Freeze or Can Tomatoes For Long Term...New to this!

[BeingMe]

I have a bunch of jars that I could use, but would need to get new lids to do the canning method. Or I could use what I have (jars, lids) and put them in the freezer.
Is freezing good enough? If I freeze them I don't have to do the boiling right?
Thanks!

[Magelet]

I decided to freeze a bunch of tomatoes because I didn't feel like canning them or have the time or a recipe. However, I used plastic bags so it's not exactly sustainable.

[Koalamom]

When I freeze, I just make sure I use freezer bags, and wash and reuse them as much as I can. They hold up so well.

[Arduinna]

Personally I'd can. With freezing you have a chance of freezer burn if you don't get around to using them and canning tomatoes is so easy and they are very versatile canned. Plus no thawing.

[koru]

I did a little of both this year but I've never done the frozen method so I can't vouch for the effectiveness. I love the freezing method, though, because it's SO easy! Canning tomatoes is a PITA, if you ask me, and you need a lot of them to make it worth your while. I freeze 5 or 6 tomatoes at a time & put them in freezer bags. And from what I've read, you can freeze with the skin on & just run them under cool water to peel the skin off before using. We'll see if it's really that simple. Ha! (I should try one just to see!)

[cristeen]

I chop and freeze in glass jars, either wide mouth pints or wm half pints. I can run warm water over the jar and the whole chunk will slide right into my pot. I tend to only have 4 or 5 tomatoes at a time, so its just not worth canning. I did this lastyear and used the last of it about a week before i started with this years crop, and they were still fine.

Last year i did peel, chop and cook down a bit, but this year i just chopped and froze raw, skins and all. We'll see.

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

When I freeze, I just make sure I use freezer bags, and wash and reuse them as much as I can. They hold up so well.

That's what I do. I don't cook or peel or anything, just freeze either whole or in chunks. When you thaw them, the skins just peel right off.

[Llyra]

I do can some, because I run out of freezer room this time of year. I prefer freezing, though, because Vitamin C survives the freezing process better that way. I blanch mine in boiling water and peel, and then chop them and freeze. You can freeze them whole, too. Or you can cook them down into sauce and freeze that.

I have frozen in jars-- if you do it that way, leave a few inches of headspace, because it will expand, and you don't want to crack a jar. I also put each jar into a freezer bag and take all the air out, to prevent freezer burn. I reuse the bags for years, so I don't worry about waste so much. You can also just freeze in freezer bags just fine, but I find that sometimes I get leaks when I thaw. That's because once the bag is frozen, if it gets banged in the freezer, it can get little holes at the seams.

[BeingMe]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try freezing in jars since I tend to use them quickly. I have no idea how to do the whole canning method with the jars, and maybe in the future I can have my MIL show me. But for now I think I will freeze diced tomatoes in the jar.