# Can't afford to can???



## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

I had a young single Mother of two tell me her neighbor would give her the excess tomatoes from her garden. Having no supplies and no money to invest at that time, she washed, cut up the tomatoes, put them in the blender and poured them in clean 2-liter pop bottles and popped them in her freezer. When I asked how she got it out of the bottle, she said she just cut the bottle off the frozen juice and cooked it up for sauces. :banana02:


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Where there is a will- well you know the rest...............


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## NCLee (Aug 4, 2009)

Does my heart good to hear of someone who trys! 

I get so tired of hearing "excuses", especially from family members, as to why they CAN'T. 

So good to hear of someone who CAN!

Lee


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Thats a REALLY good idea. I just may use that!


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## Betty Jean (Jan 7, 2009)

Smart lady. It is nice to read "good news" like this on a Monday morning. Thanks!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I'd go one step further - give the tomatoes time to thaw and they will squirt out of the bottle. Rinse and re-use the bottle.


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## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

Wow that is a great idea!


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

Yeah, nice idea - but I never buy pop. Freezing in zip-loc's that stack flat makes more sense to me, but good for her for preserving the harvest!


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

I also saw on TV that a guy would make huge batches of salsa every year. They would grow their own tomatoes for this. They would pick the tomatoes, and put them in bags and put them immediately into the freezer~~whole! They even had a special freezer for this purpose because they would make so much!

When they were ready to make the Salsa (in time for Superbowl Sunday) they would let the tomatoes thaw and the skins would just fall off. Then they would use for their recipe. 

I've never tried this, but it has been filed away in my mind for years.


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## Mulish (Mar 24, 2005)

I freeze whole maters every year. Thaw and squeeze the juice, pull away the peel and voila, tomato sauce that you do not have to cook down to thicken. Tastes great, very fresh tasting. I freeze them in plastic grocery bags, and when you pick the bag of frozen tomatoes, they clink together and sound just like billiard balls hitting one another.


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## backachersfarm (Jun 14, 2005)

I would be concerned about leaching of chemicals into the tomatoes from the plastic. Esp since they are acidic. If a person is too poor to buy some jars why would they be buying soda?


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

I get soda bottles from my family members and from get togethers. And if you think tomatoes are acidic, read the ingredints in soda. CAn't get much more acid in there. I never thought to try this. I cut 2 liters into pots for seedlings. Think I might try this in the fall as I am planting enough tomatoes for the 4 of us my two parents and several other people.


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

jmtinmi said:


> I also saw on TV that a guy would make huge batches of salsa every year. They would grow their own tomatoes for this. They would pick the tomatoes, and put them in bags and put them immediately into the freezer~~whole! They even had a special freezer for this purpose because they would make so much!
> 
> When they were ready to make the Salsa (in time for Superbowl Sunday) they would let the tomatoes thaw and the skins would just fall off. Then they would use for their recipe.
> 
> I've never tried this, but it has been filed away in my mind for years.


That's a darn good idea! I might try that this year.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

nm....


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## hengal (Mar 7, 2005)

Mulish said:


> I freeze whole maters every year. Thaw and squeeze the juice, pull away the peel and voila, tomato sauce that you do not have to cook down to thicken. Tastes great, very fresh tasting. I freeze them in plastic grocery bags, and when you pick the bag of frozen tomatoes, they clink together and sound just like billiard balls hitting one another.


I do this same thing!


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

We freeze tomatoes every year this way... unbelievable how easy the skins slip off! If you are trying to get some super ripe fruit put away and no time for more intensive things... even a few can just be popped in a freezer bag. I cut mine in quarters or so to fill the bags better.

Debbie


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

NCLee said:


> Does my heart good to hear of someone who trys!
> 
> I get so tired of hearing "excuses", especially from family members, as to why they CAN'T.
> 
> ...


Amen to that! 

From someone who isn't a fan of the whole canning process, I love this idea. I'd just need a bigger freezer. Mine is stuffed with beef and pork and we don't have nearly enough room for a ton of tomatoes. I think I'll be on the lookout for another freezer!


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