We had a about a week solid of daily rain here in Northern Colorado. While rain is always welcome, since we only get around 15-16 inches of precipitation per year, it did cause some of my tomatoes to split. While not the worst thing ever, the damage is more than cosmetic. Those cracks in the tomato can start to rot, eventually causing the whole tomato to rot along with it.
So what can be done with a split tomato? The same things you do with any other tomato, minus the part that is split. Simply cut away the split, and any discolored or suspicious bits, and voila an edible tomato.
But what if you have more than one or two split tomatoes?
I had a lot of split tomatoes this year. A good problem for sure, but a problem nonetheless. I didn’t have enough to pull out the canning supplies and start canning, but I had too many for my family to eat before they went bad. So I made a really quick freezer sauce. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this method, nor is it the best one out there. But it gets the job done, and keeps food waste to a minimum.
Quick Freezer Tomato Sauce
There are no quantities or measurements for this method. Just a bunch of tomatoes and some salt to season.
Supplies
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large pot with Lid
- Large fine mesh strainer
- Large heat proof bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Stove
- Freezer bags or other freezer containers
- Sharpie
- Salt
- Tomatoes
Start by cutting away all of the splits and anything that looks discolored from your tomatoes. Try to cut the remaining ‘good’ tomatoes into relatively similar sized chunks. Place the tomato chunks into your pot.
Add salt and set pot on the stove. Turn your heat to medium or medium low and put the lid on your pot.
Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes break down, like the picture above.
Turn off the heat. Place your strainer over your bowl and carefully pour the cooked tomatoes into the strainer. Using your spoon gently push the tomatoes through the strainer. You should be left with skins and seeds in the strainer, and a thin tomato sauce in your bowl.
At this point you can choose to put the sauce into a clean pot and simmer it over low heat to thicken, stirring it regularly. For my purposes, the sauce was thick enough already.
Once the sauce is to your desired consistency, allow it to cool to slightly warm, or room temperature. While your sauce is cooling, label your containers with the date and contents. When your sauce is cooled, put in your containers and into the freezer.
I’ve had sauce made like this last for over 6 months in my freezer. Your mileage may vary, always use your best judgement. Use it as you would any other tomato sauce, remembering that there is a little salt added.
There you have it! A very simple way to make the best out of a less-than-ideal situation. What are some of the ways you like to deal with tomatoes before they go bad? I’d love to hear them! As always, thanks for being here!