Can You Vacuum Seal Tomatoes?

Tomatoes can be one of the toughest vegetables to keep fresh long-term. This is why many people can their tomatoes to preserve them after the growing season is over.

But what if you don’t want to have to take the time to can your tomatoes or you don’t have the right canning tools?

You can vacuum seal tomatoes if you prep them the right way. This is a fast and easy way to preserve your tomatoes and you will be glad that you could avoid the process of canning.

You will need a vacuum sealer for this process but other than this tool and the tomatoes you want to preserve, you don’t need anything else!

If you are ready to learn more about vacuum sealing tomatoes, you need to read on!

Preparation

The preparation step is the most important part of the vacuum sealing process when working with tomatoes. You will need to make sure that you take the time to do this part of the process of your end result will not be any good.

This is how you prevent your tomatoes from spoiling while they are in the vacuum-sealed bag.

Here are the steps for preparing your tomatoes to be vacuum sealed:

1. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly. Make sure there is no dirt, pests, or anything else that can be caught up in the packaging with the tomatoes. This is critical as far as preventing spoiling while your tomatoes are in storage.

2. Peel the tomatoes and then cut them into smaller pieces. This is the best way to preserve your tomatoes, no matter what kind they are.

3. Cut the tomatoes down to any size that you want for future use. This can save you a lot of time later as well which is nice.

4. Place the tomatoes on parchment paper that is laid on top of a freezer-safe tray.

5. Make sure that the tomatoes are in a single layer and that they are not touching.

6. Freeze the tomatoes until there are ice crystals coating the surface completely.

How to Vacuum Seal the Tomatoes

You are now ready to move on to vacuum sealing! There are various machines that you might own for this process, so make sure that you are familiar with the processes that should be used for your unique machine before you start the sealing process.

There are usually unique processes that need to be followed for sealing fruits and vegetables.

Make sure that the sealing bag is clean and does not have any imperfections. You will want to be sure that there are no contaminants in or on the bag that you are using for the sealing process.

Make sure that the tomatoes are dry and that any moisture that was used to clean the bag has been removed. You will usually want to keep the tomatoes in the freezer until right before you are ready to seal them up.

Make sure that the tomatoes are not touching within the bag. Vacuum seal the bag carefully and make sure that the bag has been sealed all the way before you move on to your next one.

Make sure to leave an inch at the top to help with the bag retaining its shape and having some flex when stored. You will want to leave even more space at the top of the bag if you are thinking that you will reseal the bag again after you use some of the tomatoes.

Some Tips For Vacuum Sealing

It can be easier to seal this kind of food if you place the bag that you are sealing flat on a stable surface. You will want to be sure that you are not leaving any air in the bag and it is also easier to keep the food separated when the bag is laid flat.

This is not as important with other food items but you will find that you will have much better luck with fruits and veggies when you seal them in this way.

Automatic vacuum sealers work best for this food type. They will remove all the air and then turn off when the bag is fully emptied of air and sealed. This is often much more effective than other styles of vacuum sealer.

Write the date that you sealed the bag on the outside in a permanent marker. You might also want to put the last day that the tomatoes are good for before they should be thrown out.

You will get a maximum of 6 months to a year out of each bag of stored tomatoes. Be sure that you do not eat any tomatoes that appear to have gone bad even if it has only been a few months.

Sealing fruits and veggies are not as predictable of a process as sealing other food types.

Consider cutting your tomatoes into various sizes depending on the recipes that you think you will use them for. You might not want all of your stored tomatoes to be cut to the same size.

Sometimes it can be nice to have stew tomatoes or taco topping tomatoes saved separately in your freezer.

Vacuum Sealing Tomatoes is Easy

If you use this guide, you will be able to save tomatoes for many months. This is much easier than canning and you will find that your tomatoes will taste fresh and delicious when you open them up to enjoy them.

Vacuum sealing fruits and vegetables requires that you follow some different processes than vacuum sealing other foods. You will also want to check the instructions that came with your vacuum sealer to be sure that you are on track for this process.

Vacuum sealing is a great way to make sure that your food can be stored for many months and to prevent waste. Canning is a great way to preserve foods but it’s time-intensive and takes some skill.

Vacuum sealing is really accessible for many people and you will find that you can complete this process with ease even for fruits and vegetables.