If what you want is like commercial canned crushed tomatoes then yes they need to be heated first and you need to use non-paste tomato types. Paste tomatoes can be used but they give you a very different texture.

The instructions for making crushed tomatoes for canning would be the same for freezing them:

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water slip off skins, and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter. Heat one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot. This will exude juice. Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning. Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly These remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added.

Add to that the instructions for freezing: Cover and cook until tender (10 to 20 minutes). Place pan containing tomatoes in cold water to cool. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Dave

As I peel and core my tomatoes, I toss them into a pot on the stove on medium heat, giving the occasional stir with a wooden spoon. (I find that if I fill a pot and then put it on the heat, I'm more prone to scorching the tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are heated, and starting to break down, I use my immersion blender to make more of a puree - which I find is more consistent with store bought crushed tomatoes. I tend to can my tomatoes pretty liquidy. But for some batches, if I want them to be a bit "thicker", I strain about half the pot through a colander to reduce the liquid - then I can the "liquids" and the "solids" separate.

Thanks, digdirt and pixie lou. I like how you thicken by straining. I think I'll have to get an immersion blender. How big of a one do you use, pixie lou? And do either of you deal with the seeds? I know that too many in a dish impart a bitter flavor to my sauces....
Kris

I just have a regular old Cuisineart immersion blender. Nothing fancy. But it does the job. If you read many of my "how do you do it" type of posts, you'll find that I use my immersion blender A LOT.

When I do paste type tomatoes, I tend to remove the seeds - after I peel and core, I cut the tomato in half, and with my thumb, I flick the seeds out. I don't get all the seeds, but lots of them. Then again, I typically use the paste tomatoes when I'm making marinara. I leave the seeds in with my slicer tomatoes - I've switched over and now do mostly diced tomatoes with my slicers. I can't figure out any way to get the seeds out, but still have the "diced" tomatoes. If I strain the tomatoes, I end up with more of a sauce consistency that I personally do not like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Immersion Blender

I haven't canned crushed tomatoes (all ours went into salsa or sauce last year), but since both recipes called for no seeds, I just used Annie's method of cutting in halves (or quarters) and thumbing the guts out into a separate bowl after slipping the skins off.

All of my tomatoes that will be going into sauce are run through the food mill. It removes the skins, cores and seeds all at the same time. Can't stand tomato seeds in any sauces.

Dave

I blogged about how I do my crushed tomatoes here:

http://domesticallydefective.blogspot.com/2014/09/making-homemade-tomato-puree.html

It's the only easy and fast way I have come up with doing it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crushed Tomatoes Blog

We have a kitchen aid juicer attachment which after removing skins we simply run them through and have a perfect sauce or if we want it thicker we cook down in a large roaster

James

it seems an immersion blender can replace a food mill for making sauce. except a mill removes skin and seeds, and a blender will incorporate them into the sauce. do i have that right ? i find the food mill does a really good job, but takes a lot of time when making 7 quarts of sauce. how long does an immersion blender take ?

I remove my skins first. I Leave my seeds. The immersion blender does the job in about a minute.

But yes, an immersion blender will not remove skins or seeds.

impressive ! thanks, pixie lou ! now, does anyone leave some skins on who can comment on how the immersion blender deals with them ? wonder if i should just invest in a vitamix instead.....but it seems leaving the sauce in the pot would save time and clean-up.

pixie, found your post on another thread about skins of cherry tomatoes being no problem. think i'll get myself an immersion blender !