Slow-Roasted Tomatoes for Freezing
Perfect for preserving summer’s bounty, I’ve been preserving tomatoes this way for many years. This recipe delivers deep, caramelized flavor with minimal fuss. Ideal for sauces, soups, or layering on toast mid-winter, but also for just tossing over hot pasta for a meal that is effortless on those busiest of days.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs fresh or even slightly over-ripe tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Prep the Oven: Preheat to 325°F, line cooking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice & Season: Wash tomatoes and cut into 1 inch slices or quarters if they are small. Divide between two roasting pans—don’t overcrowd.
- Add Flavor: Toss with olive oil, salt, balsamic, sugar, garlic cloves, and herbs.
- Roast: Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, turning trays as needed. Tomatoes should be soft, slightly shriveled, and richly fragrant.
- Cool & Store: Mash if you’d like, but allow to cool. I like to use reusable zip lock bags to store flat in my freezer. I pack about a cup in each bag.
- Keeps up to 6-12 months without issue.
Cooking Tips
- If you don’t like tomato skins, you can score the tomatoes and place in boiling water to remove them ahead of roasting.
- I’ve stuffed the cooking sheets often when I have a bounty of tomatoes to get through, and it all worked just fine 🙂
- Using a variety of colors of tomatoes makes for a beautiful display! Sprinkle some Yellow Pear Tomatoes in for a punch of fun contrast.
- Slivered onions cooked along with the tomatoes are fantastic!
Serving Suggestions
- Ideal served with fresh bread for dipping
- Delicious when used to dress your pasta
- Toss in feta, asiago, mozzarella, or make a bruschetta
- Add to feta and mix into a creamed dip
