Keeping tomatoes to use for soup (eventually!)

[beanie3]

Hi i was wondering what is the best and easiest way to keep my tomatoes to use for soup (eventually!).  I have lots of tom's and lots of soup already but want to make more for the winter but don't have the space to make more soup yet!  Can i just throw them in the freezer?

Also apologies if i have posted this in the wrong section i was umming and ahhing about this one/greenhouse or recipe section!

[beanie3]

[Trevor_D]

I make a puree out of them, then: a) it doesn't take up so much freezer space; b) it can be used for soup, sauce or just bunged in a casserole.

Bake in a covered casserole for about an hour; liquidise & sieve; reduce by half.

[BarriedaleNick]

I do the same and freeze it in little pots - one is enough for a pizza topping - two or three for a chilli or spag bol.

[cacran]

I just washed them and froze them whole. I then just threw them into the pan when I made stew or soup.

[manicscousers]

we have 12 lb of assorted tomatoes in the freezer, whole as I don't have time to make sauce  :)

[Trevor_D]

Only 12 lbs? You're not taking this tomato-growing seriously, are you?

[beanie3]

12lb - you must have a huge freezer.  Thanks for all your advice peeps.  I washed/dryed them, cut them in quarters and put them in freezer bags.  I have three bags of 1kg - so when i want to make soup i just need to get one bag out and off i go. 

Thats gonna keep me going all winter - yummy.

[manicscousers]

12lb - you must have a huge freezer.  Thanks for all your advice peeps.  I washed/dryed them, cut them in quarters and put them in freezer bags.  I have three bags of 1kg - so when i want to make soup i just need to get one bag out and off i go. 

Thats gonna keep me going all winter - yummy.

got 3 freezers , all full  ;D

[beanie3]

 ** jealous **

Is it wrong for me to really, and i mean, really want a chest freezer - but we just don't have room : (  Unless i convince my other half that having electric in the brick shed at the bottom of the garden is a good idea.....i can dream.

[manicscousers]

I've taken over half his garage/workroom  :)

[saddad]

We have done 25lbs of "tomato slop" ie roughly chopped and heated mixed tomatoes frozen in 8oz margarine pots then bagged. A bag goes for the base of a pasta sauce etc... Soup next!  :)

[Emagggie]

No time for souping etc. either so I skin them and freeze them and that's as good as it gets. They get shoved in spag bol  and anything else that looks like it could benefit from an infusion of tomato. Now giving them away wholesale, and my neighbour avoiding me like the plague. ::)

[realfood]

If you do not have any space left in your freezer, tomatoes can be bottled until you need to use them.

[beanie3]

oh realfood - that sounds a good idea.

Now i am going to sound thick - how? 

[bazzysbarn]

Have got a really good gadget for doing tomatoes. Saves time skinning and deseeding them. Wish i had got this years ago. Its called a Passata pulp machine and i got it from Ascott smallholding. I have nothing to do with this company by the way :D

[elhuerto]

I was looking to buy a Passata Pulp Machine and they want 22 quid to ship to Spain  :o - that's the same price as the machine itself!

[Paulines7]

I was looking to buy a Passata Pulp Machine and they want 22 quid to ship to Spain  :o - that's the same price as the machine itself!

We bought ours in France a few years back so maybe they have them in Spain too.  A wonderful machine that gets rid of all the pips and skins. 

I have just returned from France to a welcome of pounds and pounds of tomatoes.  I picked the under-ripe greeny orange ones to take with us before we went and left just green ones which have now ripened.  There don't seem to be any that are past their best.  I am growing them all outside this year and have a wonderful crop. 

I have been catching up with paperwork this morning but have to unpack the caravan soon as I have about thirty plants from French Garden Centres sitting in the shower tray.   Goodness know when I will get round to picking the tomatoes.
::)

[elhuerto]

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread here but would you say this is what you have

http://www.pixmania.com/es/es/2051925/art/garhe/trituradora-de-tomate-tom.html

Cheers!

[jazzidoodle]

Have got a really good gadget for doing tomatoes. Saves time skinning and deseeding them. Wish i had got this years ago. Its called a Passata pulp machine and i got it from Ascott smallholding. I have nothing to do with this company by the way :D

What a brilliant site.  Thank you for sharing.

[Duke Ellington]

So is it okay to pulp the tomatoes and freeze or do you cook the tomato pulp and then freeze?

Duke?