How To Stew Tomatoes
Have overripe tomatoes? Don't just throw them away! Make easy and quick stewed tomatoes to add to chili or spaghetti sauce!
Materials
- Tomatoes washed
- Water
- Ice
Instructions
- Boil water over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and add ice.
- Add tomatoes to the boiling water and cook until the skins are nearly off, about 10 minutes. Boil in batches of three large or four small.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes and place them directly in the ice bath. Cool at least 5 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes from ice bath and place on a large cutting board. Flatten tomatoes with the side of a chef's knife (or other implement). Chop/dice tomatoes until it is becomes a puree. NOTE: The tomatoes will be hot. Be careful. Also, flattening the tomatoes creates a lot of juice, so be prepared with paper towels.
- Let tomatoes cool. Once they are room temperature, divide into quart freezer bags. Press the air out and store flat.¼
Notes
These tomatoes are closer to crushed tomatoes than stewed, which are typically a bit more chunky. I don't like chunks in my chili or spaghetti sauce, so I prefer this method.
If you have regular recipes, such as chili, where you always use a certain amount of tomatoes, you can pre-measure and mark your bags accordingly.