[MsCowpea]

I was planning on freezing whole tomatoes until I read in my Sunset Home Canning book the following:

"Freeze raw whole unpeeled tomatoes in rigid freezer containers for no longer than 2 to 3 weeks to use for cooking or seasoning."

2 or 3 weeks ????? that is just not long enough for me

also read this from Univ. Mo. extension:
"Tomatoes
Select firm, ripe tomatoes with deep red color. Frozen tomatoes will have a mushy texture when thawed and are suitable only for cooking, i.e. in soups, stews, spaghetti sauces, etc. In addition, tomatoes that are frozen raw become watery and develop an off-flavor after a short period in the freezer. Tomatoes that are too ripe for safe canning, but still sound and free from decay, can safely be frozen. "

it says they develop an off-flavor??? and use right away????

Not sure who to believe--most sites don't give a time limit. I saw one that said 8 months.

Corona Barb's idea of Food saver seems like a good one--surely they would be OK for longer periods if you vacuum-pak them. What do you think????????