Roasted tomatoes! How to make, store, and use.

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
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I knew this was coming. I remember swearing I’d never eat another tomato around this time each year as a kid.

I HAVE TOO MANY TOMATOES!

And we don’t even like tomatoes all that much, can’t distinguish much between the 16 varieties I’m growing. Aside from the gazpacho and the first sandwiches, I think I prefer them cooked.

So I’m trying various recipes, parking them here, and looking for input. Ideas for “beefsteak” tomatoes especially appreciated. Paste tomatoes seem to have more options, especially my favorite Hot and Spicy Hyderabadi Tomato Chutney , which I can never get enough of.

This is the one I’m doing this evening, with some New Big Dwarf (I think!) that were surprisingly meaty.

Fine Cooking…slow roasted.

At 350, for 2-4 hours! And yes, it’s close to 100 degrees F today . It’s a dry heat, but still.

Some say 200 for one hour, peeled or not peeled, sliced or halved, drain every 20 minutes, on a rack, bottoms up or bottoms down.

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Not doing cherries right now, although I remember a great one I’ll park if I see it.
Earlier versions.
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NPR; "I know! Right?

“… when you start comparing people’s methods for roasting tomatoes, you’ll think the world has gone mad. Some tell you to roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Some tell you to roast at 250 degrees for 3 hours. Others say 350 for 2 hours. What is going on?…”

david lebovitzoven-roasted-tomatoes-tomato

Rachel Ray for out of season Tomatoes

EPICURIOUS- GOURMET roasted tomatoes

seriouseats oven-roasted-fresh-canned-tomatoes

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I wish I had your problem. Lol . This is what I do .You can prepare them a million ways . I would wash the tomatoes. Put them in a 5 gallon pot . Add basil from the store . A little salt . Turn on medium heat .After a couple hours they would start to simmer . Take them off heat and cool . When cool put them into a simple kitchen sieve and push the through using a large spoon into bowl . Leaving the skin and seeds behind. Ladle into freezer bags . Simple and done .

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Thanks! Don’t get me started on the basil…

I like to think roasting reduces the volume a bit. I’m not good at freezer management.

I don’t know about you, but I freeze, preserve, and dry things that I don’t have room to store and use before it’s available fresh again.

Just today we were talking about a second refrigerator, expanding the pantry, but there is only two of us, and we don’t use what we have.

Sigh. Poor us. As my daughter would say; “First world problems”.

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Here’s an old discussion from that other place. It certainly minimizes the final volume. If you can get the drying right, you don’t even need the freezer.

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How about chili? If I had too many tomatoes that would be on my list I think (if you’re a chili fan) :slight_smile: it tends to freeze well too.

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Thanks all!

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I have already froze 8 - 1 gallon bags of tomatoes after taking out the central core and placing an ex to be used in the winter and have given lots away. I do not can and do not think I have the energy to do so. My son can use the tomatoes and cook t hem when the weather is cooler for his tomato sauce which I will freeze. I own a vintage 14 L French daubiere copper stew dutch pan . It can simmer on top of stove under low heat for as long as 48. hours ( so I am told except tomatoes will darken the tin). I have only used it 3 times as I find it too heavy to handle after it is cooked. Suggestion is to place the pot after it is cooked in ice bath to cool it down. Heavens, I can hardly move that . Have also a huge huge aluminum pot purchased in the early 70’s from Amish people supposedly used in the navy and of course other commercial pots used in restaurant business but I can no longer handle them. )

Gave my dehydrator away as I keep on accumulating kitchen appliances that are very seldom used.

To make way for more space( have a subzero and another LG bottom freezer refrigerator which I hate in utility room as well as another large Electrolux freezer, I have to make way for all those tomatoes. So just called a friend I met recently who is a chef and ask if she wants my Mangalitsa bone ( whole with hoof and everything and some pieces of mangalitsa ham as well as fat since I need space and can no longer eat red meat Bec of alpha gal syndrome).

Today, I. have another 2 trays of tomatoes and sweet pepper
After my son and his friends leaves for the day, I will char all those peppers and freeze them as every time I open a big jar of roasted pepper from Costco ( and y ou know the size), they become moldy before they are consumed.

