Tomatoes will stay fresh for up to 6 months if stored in 1 unusual place

Tomatoes are a staple in countless British kitchens - but they often spoil before they're used. Now, home cooks are discovering a surprising method to make them last up to six months - and all it takes is one simple storage switch.

According to Garden Betty, the key isn't refrigeration or sun-drying - it's the freezer. While freezing tomatoes may not be the first method that springs to mind, it's an increasingly popular way to reduce food waste and enjoy garden-fresh flavour long after tomato season ends. The trick is to freeze them whole and unpeeled. Remove the stems, rinse and dry the tomatoes thoroughly, and arrange them in a single layer on a baking tray.

Once frozen solid, they can be transferred into resealable freezer bags or airtight containers. Stored this way, they'll retain their quality for up to six months.

This method preserves the tomato's flavour and nutritional content. When you're ready to use them, there's no need to thaw-just run them under warm water, and the skins will slide off instantly.

While frozen tomatoes won't retain the firm texture needed for salads or sandwiches, they're ideal for sauces, soups, stews and curries, where their rich flavour really shines.

Many home cooks find that the freezing process even improves the texture for cooking, as it breaks down the flesh, creating a softer, sauce-ready consistency.

Food waste campaigners have welcomed the method, noting that millions of tomatoes are thrown away each year due to spoilage.

With tomato prices fluctuating and summer harvests often producing more fruit than one household can eat, freezing offers a no-fuss solution to enjoy Britain's favourite fruit well into winter.