We are steadily moving towards fall and harvest season, this is always a busy time in the garden and in the kitchen. Hustling to preserve all of the fruits and vegetables before powdery mildew creeps in or that first night time frost takes it all. This year we planted 40 tomato plants with the hope of having enough preserved for the winter. So, what can you do with this many tomatoes if canning isn’t your thing? Oven slow roast/dry them and freeze them! Besides eating them fresh, this is hands down my favorite way to consume tomatoes and once they have been slow roasted they are basically candy!
We grew roma and pinky cherry tomatoes and process them the same way. Harvest just before they are ripe to avoid splitting, remove the stems, wash them and slice them in half. Some people recommend removing the seeds and flesh from the inside but I leave it and they are equally delicious. Once they are sliced in half, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and if you like a little spice sprinkle with calabrian chili powder. Lay them cut side up on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Roast at 200 for 8-12 hours, set a timer to check on them every 30 min once you have reached 8 hours, they go from almost done to burnt very quickly. Remove them from the pan and let cool. Store them in the freezer and pull out a handful for a snack, to chop and add to pasta or soup or to sprinkle in a salad.
Absolutely worth the effort!