stems and any bad bits.
Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch (1cm) cubes.
Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch (1cm) cubes. Alternatively, you can lightly process the tomatoes in a blender.
Place the cubes of tomatoes (or blended tomatoes) into a large saucepan.
Place the cubes of tomatoes (or blended tomatoes) into a large saucepan. Bring the tomatoes to the boil.
Simmer the tomato mixture gently for at least 10-15 minutes.
Simmer the tomato mixture gently for at least 10-15 minutes.
Prepare the storage containers.
Prepare the storage containers. Sterilize preserving jars or bottles using hot water. Do not attempt to dry the jars with any cloth or paper.
Add the tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes. While the tomato mixture is still simmering, fill each of the hot jars to 1/2 inch of the jar top with the mixture.
Place the lids securely on the filled jars.
Place the lids securely on the filled jars. Place the jars somewhere out of the way of other kitchen activity to cool. Provided you've used the correct type of jar, a seal should form. Once sealed, the tomatoes will keep out of the fridge almost indefinitely.

Edit Tips

You can buy special preserving jars, but it is also fine to reuse jam or chutney jars. If the lid of a commercial brand has a button that 'pops' up when you open it, you should be able to use it; you'll see this pop-up part pull down so that the lid sits flat if the seal has taken properly.
If you'd rather freeze the glut of tomatoes, they can be put in the freezer whole – no special processing is needed but again, these will only be good for cooking when removed and it's best to add them to a dish you're cooking straight from the freezer rather than thawing them.

Edit Warnings

Be careful when you're working with hot jars, as you might burn yourself. Wear gloves or use a tea towel to grip the jars when filling them.
If the lid does not 'pop' down when cooling, the seal is not air tight, and the contents will spoil. The contents of such a jar will either need to be placed in a jar that does work or they will need to be stored in the fridge and consumed within the week.
Do not leave any residue on the rim of the jar after decanting some of the juice when you overfilled the jar. The rim of the jars has to be clean for a proper seal to happen. There should be about 1/2-inch of air space between the tomatoes and the lid.
If you are reusing commercial jars, carefully inspect the sealant on the inside of the jar lid. This sealant may be scratched or cracked. If the sealant is compromised, your preserved goods may spoil or become toxic.
Do not put hot contents into cold jars; the jars will crack. This is the reason for pouring hot water into them when preparing them.