I am advising my son not to plant that much next year. It is OK to plant enough for ourself and a few friends but that is really too much. I kept on asking if we should have a vegetable stand at the highway?

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Nice

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a friend has a dehydrator and makes the best dehydrated watermelon which reminds me of chinese dried haw fruit.

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You could either freeze some of those Costco roasted peppers, or use vinegar to top off what remains in the partially-used jar.

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I froze the jar . Now, I just harvested 4 red sweet peppers. I think I will char them and freeze them if I feel up to it as I do not feel like working outside and am just googling and watching all those personal watercraft zipping around my property waving at me! ( friend’s husband is champion and is hosting a party for his friends) I am having a leisurely glass of wine till my son and my babies come home from a trip to Solomon’s Island on the boat. Thanks for the vinegar trip.

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Now, you got me going
Am thinking of being a dehydrator if I can figure out where to store it and not clutter up my kitchen countertop
I am now seriously considering an excalibur TCDB bundle fro Excalibur site. It is on sale factory direct, cheaper than amazon. also comes as bundles meaning drying sheets etc.
Will wait for my son to figure out if we can store it in the utility room ( but I also groom my babies-pomeranians there and wander about all their hair getting into the dehydrator)
It will save me the headache of having freeze of all those tomatoes , slow cooking etc etc. .

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Last fall I peeled, seeded and slow roasted a lot of tomatoes. Froze the roasted pieces on a sheet pan, then into boxes into the freezer. So perfect to use all winter for everything.

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I just purchased a SS 8 rack Fiesta dehydrator
It was impossible to get anyone to answer from the manufacturer unless one is a wholesaler.
Apparently, sausage maker is their company -
It will be shipped in two days .
I will have to make a tempered glass shelf in my DR for it, atop an ornate cast iron wood burning stove . Hopefully that will work as I no longer have counter space that I can place and not look cluttered.
All digital, SS and no need to have silicone plastic acc to technical adviser.
No drip tray but his advise is to just use parchment paper at the bottom if needed.
This is the cheapest site .

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What is DR? Would you say you use most of the veg you preserve?

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DR means Dining Room
Plan was to use it to dehydrate all those tomatoes instead of freezing them as I am running out of freezer space.
I do not like to use my kitchen counter as I hate cluttered look. I store my rice cooker, meat grinder ( only grind for my babies their met as I do not like ground meat, too much trash I think), cuisinart, etc in a cabinet that was designed for my central vac hoses in my kitchen,. Since it is also cumbersome to have to take those very very long hose for my central vac ,( to reach my 24 plus height ceiling) I stored those in my utility room instead at the basement and replaced it with cordless Dyson V8 as I now own Pomeranians and have to vacuum twice a day. ( They shed!)
Thought buying the fiesta and storing them in DR would make it easier bec of proximity to kitchen. However, very very upset with UPS. Delivery was supposed to be today. It arrived. yesterday! UPS left the unit which was well packaged with wood insert on both the top and bottom end despite the fact that I left the gate open for them. No way I could carry it home. I tried to lift it! Finally, asked a neighbor if he can lift it and place it in my station wagon. Then, drove it into my garage but unable to unload it. Last night, a female neighbor came and together we unloaded it, carried it to DR. I am so tired to think about it as I have tried after I ordered it to buy a piece of granite( 20X 20) . It will cost me 150. Then, tried to buy SS, it will set me back $100. So, right now, it is on top of my old burning stove . I was so upset with that and am not sure if I still need to buy a cart for it, store or move the 1800 stove ? Your take? Does it look out of place?

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I recently made a jar of sweet savory tomato jam. Uses up a lot of tomatoes and reduces them down to a small volume. Infuse with herbs like basil or what ever’s your fancy. Keeps a long time in the fridge but it won’t last long as you will find ways to use it up.

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Are you using a recipe? Is it suitable for canning? If so, please share.

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Well it is a bit of a contrast, but I think function is more important than form. My husband disagrees.

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I agree that it is too big of a contrast
Probably will be able to get a contemporary tea cart and move my antique cast iron stove to ht other side of the DR.
Wait and see what son thinks when he comes home.
what does hubby think ? I also thought of a modern glass computer table.
I looked at tea cart on line, the8y are much bigger than needed so far.