Planning Ahead...

These crisp, cool mornings have us all realizing that fall is just around the corner. This hint of autumn has me planning for the cooler months ahead, dreaming of the soups, stews, sauces and chilies I'll be serving for dinner to keep us warm from the inside out. So, this is not a recipe sharing, but a reminder that it might be a good idea to tuck away some of these bits of summer to pull out on those coldest of days. When I saw the opportunity to purchase 25 pounds of tasty tomatoes, I jumped. I've been busy blanching, peeling, chopping and freezing my tomatoes for the winter ahead.

Here's my little process:

- Place washed tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 45-60 seconds.
- Remove and place immediately in a bowl of ice cold water.
- Peel the tomatoes - The skins slid off very easily for me.
- Quarter and remove any brown or tough spots.
- Chop to the desired size and pop in the freezer!

I measured mine out in increments of 28 fl oz which is the size of a standard can of tomatoes. I thought this would simplify things when following recipes.

Patricia also suggested freezing the tomatoes whole. Upon removing from the freezer, you can simply run them under hot water and the skins will fall off nicely. This sounds like an even simpler plan for this sleep deprived mommy! I may just give it a try.