I am getting about 1 gallon of cherry tomatoes every day. That's a conservative estimate. This year I planted Sun Gold Cherry Toms. We are really loving them. I always freeze a bunch whole to be used for fresh pasta sauces in the winter but this year I am also slow roasting them with cloves of garlic. Oh.My.Wow. These are truly amazing and will be a warm, rich and comforting companion in winter stews, soups or just smothered on a piece of toast.You will have to use all of your will power not to just eat these on the spot while you are filling your jars.
To slow roast cherry tomatoes (or any small tomato) preheat your oven to 250 degrees. I have a convection roast option on my oven which works wonderfully. Wash your tomatoes, sliced them in half and place in a roasting pan (or pans if you have a bazillion like me). Separate whole cloves of garlic from the bulb but leave the skin on and scatter them in your pan. I like to use one clove per jar and I always roast extra. Drizzle olive oil over your pan and sprinkle kosher salt to taste. Place in the oven and roast for approx. 1 1/2-2 hours. I like to set my timer at 30 minute intervals and just keep checking or rotating pans so they roast evenly. You want them to be slightly browned and almost dehydrated though there will be some thickened juices. Fill 4oz Ball jars, leaving 1/2", and add one clove of garlic squeezed from it's skin to each jar. Let cool, cover and freeze!
If you want to just freeze your cherry or grape tomatoes, just wash and dry them. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment in a single layer and set in freezer until they are solid. Transfer to zippered freezer bags.
Enjoy!
looks wonderful! i had hoped to do the same but that is asking a lot from a tiny garden that got beaten up this summer!
hope you guys are well and that storm misses us, misses everyone that is!
Posted by: nadia | August 27, 2011 at 03:55 PM
Beautiful! I just made a lovely cherry tomato sauce with ours the other night. I love to slow roast mine like you do but also add fresh thyme.
Posted by: sUsAn | August 28, 2011 at 10:38 AM
I saw a great tip today on the food network to cut lots of cherry tomatoes at once put as many that will fit on a deli container lid (or similar plastic container lid) place another lid that's about the same size on top so you have lid tomatoes lid sandwich, hold the top lid down with one hand and cut through the tomatoes. (hope this makes sense!) Super fast way to cut! I know I wish I had known this a few weeks ago too!
Posted by: Amanda Cathleen | September 10, 2011 at 09:55 PM
This sounds delicious. You said that after you roast the tomatoes you put them in jars. How long do they keep in the jars?
Posted by: [email protected] | July 17, 2012 at 07:07 AM