These tomatoes are FANTASTIC to use on pastas, spaghetti squash, or my new favourite, Zucchini Noodles; or use over a pot roast, in stews, or wherever else you might have previously used a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce!
These keep for months in the freezer – packed in handy, easy-to-store freezer bags – and bring that rich, roasted tomato flavour to your meals. Plus, you control the sodium (and other additives), for a much healthier, better tasting alternative! This is my go-to recipe when I have A LOT of extra tomatoes. We enjoy these Oven-Roasted Tomatoes so much that I even buy an extra case of tomatoes from our local produce stand, just so I can make a few bags of these to put in the freezer for the winter months.
Ingredients
- 10-15 lbs fresh Tomatoes (Optional: you may peel tomatoes before using, or to save time, just leave peels on!)
- 2 heads Garlic, peeled and separated into cloves (larger cloves may be cut in half)
- 3 medium Onions, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup fresh Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Parsley, or a combination of your favourites), roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground Pepper
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Cut a small slit in the skin of each tomato.
- Drop tomatoes (in batches) into a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove each with slotted spoon when you see the skin starting to lift where you have made your slit.
- Immerse the tomatoes in cold water until cool enough to handle.
- Remove peels, then follow remaining recipe instructions.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (275 degrees F if using Convection Bake). Depending on how much room you have in your oven, you may need to roast your tomatoes in multiple batches.
- Wash (if using unpeeled tomatoes), core and cut tomatoes into halves or quarters (if large). You can even cut into 1" slices. Place cut tomatoes into colander to drain.
- Gently squeeze out the extra seeds and juice from each tomato piece and place them into LARGE bowl.
- Add garlic cloves.
- Break apart onion wedges and add to bowl.
- Add herbs and pepper.
- Drizzle with olive oil, and mix together.
- Line 4 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide tomato mixture onto the baking sheets, trying to arrange tomato pieces so they are not touching. (If you have too many tomatoes to fit nicely on 4 baking sheets, prepare additional baking sheets, or set the extras aside to roast in a second batch.)
- Bake for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until tomatoes have started to darken, and much of the excess juice has evaporated. Start to check after 2 hours, to make sure tomatoes are not getting too dark.
- When done, remove from oven and let cool.
- Pack tomato mixture into freezer bags, label each with date, and freeze.
Notes
Any type of tomato will work well with this roasting technique. You should get 2-3 medium sized freezer bags per baking sheet, each filled with approximately 2 cups of roasted tomatoes. This recipe can be easily adjusted for larger or smaller quantities of tomatoes. Add or reduce the amount of onions, garlic and herbs to your liking, and adjust the number of baking sheets you prepare accordingly. There is no additional salt used in this recipe, but depending on your preference, it could be added when you use your Oven-Roasted Tomatoes in your favourite recipe.
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