Ahhhhh, fresh summer tomatoes straight off the vine – what could be better?! There is nothing like going out to the garden, plucking a big juicy tomato, and enjoying it shortly thereafter. However, I always find that I get too overzealous with my tomato planting in the spring. Do I really need 4 tomato plants? Probably not. But, you don’t need to let them go to waste or tire out your family and neighbors by giving them away one too many times. From salsa to fresh tomato sauce, there are many ways to preserve your summer tomato bounty.
Canned Chopped Tomatoes
Canning tomatoes is easily one of the most classic ways of preserving tomatoes. These tomatoes have a very long shelf life and can easily be thrown into a stew, pasta sauce, or any other recipes that call for chopped and stewed tomatoes. Find a recipe here.
Frozen Tomatoes
One of the easiest ways to preserve tomatoes is by freezing them. The downside to this is that they will take up space in your freezer until you need them. The upside, though, is that they do not require a lot of prep for them to be ready to be frozen. The tomatoes do not need to be peeled which is another upside to this method. One thing to remember, however, is that you will want to use these in a recipe that requires cooking the tomatoes. Find a guide here.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
This is one of my favorite ways to preserve tomatoes. They won’t last as long as canned tomatoes, but they are absolutely delicious. After drying them in the oven, you can pour olive oil over them to help them last longer and taste even better. Find a recipe here.
As you can see, there are many different ways to preserve the taste of summer all year round. If you have any other favorite ways to preserve them, please let us know!
