For those of you who have a lot of tomatoes, how do you preserve them, or

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dawnnys

Well-known member
don't you. I love the taste of almost over-ripe tomatoes, but give them another day and they're attracting fruit flies and are no good.

I've haven't sun/oven-dried them in a long time, and am not so much into canning this year. I know they lose their flavor in the refrigerator, so I'm just wondering what the general consensus is for trying to save them to enjoy in the winter. TIA

 
If I have the space I freeze as much as I can. I skin them and freeze whole on a sheet pan then bag

when they are solid. I also make sauce and soup and freeze them. Unfortunately my freezer space is very limited so I will probably only make the soup this year. (There is nothing like a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich in the winter!) I am hoping to buy a case of tomatoes at the market on Sat. They have been up to about $16 and I am holding out for $10-$12!

PS I am chicken to can tomatoes. And I would need a bigger canning pot to get quart jars into.

 
I just diced them (skins and all) weigh them to be about 15 1/2 oz

(size of small can) and freeze them flat in freezer ziploc bags. Then when you need a can of tomatoes you have just the right amount. So far this year I've only had enough tomatoes for me to eat. Was looking forward to having some extras to enjoy in the winter. Must be the crazy weather we've had.

 
I oven dry/roast mine using the ideas gathered here

Don't remember who - was it Richard - mentioned that when oven drying to put herbs, onions, garlic and such in the pan. Put the rack with the tomatoes on top and as the juices run out of the tomatoes they mix with the aromatics in the pan....

So - I cover my baking sheet with non-stick foil.
I toss in anything I find interesting in my herb garden - basil, oregano, whole cloves of garlic, large chopped onions, etc... and sometimes I throw a few glugs of wine on them.

Then I put a rack on top, I cut the tomatoes in half, I don't bother to seed or take out the jelly (that's got the most flavor)... drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper. Put them cut side down on the rack and into the oven at about 250 degrees for a couple hours - until they're as dried as I want them...

Then, that goodness on the bottom... oh baby... remove the rack, put the baking sheet on the stovetop to heat up further and deglaze with either water, more wine, stock.... THen I remove the spent herbs, the garlic cloves are awesome.

I use that sauce in my risotto --- oh baby baby... with some grilled shrimp, and tossing in some of the roasted tomatoes....

That sauce can be used in a whole host of things...

Oh - and then the leftover sauce and tomatoes are frozen in baggies separately for later enjoyment.


Tess

 
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