Preserving Tomatoes

I always do a lot of canning in the fall, but I’m often very rushed for time because of all the other things I also have to do.  Two of my favorite ways to preserve tomatoes for the rest of the year involve using the oven to slowly roast the tomatoes before canning them.  This saves lots of hands-on time and requires less watching and attention than other methods.

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Wash and slice cherry or small paste tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Place tomatoes on parchment paper-covered cookie sheets, skin side down.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake in your oven on the lowest temperature setting available (150 – 200 degrees), until the tomatoes reach the consistency of raisins.  If you start them in the late afternoon or early evening, then they will usually be done first thing in the morning, however the amount of time will vary with the size of the tomatoes and your oven temperature.  I would suggest trying this the first time during the day, when you can check their progress every few hours.

After the tomatoes have dried, remove them from the cookie sheet and pack them in clean sterilized canning jars. Heat olive oil to just below boiling.  Pour the hot oil over the tomatoes, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top of the jar.  Place a clean sterilized canning lid and ring on the jar, tighten, then turn the jar upside down.  The heat from the oil should cause the jar to seal.  After you hear the lid make a popping noise – which means that it has sealed – you can turn the jars right side up. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

–         These dried tomatoes make a wonderful addition to sandwiches, pastas, and pizza

–         Use the olive oil the dried tomatoes are canned in for cooking and salad dressings

–         Put dried tomatoes and a bit of the olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth, serve with baguette slices for a fantastic appetizer

–         Blend dried tomatoes with mayonnaise for a great treat on a BLT

Canned Roasted Tomatoes

After picking tomatoes of any size and variety, wash, cut off stem and blossom ends, as well as any blemishes and roughly chop.  Place tomatoes in the largest enamelware pot that will fit in your oven.  Fill the pot to the top with tomatoes.  Place the uncovered pot in your oven and bake at the lowest temperature setting (150 – 200 degrees) until the tomatoes are reduced by half.  Depending on the size of your pot, this can take up to 24 hours.  Stir the tomatoes once or twice as they roast.  You may add sea salt to taste if you so desire.  Once the tomatoes have cooked down, but are still hot, ladle them into clean sterilized canning jars, cap with lids and rings and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.

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