It is safe to say this is my favorite time of year. It’s certainly not the heat and humidity I like, but rather the things that summer time brings. You know, things like cantaloupe, peaches, and especially homegrown tomatoes.
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Tomato season doesn’t last nearly long enough for me. It seems like I wait all year for that first ripe tomato, and then before I know it Jack Frost has come along and wiped out all the vines. But we have ways of preserving the tomato harvests so we can enjoy them all year long. And one of my new favorite things to do with tomatoes is slow roasting them.
It may seem crazy to even think about heating up the oven in summer when the temperature outdoors is soaring, but these tomatoes are worth it. Besides, the oven is set so low that you will hardly notice it’s on.
Like dehydrating, slow roasting concentrates the flavors of the tomatoes, even turning notoriously bland supermarket tomatoes into tasty little morsels. But when you use homegrown, vine ripened tomatoes, well, then your taste buds are in for a real treat!
You can sprinkle them with salt and pepper or herbs before roasting, or leave them plain like we usually do. Unlike dried tomatoes that need to be re-hydrated for many uses, these tomatoes are ready to go as is. They keep for about a week in the refrigerator. And they can be frozen for later use – if you don’t eat them all first!
slow roasted tomatoes
And what can you do with the finished product? These tomatoes are great in any pasta dish, or on pizza, or with vegetables like green beans, broccoli, squash or spinach. They will perk up any egg dish like an omelet or frittata. Or you can always just pop them in your mouth and eat them like candy. Healthy tomato candy, that is!
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes 
Print This Recipe
Adapted from several sources
cherry, grape, or other small fruited tomatoes
olive oil
fresh or dried herbs (optional)
salt and pepper(optional)
1. Heat oven to 250F.
2. Cut cherry tomatoes in half crosswise, grape tomatoes lengthwise. Larger tomatoes can be quartered. Aim for all tomato pieces to be about the same size for even roasting.
3. Line baking pan with foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup, arrange tomato pieces on pan.
4. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle with herbs or salt and pepper if desired.
5. Bake tomatoes in oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled, but with moisture still inside.
6. Scrape tomatoes and any liquid into airtight container.
I never thought to freeze them after roasting, that would be a great way to have them ready to go for later in the year. They would really perk up a mid winter pizza.
Love this idea – Now if I only could bring myself to turn on the oven in our 90° temperature with no AC.
I do this too. When I run out I crave them until I can get them again in the summer. Like now. I made my first batch of the season yesterday.
I’ve done this before, but not in recent year. They are very teasty.
I do this all the time, but don’t leave them intact like you are showing (I like that idea though and am going to try it too!) but rather I stir them as they roast occassionally to create a thick roasted tomato paste that is EXCELLENT as the base for homemade pizza sauce. I roast garlic cloves and some onion slices with it too and mash the whole mix once cooked and then just use a fork to remove the skins etc or for a really fine paste I run it through my roma strainer after first letting it cool – producing an excellent tomato paste. The paste is easily frozen in small containers and used anywhere a recipe calls for a small can of tomato paste. It’s a great way to use smaller more seedy tomatoes. The roasting process really draws out the best flavor from the tomatoes. Something magical about roasted tomatoes, garlic, and peppers. 😀
How delicious. Last year we were overwhelmed by grape and cherry tomatoes. Slow roasting them was our salvation. Aren’t they great? They’re delicious to eat plain, on sandwiches, in sauces, over meat. They go with everything. Perfect.
I have never made slow roasted tomatoes. They sound wonderful! I think they we be on the menu for tomorrow nights dinner!
That’s it…I’m moving to Indiana! 😛 I do hope we have some tomatoes soon, I can almost smell these from here, they look divine, and I’m getting quite impatient for our first harvest!
These look delicious! I printed the recipe to try with some of our tomatoes. Thanks for the idea!
Ok, I’m gonna try this. I have jsut enough tomatoes sitting on my counter to do this 🙂 Thanks for the instructions!
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I’ve been slow roasting my tomatoes and freezing them for the past three years. They add a real summer tomato taste to soups, stews and sauces. Especially nice in the cold winter months!
They are a favorite here too!