Margherita Pizza

What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes?…All winter without ‘em is a culinary bummer. So go the lyrics to the song Homegrown Tomatoes.

You can have your tomatoes and eat them, too. Here are some instructions for preserving the taste of summer for use all year round:

• Select tomatoes with a deep red color and a rich tomato aroma when you smell the blossom (not stem) end. They should feel heavy for their size. The skin should be taut and not shriveled.  

• Store fresh tomatoes at room temperature out of direct sunlight with the stem ends down until they have fully ripened. A ripe tomato will yield to slight pressure. Plan on storing for only a few days, certainly not more than a week.

Once tomatoes have reached this stage, you will need to eat, cook, refrigerate or preserve them.  

• Preserve by pressure canning in glass jars or by freezing. If you have extra freezer space, this is quick and easy. Begin by sorting the tomatoes, discarding any with signs of spoilage. Wash each tomato, rubbing its surface and rinsing with running water, then blot dry. Remove the tough stem end by inserting the tip of a paring knife at an angle just outside the core; using a sawing motion, rotate the tomato until the core is cut free. Place the cored tomatoes on baking sheets and freeze. Transfer frozen tomatoes to freezer bags and store at 0ºF or below for up to 8 months.  

• Use frozen tomatoes in cooked dishes just as you would use fresh or canned tomatoes. Remove from the freezer the number of tomatoes needed and run under warm water to slip off the skin.