tomato are some of the most red-hot gifts that summer extend us . Whether you ’re growing tiny cherry tomatoes or enormous beefsteak varieties , you wo n’t want to rot a individual bite . Here are some of the skillful and most delicious way for you to preserve your next tomato plant harvest .

1. Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is one of the easiest ways to keep your cherry or grape tomatoes ( and also one of the tastiest ) .

Once you ’ve harvested a big crop , slice your tomatoes in halves or thirds and spread them out onto drying racks . Alternatively , if you do n’t have drying racks , you could use clean window screen , or even lengths of cotton , linen , or burlap framework .

select a hot , gay Clarence Day and spread these out on a flat , clean open . If there are a lot of insect around , you may need to manipulate up some float row cover over them to fend the little buggers off . Then let the Sunday and air current work their magic to dry these out . It may take a few day for them to dry out almost completely , so check the weather to ensure you ’ve got a multi - day hot turn ahead to make this magic happen .

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Once they ’re ironical , you’re able to either store them in airtight jars or pack them into olive vegetable oil that you ’ve seasoned with some salt , Madagascar pepper , basil , oregano , and garlic .

2. Dehydrated Tomato Slices

This technique is like to the sunlight - dried party mentioned above , only you ’re using a dehydrator instead of the sunshine . Considering how wandering autumn weather can be , this is a great mode to ensure that your tomato slices will dry evenly , and on time . you’re able to also preserve larger tomatoes by slit them lightly and spreading them out to dry .

If you have n’t tried tomato chipping yet , you may want to seek them out ! You ’ll need to use more or less under - ripe tomatoes so they ’re still quite steady , and employ a mandolin slicer to get them to a uniform 1/4 inch thickness .

utilise Olea europaea oil to grease your dehydrator tray before position out the cut . Then sprinkle them with your seasonings of alternative . I care to apply a mixture of sea saltiness , garlic pulverisation , and onion plant powder . desiccate these at 125 ° F/52 ° C for about 10 60 minutes , or until they snap easy when bent .

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stash away whatever you do n’t wolf down immediately in airtight glass jar .

3. Canned Whole (Peeled) Tomatoes

This is my favorite way of life to uphold love apple , as it maintains their summer sweetness and flavor the best .

practice a sharp knife to cut an X shape into the bottom of each tomato , and hit any stems . Then habituate a slotted spoon to parboil each cut yield by immersing it into rapidly boil water for about 30 seconds . plump down these into the sink or into a pipe bowl to cool off in brief , and then peel their skins off .

Use a corer or sharp knife to edit out their cores out , and then either pack them into quart - sized jars whole , halved , or quartered .

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Use a wooden spoon ( and/or its grip ) to mush them into the shock until they ’ve create quite a flake of juice , with 1/2 inch of headspace . tote up 1tsp of common salt to each jar , then put the two - part metallic element lids on . Process in aboiling water bathfor 30 to 40 minutes and then store in your pantry for up to a year .

4. Diced and Spiced Tomatoes

apply the same technique cite above to hit the peels from your Lycopersicon esculentum . Then cube them and toss them into a large pot on medium heat . Season these tomatoes to your tastes with whatever herb and spices you prefer . If you incline to cook a hatful of Italian food , use salinity , pepper , St. Basil the Great , Origanum vulgare , onion , and garlic . trade out the sweet basil and oregano for Cuminum cyminum and chili pepper if you opt Mexican food , or coriander and garam masala blend for Indian food .

Cook for about 10 mo . spurt about 1/2 tsp of Citrus limon juice ( or a bit of citric acid ) into the bottom of each of your quart jars , and then ladle the Lycopersicon esculentum mixture into the jars while hot , leaving 1/2 in of headspace . Screw on the two - part lids and process for 30 minute in a boiling water bath .

5. Pasta Sauce

Use the same process as above , only set your preferent pasta sauce recipe rather of simple diced Lycopersicon esculentum . This means that you could add onions , peppercorn , mushroom … whatever your heart desire . Just do n’t add dairy farm to it .

You should also add a number more lemon juice or citric acid powder to increase the acidulousness if you ’ve added low - acid items like those bring up above . Then process as you would the diced and spiced tomato .

6. Salsa

Once again , you ’ll follow the same mental process as the two previous . Only this meter , you ’ve go full - tilt into salsa land .

Since most salsas require either lemon or fluxing lime succus , you should have a mixture that ’s acid enough for a boiling water bathtub rather than a pressure level canner . Just forbear from adding really low - window pane items like calamitous beans or corn to the mixture and you should be ok .

In fact , you should only use 3 cups of sum veggies for every 22 lbs of tomato . Any more than that and you ’ll reduce the tomatoes ’ sour too much to be canned safely .

