Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Olive Oil and Thyme – the lazy way (no canning!) to enjoy peak summer tomatoes now and then freeze them to enjoy all winter long!
Maybe, like me, you’ve seen something like this at your farmer’s market lately: crates of plump and glistening red, perfectly ripe, tomatoes. And let’s say that, like me, you don’t want to take the time to can them. But to turn and walk away? Just leave them there? It’s out of the question. Because soon, the farmer’s market will close for the season and tomatoes will be of the too firm, phony red, flavorless, grocery store variety.
If this resonates with you, then I have very good news.
You can slow roast pounds of these beauties – at least 10 pounds at once – pack them in jars, stack them in the freezer, and resurrect the flavor of summer whenever you like, all winter long.
I can’t take credit for this idea – I read about it here and here. And it was David Lebovitz’ recipe note that saved me from a day of canning:
The tomatoes will keep for about five days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to six months.
Great idea!
And there’s more. When you slow roast tomatoes, their flavor deepens and intensifies. Imagine the flavor of an oil packed, sun-dried tomato in the form of a tender, cooked tomato.
The process couldn’t be simpler:
You’ll cut the tomatoes in half and arrange on baking sheets. Drizzle with oil, season, and then pop them in the oven.
In three hours, you’ll have this:
Then you’ll fill up your jars and freeze them. Maybe you’ll even share. And this winter your soups, stews, pastas, toasts, and risottos will whisper of summer.
Tip: Save out 2 cups and make this Penne with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Kale and Mozzarella!
- 10 pounds small plum tomatoes stems removed
- 1 cup olive oil for drizzling
- 1/2 cup minced fresh thyme rosemary
- fine sea salt to taste
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Preheat oven to 225°F
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Arrange 3 oven racks to the top, middle and bottom positions of your oven.
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Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Rinse tomatoes and cut them in half crosswise (equator, instead of top to bottom) and arrange, cut side up, on prepared baking sheets.
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Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Sprinkle with salt to taste (I recommend a light sprinkle as the flavor will intensify).
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Roast for 3 hours, until tomatoes are soft and shriveled. Rotate the sheets among the racks every 45 minutes or so, to cook the tomatoes evenly.
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Cool tomatoes until they're comfortable to handle. Then fill your clean, lidded jars almost to the top and freeze.
10 pounds of tomatoes will yield about 10 cups. I filled 12 4-ounce jars and 2 one-pint jars.
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Welcome! I'm Marissa, and I write this blog. I write about the recipes that propel me (and hopefully you) into the kitchen. 
I have done this for years and frozen them in double baggies. Forgot a few bags until cleaning out freezer, by which time they were well over 6 months old. Put them into a spaghetti sauce and we ate it with great joy and no problems. Also put them in meat loaf (turkey loaf needs the zing). Obviously if they get very old you’ll want to cook them 10 minutes before eating (but simmering them in sauce or baking them in another recipe counts!) rather than fresh out of the bag. No tomato need go to waste!
Wonderful! And I agree, no tomato need go to waste. 🙂
Thanks, I roast my end of year tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and rosemary slowly at 275 degrees for 2-3 hours, turning once. One question: if I freeze the jars, I have no problem with tomato spoilage or concerns like when canning tomatoes, right?
Hi, Richard. Here’s a great guide on food safety – http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/sites/default/files/documents/sp_50_701_herbsandvegetablesinoil.pdf I try to use mine within about 6 months.
Love your photos! I find that slow roasted tomatoes are my favorite, but I still can’t get down with them raw, maybe someday!
This is such a great idea! I wish I’d thought of it before I just chopped all my tomatoes and hurriedly shoved them into the freezer last week. But maybe another batch will ripen before the plants die…
It doesn’t get much better than this with tomatoes in winter! Absolutely the best way to eat them! I roast everything, it makes such a difference.
We do this every summer because there’s nothing quite as sweet as summer tomatoes! 😀
A nice recipe … Usually I cook the tomatoes but roasted they look so delicious, I’ll try the recipe!
I love sun dried tomatoes and imagine these would be even better!