Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Preserved in Olive Oil

Preserving cherry tomatoes doesn’t get much easier than this!

All it takes is a slow roast at low heat, with the tomatoes smattered with fresh herbs and garlic. The sweet, fresh tomatoes transform into little nuggets of deep, concentrated flavor without having to lift a thumb.

I recommend going all out to finish them, covering them with the best olive oil you can afford.

More recipes to preserve your cherry tomatoes are my Easy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes. They’re bright and zingy, the perfect addition to salads, rice bowls, or toast. Or my No-Peel Tomato Jam, which is sweet and savory with loads of flavor from spices like ginger, black pepper, and smoked paprika!

Ways to Eat Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

I love to eat these tomatoes preserved in olive oil with creamy burrata cheese and this Summer Polenta.

You could also add them to savory oatmeal for a delicious breakfast, a topping for white bean hummus, or sourdough toast with cottage cheese.

They bring pops of flavor to soups, pastas, and risotto too.

this …

I’ve been pushing off fall since I flipped the calendar to September, hanging on to summer as long as I possibly be can, but there’s a point where there’s no denying that it’s here. In Minnesota, September is perfection. This week I pulled out a light sweater and wore leggings every day, much to my heart’s content. I felt like snuggling, baking and braising. Our internal clocks just know.

I usually take one whole weekend to embark on a canning fest that always includes this spicy roasted salsa and this milder, punchy Salsa Verde (made from tomatillos). This year I wanted to add heirloom cherry tomatoes to the extravaganza, their colors and flavors so vibrant, which I wanted to savor for a little while longer.

Why slow roasting:

Using a low oven temperature to roast tomatoes allows their sugars to naturally caramelize and intensify their wonderful flavor. It’s so easy to do, and requires no hands on time. You don’t even have to cut the tomatoes, just toss in olive oil and herbs and let the oven do the work!

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes have an intense, rich, and slightly sweet flavor with a deep umami taste, much like the flavor of my delicious no-peel no-peel tomato jam. The texture becomes soft, slightly chewy, and almost jammy, while the edges can get a little crispy if roasted long enough.

More Cherry Tomato Recipes:

• Creamy Polenta with Blistered Tomatoes and Kale
• Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Salad
• Easy Seven Layer Hummus Dip

{filming of the video was done by my talented friend Annie D’Souza and new photos by Nyssa Tanner!}

Save This Recipe Form

Δ

Subscribe

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get more great recipes and tips from us each week!

Send It!

Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Preserved in Olive Oil

A way to preserve cherry tomatoes with olive oil and roasting. Their flavor is concentrated and absolutely delicious.

4.56 from 136 votes

Rate Print SaveSaved

Prep Time :5 minutes minutes

Cook Time :2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time :2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Yield: 2 pints

Author: Amanda Paa

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, I use heirlooms of all colors
• 3/4 cup of the best olive oil you can afford or enough to cover, divided
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 6-8 basil leaves torn
• 3 cloves of garlic smashed with the side of a knife
• ½ teaspoon salt
• A few cracks of black pepper

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Rinse and dry the tomatoes, then spread onto a large baking sheet. Add the thyme, basil and garlic to the pan, then drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss with your hands, making sure everything is coated, especially the garlic and herbs to keep them from getting crispy.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then give a good stir to coat everything. Roast for 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours, stirring a few times throughout, or until tomatoes are blistered and shrunken as shown above. The time can vary depending on how much moisture is in your tomatoes.
• Taste one and sprinkle with a little more salt if needed. Remove garlic and herbs, as they can spoil and are not safe for preserving, then add the tomatoes to a sterilized jar (thoroughly washed with soapy hot water).
• Cover completely with olive oil and store in the refrigerator for 4ish weeks, just make sure they stay completely submerged in the oil. The olive oil will harden in the refrigerator, which is fine, just let sit out before serving and it will return to liquid. You can also freeze these tomatoes in the oil, and they will last 4 to 6 months!

Notes

• Your tomatoes in olive oil may last longer than what’s noted. Use clean utensils to scoop them out when you’re serving to not invite anything else into the jar. This will extend the life. If you see mold, that is when they have gone bad.