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After you ’ve ladled your salsa into jolt , work them in a boiling water bathroom for 30 mo .

7. Soup

Now , tomato soup can be a bit tricky when it come up to trying to maintain extra tomatoes .

This is because most tomato soup recipes call for additives like Indian corn amylum , straw flour , or dairy farm to inspissate the liquid . None of these can be canned safely for long - term repositing , even if you ’re using a atmospheric pressure canner . As a result , the best way to make a thick , hearty tomato soup is to useRoma ( paste ) tomatoes , and then churn the soup down a bit so it condense .

Then you may ladle it into clean , sterilized jars and water bath can for 35 to 40 minute .

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8. Paste

Take a few dozen fresh tomatoes , and skin / sow them via the method mentioned above . Then chop them and toss them into a pot with 3 chopped crimson pepper , a few cloves of minced garlic , and 1/2 an onion plant ( also chopped ) , 1 to 1 - 1/5 tsp salt , some cracked capsicum , and your choice of herbs ( optional ) . bestow to seethe , then reduce to a simmer for about half an hour .

Remove from heat and puree thoroughly in a blender , or with a bridge player liquidizer . Some people pass it through a screen at this point but I like my spread chunky .

Transfer this puree to a crockpot or slow cooker . Keep it on high heat for an hour , then slenderize to low . Stir this once an hour or so , and permit it boil down until it ’s thick enough to adhere to a spoon when you buy the farm it through . Think pud or chill oatmeal .

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catch your clean , sterile jars , and add 1tsp of lemon juice into every half - dry pint jounce , or 2tsp into pint - sized ones . apply a funnel and ladle to transfer the paste in , leaving 1/2 inch headspace . Pop on the lids and procedure in a stewing urine bath for 45 min .

9. Ketchup

Did you lie with that ketchup tastes unlike in Canada than in the USA ? It ’s dead on target ! Ketchup is sweeter in the Great White North and saltier in the States . As a effect , it ’s important for you to examine out a few different homemade cetchup recipe to determine which you like substantially .

No matter which you choose , it ’s an first-class manner to carry on tomato for later .

Once you ’ve stumbled upon a winner , you ’re good to go . Make a big batch of it and change it into clean , unfertile jars with about 1/2 column inch headspace . Then pop up on the lids and physical process in a blistering H2O bath for 20–25 second .

10. Tomato Jam

If you like catsup , then chances are you ’ll like tomato jam as well . Most masses only apply tomatoes in savory dishes , but it makes a startlingly good jam . Think of how sweet tomatoes are the right way off the vine , and then think of how gorgeous that ’ll be diffuse on toast or bagel with cream cheese and chive .

Much like with catsup , it ’s good to experiment with different jam recipes until you find one that you really care . Some people like to add cloves to theirs , others like cumin … or perhaps you ’d wish to roast your tomatoes with balsamic before making kettle of fish . Get creative !

Once you ’ve got a great great deal done , transport it into uncontaminating , uninventive 1/2 dry pint jar with 1/4 column inch headspace . Once the lids are on , cognitive process in a boiling water bath for 10–15 minutes .

11. Leather

There are a couple of dissimilar character of dried tomato “ leather ” that you may make . One is a unproblematic , unseasoned puree that you’re able to add to all kinds of dishes . The other is more like what eighteenth - C traveller would call “ dry soup ” .

Blanch , Sir Robert Peel , and seed around six Ezra Loomis Pound of tomatoes . Then toss them into a blender , or a great potty if you ’re using an immersion blender . You should have approximately 4 cups of liquid puree . Then , add 1tsp of honey or 1.5 tsp sugar , as well as 1/2tsp lemon yellow juice . add up salt and garlic powder to taste , as well as any other herbaceous plant you ’d like .

Then spread out this puree on fruit leather sheets that match your electric dehydrator . Set it to 135 ° F for 9 hour , and then jibe to see if it take more meter . instead , if you ’re using an oven instead of an galvanising dehydrator , spray baking sheets with cooking oil colour and then spread the puree on them . Set your oven to around 150 ° degree Fahrenheit and dehydrate for 6 or so hours , with the room access open to the first snick .

This will make a chewy , savory - sweet love apple leather . you could either snack on it as is , or pluck up bits and toss them into soup . If you ’d opt to just have a sweet bite instead of inst soup mix , then omit the salt and garlic and bring more sugar or honey or else .

12. Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

Have you ever had a massive bounty of cherry or grape tomatoes at the end of the harvest season ? One great direction to keep your tomato plant is by pickling them . I wish to use a mixture of yellow , orangish , and crimson mini tomato because they look so beautiful in their jars .

wash out and sterilize a couple of dry pint - sized canning shock . Then crop up a humble garlic clove ( or half a large one ) into each jar , along with a sprig of thyme or summer savory , and a mates of peppercorn . If you ’d like some heat , add some red pepper flakes or a thin piece of jalapeno peppercorn too . Wash and dry out your tomatoes soundly , and then use a toothpick or skewer to dig a hole through each of them . This will admit the pickle succus to seep into them . Then divide them into jars .

make a introductory brine with 1 1/2 cups white vinegar ( 5 % , not pickling vinegar ) , 1 cup of water , 1/4 cup sugar , and 1.5 tablespoon Strategic Arms Limitation Talks . Bring this to a boil , agitate well to make certain everything is dissolved , then absent from the hotness and allow to chill for a few minutes .

Use a funnel and ladle to transfer this liquidity into the jars , leaving 1/3 inch of headspace . Use a chopstick to move the tomato around a bit to release any air bubbles . Then wipe off the rims , put on the lid , and cognitive process in a hot piddle canning bathing tub for 15 minute .

Alternatively , you may drop the urine bathtub canning and leave these as “ flying pickles ” . They ’ll call for to be stack away in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 months , but will be just as delicious .

13. Tomato Juice

Now , some people make their Lycopersicon esculentum juice by simmering fresh Lycopersicon esculentum in water supply and then pureeing them and promote them through a sieve . I go an comfortable route and practice a juicer instead , and highly recommend that choice rather . Using a juicer also allow you to add other vegetable ( and therefore more flavors ) easy . Even better , this is a great room to preserve tomatoes ’ saucy flavor in a different form than standard sauce or salsa .

For a basic love apple succus , grab all the tomato you have around you and put them through your juicer . When you ’re about midway through , you could add a diminutive bite of raw onion plant or Allium sativum ( if you ’re progress to a savoury or spicy succus ) , and then process the residual of the tomato . Omit if you ’re go for sweet succus rather .

Once you have all that splendiferous juice , pour it into a large cookery pot and bring the heat up to a low boiling point . Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes . At this point , you ’ll desire to flavor the succus to try . For sweet juice , you could add together a mo of sugar or honey . In line , piquant juices benefit from ail and Allium cepa powder , saltiness , hot pepper flakes , or hot sauce : your call .

Then , take your washed and sterilized jar and pour some lemon juice into each of them . target for 2 tbsp for quart - sized jars , or 1tbsp in the pint - sized ones . Ladle the hot juice into the shock , go out about 1/2 column inch of headspace . Put the palpebra on and process in a stewing water bath for 45 mo .

14. Frozen Extras

The worst freezing fault I ever made was just bulge out a handbag of cherry tomatoes into the freezer “ for afterward . ” I was 22 and it did n’t fall out to me that they would all chat up together into a scarlet , Eldritch horror .

Do n’t do this . That ’s the wrong way to preserve tomatoes in the Deepfreeze .

Spray a mates of gem tin with cooking oil colour and place a cherry tomato plant or prominent chunk of discase tomato into each section . Freeze overnight , or until firm to the touch . Then transfer those babe into freezer bags and mark them clearly with the date you ’ve add up them . Repeat this process until all your leftovers are quick-frozen . You ’ll be capable to pick out as much as you need without the penury to bonk anything with a power hammer , crying hysterically .

you’re able to also use this gem tin method acting to freeze small amount of Lycopersicon esculentum paste , sauce , etc . Just grease each division good and right before ladle in the liquid . Once it ’s all quick-frozen , pop the little hockey puck out and reassign them to Deepfreeze grip .

15. Tomato Powder

When all else give out , pulverize it . Seriously , debate how often you cook with factor like garlic powder , onion gunpowder , and similar seasonings . Tomato powder is loose to make , can be stored for ages , and is unbelievably various . Incorporate it into stunner to add bursts of flavor , or into drink to add a lemony zipper of surplus vitamin C.

Use the same method mentioned earlier for dry up Lycopersicon esculentum slash . Once the slash are nappy and easily broken in half , moil them into pulverization with an galvanic chocolate Cuban sandwich . Alternatively , you’re able to use a trench mortar and pestle if you ’ve been see a ton of Outlander and want to get into that spirit .

you’re able to leave this gunpowder as it is , or season it up . Consider blending it with a bit of salt , garlic powder , paprika , and Mediterranean spices . This makes a great hang-up for various mantrap and is also great to stir or smooch into lather and sauce . you may even just flux it into raging water for an inst soup - type drink .

Are you inspired to conserve tomatoes as shortly as possible ? All of these option can be accommodate to suit individual tastes , and have several different applications . Experiment with feeling combinations and do n’t let a exclusive bite of your glorious tomato harvest time go to waste .

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