Cherry Tomato Confit

Cherry Tomato Confit by Baking The Goods.

Try as I might, I’m just not one of those people who has figured out how to can, preserve, jar and vacuum seal fresh foods. Planning that far ahead doesn’t seem to be in my DNA. But when it comes to Cherry Tomato Confit, I do what I can.  And, no I don’t can, I freeze. 

You may be asking yourself, what is cherry tomato confit? The tomato confit definition just means that tomatoes have been cooked and preserved in fat, in this case it’s olive oil. Tomato season is closing in on us and while I can still get my hands on those sunny little cherry tomatoes at my local Farmers Market, I am loading up to roast up. This recipe for Cherry Tomato Confit is simple beyond belief, just a few sprigs of fresh herbs, some smashed up garlic, a hefty punch of flaky sea salt and a whole lot of tomatoes in a silky smooth bath of olive oil is all that goes into this rich and flavorful mix. Combine all of that on a baking sheet add a few hours of low and slow roasting and you’ve got yourself a big ol’ batch of saucy goodness. The best part is, there are so many uses for tomato confit, toss it with pasta to use it to top pizza or slather it heavily on toasty baguette for my Tomato Confit & Burrata Crostini.

In this recipe for Cherry Tomato Confit I am planning ahead slightly by roasting a large batch and dividing it into freezer proof storage containers to pull out and toss with a big bowl of warm pasta on those cold winter nights in a few months. I know myself, I am certain I will be missing those sun filled tomatoes and summery herbs desperately this winter so this Cherry Tomato Confit recipe uses a mix of bright lemon thyme, fresh oregano and peppery basil to amp up the summery cherry tomato flavors. You could certainly use rosemary, sage or some other heartier herbs for a more wintery flavor story. This Cherry Tomato Confit is customizable and easy to adapt with different herbs.

While canning this Cherry Tomato Confit is ideal, freezing it works great too. So if you’re strapped for time and pantry space like me – roast up a big batch now and freeze individually sized portions of this Cherry Tomato Confit for your seasonally affected self this winter. I promise it will bring some sunshine to the darkest winter days.

These jewel toned cherry tomatoes come from my favorite vendor at my local Farmers Market.

I have a borderline unhealthy relationship with cherry tomatoes -it’s a good thing they are healthy. 😉

This Cherry Tomato Confit starts with drenching the cherry tomatoes in a luxurious bath of olive oil.

Combine everything to a sheet pan – cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, crunchy sea salt flakes and whatever herbs your heart desires.

These flavor bomb is about to get slow roasted in a sheet pan for a few hours.

While the Cherry Tomato Confit roasts low and slow in your oven, your house will smell like the best Italian restaurant you’ve ever been to in our life.

This Cherry Tomato Confit is pure sunshine summer in a jar.

I like to store my Cherry Tomato Confit in Weck jars in my fridge.

If you preserve your cherry tomato confit – imagine all of the ways you can use it during the colder months – tomato confit pasta, tomato confit pizzas, slather it on some crusty bread. The possibilities are endless.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Cherry Tomato Confit is slather on grilled bread with a poached egg on top! Yumm!

Cherry Tomato Confit

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Becky Sue of Baking The Goods
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups

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Description

Slow roasted cherry tomatoes burst with rich, caramelized flavors melded with fragrant garlic and herby undertones in a luxuriously smooth olive oil bath. Perfect for preserving fresh summery flavors to slather crusty bread, toss with pasta or as a flavorful pizza sauce. 

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 3 pints cherry tomatoes (- mixed or all one type)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4–6 cloves garlic (- peeled & smashed)
• 10–12 leaves fresh basil
• 6–8 sprigs fresh lemon thyme (- or plain thyme)
• 2–3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1–2 teaspoons flaky sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. 
2. Place the prepped tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and season liberally with sea salt flakes. Sprinkle the smashed garlic, basil, lemon thyme and oregano over the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and gently stir to coat.
3. Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel up and start to brown around the edges, 2-3 hours, gently turning and stirring the tomatoes periodically to prevent any burning.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature. Remove and discard the garlic and herbs before storing as they tend don’t preserve as well as the tomatoes. 
5. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, completely covered with olive oil to prevent air from reaching them.
   Or divide amongst a few freezer proof containers and freeze for up to 3 months. The olive oil with harden and solidify in the refrigerator or freezer so be sure to bring tomatoes to room temperature before serving.

Notes

This recipe is highly adaptable, feel free to add onion, shallots, or swap herbs as you please. 

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours

Cherry Tomato Confit by Baking The Goods