You might not be able to make homemade tomato soup every day, but you can keep this savoury side dish on hand for up to six months with proper freezing. Cooking your tomatoes at the peak of ripeness preserves the nutritional value and stops the enzymes that eventually cause rotting. Freezing this homemade stew locks in the flavour and nutrition of recently cooked tomatoes for up to six months at 1.67 degrees C or indefinitely in a zero-degree climate.

Cool your tomato soup on the counter while stirring periodically. Gentle stirring prevents your hot soup from forming that slightly congealed skin on the surface. Cooling your soup before storage also prevents the steam from creating condensation inside the storage containers.

Ladle your soup into several airtight containers. Leave approximately 3 inches of space before sealing the lid to allow for expansion during freezing. Use several smaller containers and fill each one with enough for one or two bowls to expedite future thawing and preparation.

Hold your containers over the sink and carefully flip them upside down to ensure the lids are tightly sealed. Insert your containers into the freezer, remove and thaw as necessary.