How to Preserve Tomatoes
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I LOVE TOMATOES!!! In fact, I love them so much, I plant at least 20 tomato plants every year in my garden. I know, I know, that’s a lot, but every single tomato is used. We eat them fresh as soon as they start to ripen on the vine. Then, as the weather starts changing and the days get shorter and cooler, I start preserving them. That way we can enjoy the wonderful little gems all year long, until the next summer when the new harvest comes in. There’s nothing like a bowl of fresh tomato soup in the middle of winter, it warms you to your soul!
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In this blog post I’m going to tell you 3 ways to preserve your fresh tomato harvest.
Drying
Canning
Freezing
Let’s get started! For the drying method, you don’t need ANY special equipment. Just your oven! About half of my tomato plants are cherry or grape variety tomatoes. I absolutely love the sweet little fruits! My favorites are the orange grape tomatoes, they are so sweet and less acidic than a regular tomato. Here in Wyoming I pick the quickest maturing tomato varieties I can find. Cherry tomatoes fit the bill! You can harvest hundreds of tomatoes off of one plant! We start eating the little beauties as soon as they ripen, but they continue to produce more and more tomatoes. By the end of summer, I still have loaded tomato plants! Usually before the first frost I start harvesting all the tomatoes, even the unripe ones. Luckily, they continue to ripen. I just put them large shallow carboard boxes and keep them in my basement where it stays cooler. Be sure to go through them often to make sure none are molding. When I have a colander full of ripe cherry tomatoes, I make batches of sundried tomatoes. Start by thoroughly washing all tomatoes. Then on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, I lay out halves or quarters of tomato in a single layer. Season with garlic salt. Set your convection oven to 200 degrees and let them dry out. This takes a couple of hours, depending on the size of the tomato. They don’t have to be entirely dry, you don’t want them crispy. Once they are mostly dry, with a little squish in the middle, pack them into a pint jar. Top off with olive oil, making sure all the tomatoes are submerged. Then store in the fridge. As long as the tomatoes are covered in oil, they will last in the fridge for at least 6 months! I love to use them in salads, wraps, pastas and even just for snacking!
Next up, canning! Have you tried canning? I’ll admit, when I was first getting started, I was a little intimidated. What if it doesn’t seal and my family gets sick? I can assure you; you will know if your jar doesn’t seal. And if it doesn’t, put it in the fridge and use it within a week. So here’s what you need.
Canning salt
Lemon Juice
This is a simple way to can tomatoes. I start by putting 10 pounds tomatoes on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can stack them, they don’t need to be in a single layer. Put them in a 350 degree oven until the tomato skins are splitting. Take out and cool. Proceed to peel and core the tomatoes, add to a large stock pot on low heat. Meanwhile, fill your water bath half way and put on stove to boil, leaving the metal rack in the bottom. I don’t normally use whole tomatoes, I like the consistency of crushed tomatoes in my soups and sauces. I use my immersion blender to break up the whole tomatoes. You can go as chunky or as smooth as you like. Now, prep your jars. Wash with hot water and soap. Add rings and lids to a pan with water and put on stove to simmer on low. To each jar, add 1 teaspoon canning salt for quarts and 1/2 teaspoon for pints and 1 tablespoon lemon juice use 2 tablespoons lemon juice for quart jars. Once your tomatoes and water bath are boiling, add tomatoes to jars making sure there are no bubbles. Leave 1/2 inch head space. With a paper towel soaked in white vinegar, wipe off the rims of jars. Top with a lid and ring, hand tightening. Using your jar tongs, put jars into water bath. They should be covered with water by at least an inch. You may need to add additional boiling water from another pot. Put the lid on and start the timer when the water returns to a boil. Consult your canning book for timetable, adjusting for altitude. When done, use the handy dandy jar tongs to remove jars, place on countertop on a dishtowel to cool. Make sure they’re not set in a cold drafty spot, the quick temperature change could cause jars to crack. Let cool for 12- 24 hours. You should hear the jars sealing with a satisfying little POP! When jars are completely cooled, check the seal by pressing the center of the lids. There should be no give in the lid. If a jar didn’t seal, put it in the fridge. Just a side note, canning is a simple way to preserve food for years, but use the best practices, and consult your canning book!
Lastly, freezing is another great method of preserving tomatoes. Like I mentioned at the beginning, a hot, fresh bowl of tomato soup in the cold dead of winter is absolutely heavenly! Here’s how to do it! On a parchment lined baking sheet, place 10 halved tomatoes, 1/2 onion cut in thick wedges, 5-6 garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive or avocado oil, season with garlic salt, and red pepper flakes. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool. Add tomato mixture to a gallon freezer bag, being mindful to press out as much air as possible. If this is going to be in your freezer for longer than a month, proceed to wrap with freezer paper. Lable well, including contents and the date it was packaged. Freeze. To use, add contents of baggie to 8 cups chicken stock or broth, your preference to a large stock pot. I love Better Than Bouillon chicken base, it has such a full flavor. Now, you can add herbs if you choose. I love rosemary in tomato soup. Generally, you think of basil with tomato, which is fantastic, but rosemary is a little unexpected and so delicious! Once your soup is simmering, use your immersion blender to smooth it out. Be very carful when blending hot food, it can boil over. Once a smooth consistency is achieved, return to a simmer. Lastly, to finish this beautiful fresh tomato soup, add 1 cup heavy cream. Serve with an elevated grilled cheese sandwich, using rye bread and Gruyere cheese. Happy dunking!!
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