Preserving Cherry Tomatoes

Choosing a method

Cherry and grape tomatoes ripen in bursts, and the skins are thin and the flesh sweet. These small tomatoes suit methods that keep them whole or halved. Here is how the main options compare.

For most households, freezing is the least stressful way to deal with a surplus, and canning should follow tested instructions.

Freezing cherry tomatoes

Whole. Wash and thoroughly dry the tomatoes, remove stems, and spread them in a single layer on a tray. Freeze until firm, then transfer to freezer bags or containers, squeezing out extra air. Because they are frozen individually, you can scoop out as many as you need. The skins slip off easily as they thaw, and you can use them straight from frozen in cooked dishes.

Roasted. Toss tomatoes with a little olive oil and salt and roast on a sheet pan at about 400°F until they collapse and caramelize, roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Cool, then freeze flat in bags or containers. They add concentrated flavor to pasta sauces, chili and soups.

Label the bags with the date. For more ideas, see our cherry tomato recipes to freeze. For best flavor, use frozen tomatoes within several months to a year, according to general freezer storage guidance.

Is freezing cherry tomatoes worth it?

Yes, if you plan to cook with them. Thawed tomatoes are soft and watery, so they are not a good match for fresh salads, but they work well in sauces, soups, stews and roasts. Freezing also takes little time and no special equipment.

Dehydrating

If you are deciding between a dehydrator and a freeze dryer, see dehydrated or freeze dried.

Halve the tomatoes and place them cut side up on dehydrator trays, with a light sprinkle of salt if you like. Follow your dehydrator manual for temperature and timing. About 135°F is commonly used, and drying can take many hours depending on the size and your humidity. Tomatoes can be dried until leathery and pliable or until crisp.

Fully dried tomatoes are best kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, or in the freezer for long storage. If the pieces feel moist or sticky inside, they are not dry enough, and mold can develop. For safety and quality, check for any remaining moisture after a day or two in the container. Moist-dried (still leathery) pieces keep better in the refrigerator or freezer than in the pantry.

Refrigerator pickled cherry tomatoes

This is a fast way to use a pint or two. It is a refrigerator pickle, not a canned one.

Makes about one pint.

• About 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, firm and just ripe
• 3/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar, labeled 5% acidity
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine pickling salt (about 9 grams)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns or mustard seeds
• A sprig of dill, thyme or basil

1. Wash a pint jar and lid in hot, soapy water and rinse well.
2. Prick each tomato once or twice with a toothpick or skewer so the skins do not split.
3. Put the garlic, spices and herbs in the jar, then pack in the tomatoes.
4. Heat the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve.
5. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
6. Wait at least a day. Eat within about two weeks, since tomatoes soften in brine.

Some tomatoes may split or go soft. If you want a firmer result, pour the brine on after it cools slightly. The vinegar-to-water ratio should stay near 1:1 for safety.

You can use the same brine for other vegetables. For example, see the pickled cauliflower, carrots and celery recipe.

Russian-style pickled tomatoes

Traditional Russian and Eastern European pickled tomatoes are often made in a salt-based brine, with dill, garlic, horseradish and blackcurrant or cherry leaves, and are either fermented at room temperature or stored cold. Because they are a fermentation process, the safety depends on salt concentration, temperature, and handling. I do not give a recipe here. If you want to try it, use a tested fermentation recipe from a reliable source, such as a university extension service, and follow the instructions closely.

Canning cherry tomatoes

Tomatoes sit near the borderline of acidity, and they vary. Tested canning guidance, such as that from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), calls for adding acid, such as bottled lemon juice or citric acid, to jars of home-canned tomatoes, and it specifies the amount per jar size. Processing times depend on the jar size, how the tomatoes are packed, and your altitude.

Because of that, this article does not give canning times. If you want to can whole or halved cherry tomatoes, follow a current NCHFP or university extension recipe for canned whole tomatoes exactly, including the added acid. Do not use methods that rely on oven canning, open-kettle canning or skipping the acid.

Tomatoes in oil: be careful

Slow-roasted tomatoes stored in olive oil with garlic and herbs are popular online, but they come with a real food safety concern. Garlic, herbs and low-acid foods packed in oil create an environment where the botulism bacterium can grow, if the jar is not kept cold. Home-prepared oil preserves are not shelf-stable.

If you make them, treat them as a short-term refrigerated food: keep them cold, use them within a few days, and do not store them at room temperature. Freezing roasted tomatoes without the oil bath is a safer option for storing longer. For canned products, use only tested recipes.

Other things to do with an abundance of tomatoes

• Make a quick roasted tomato sauce and freeze it.
• Make a fresh tomato salad or salsa for the week.
• Bake into a tart or focaccia.
• Turn them into jam, using a tested tomato jam recipe if you want to can it.
• Share with neighbors.