Kitchen

[house_cat]

My DIL had to harvest her tomatoes quickly last year and we didn't have time to peel them before freezing. She cut them into quarters and froze them. I'm wondering if I can make soup or sauce from them even though they have the skins still attached.

Does anyone know before I waste my time?

Thank you.

[drizzellla]

@house_cat  I will start out by saying I never froze tomatoes. I always canned my tomatoes.

But if you froze tomatoes wouldn't the skin come off easily? Like when tomatoes are blanched? The skin just slips off? 

I would try and see if the skin comes off before using it in a soup or sauce. I must admit I don't care for skin.

[house_cat]

@drizzellla 

Normally she would can them, but there was a family emergency right about that time and things didn't go as planned. I have large Dutch oven full of them on the stove right now and you are right, some of the skins are coming off.

[faeriemoon]

I'm assuming if they were cut up and frozen they should thaw out fairly mushy.  If so, you can run them through a food mill which would collect the seeds and skin.  

If you aren't familiar with a food mill, this is what it looks like:

Most Italian (or Italian/American) kitchens have one. It's really the best tool for preparing fresh or canned tomatoes for sauce making.

[dancingwoman]

@house_cat  I have frozen tomatoes whole before.  What I've done and I don't know if you could do this but before cooking them I'd run the frozen tomatoes for a couple seconds under warm water and the skins slip right off...DW

[drizzellla]

@house_cat Glad to hear that.

I just think of when I eat tomato soup. If it is "chunky" it is because there are chunks of tomato. I am not sure how chunks of skin would affect the texture of the soup.

[sunshine45]

i keep the skins on because they have a lot of flavor. i often cook down tomatoes when they are getting wrinkled and keep them for tomato paste/tomato sauce.

i just use a stick blender to get the tomatoes as smooth as i want them in whatever i am making.

[house_cat]

@sunshine45 

@drizzellla 

@dancingwoman 

Thanks, ladies! This Italian-American kitchen does not have a food mill, though I've seen them used before. I suppose it's time I invested in one because we have MANY pounds of tomatoes in my upright freezer

The tomatoes did shed their skin as I started simmering them, so I pulled most of it out of the pot with a pair of tongs.  I'm letting it cook down a good bit because it was too watery.

I will be using an immersion blender.

[kate2357]

@house_cat 

I have never frozen tomatoes...but I do leave the skin on tomatoes when I make tomato/marinara sauce. I make sauce in a slow cooker and the skin does seem to break down. 

[wagirl]

I think I would put the sauce through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds, after it was cooked and cooled.