How to Make Home Made Roasted Tomatoes
Preserve Your Last Crop of Tomatoes by Slow Roasting Them
Oct 13, 2008
Tomatoes are one of the more rewarding plants to grow in the garden. A gardener can get a good tomato crop throughout much of the summer if they have a sunny enough spot or a greenhouse.
Many keen gardeners find they have a surplus of tomatoes to use up at the end of each season. At this time of year, the tomatoes aren’t even at their best, and many have blemishes and uneven ripeness.
One handy and tasty way to ensure you can enjoy these final fruits of summer from the garden is to slow roast the final crop. Sun dried or roast tomatoes are expensive, so canny gardeners can save themselves a few pennies in the process.
Roasting the tomatoes removes much of the liquid, meaning you are left with an intensely flavoured tomato, and you are able to store many more tomatoes in a small space. Roast preserved tomatoes are delicious in Italian dishes, salads and tapas and can last in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 months.
What You Need To Roast Tomatoes
- A baking tray
- Tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are best, but any size will do).
- Salt and Pepper
- An airtight container
- Vegetable Oil (preferably Olive Oil if your budget can stand it, but sunflower oil is also fine).
Preparation
- Put your oven onto the lowest heat setting
- Pick and wash the tomatoes
- Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a baking tray (you need not add oil, as the moisture and low heat means your tomatoes won’t stick). Don’t overfill your tray as your tomatoes need space for the liquid to evaporate.
- Add salt (preferably the finest sea salt), and freshly ground black pepper
- Pop the tray of tomatoes into the oven, and check on them every half an hour. Drying time for your tomatoes will vary depending on their size – cherry tomatoes are most successful and are usually ready within an hour and a half, but you can roast any size of tomato.
- Once most of the liquid has been roast away from the tomatoes, remove them from the tray and store them in a sterilised airtight jar, topped up with oil into your refrigerator. You can add herbs such as basil or oregano to the oil, or if you want hot tomatoes, add a chilli or two!
Uses
You can start to use your roast tomatoes immediately. When freshly prepared, they are firm and particularly tasty when added to salad leaves, or chopped and sprinkled on chicken or fish. As your tomatoes store in the jar, the oil makes them soften, meaning that after a month or two, they are best added to Italian dishes for that extra rich tomato taste.
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