Slow Roasted Tomatoes

In the summertime farm fresh tomatoes are one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, at least here in the Boston area, the season is short and the fresh tomatoes disappear fast.

This year, since I had more time at home than most summers (I think we all know why) I decided that I need to find a way to extend some of that goodness into the rest of the year.

Now many of you might say, “oh, we are going to do the canning thing”. And yes that is a way to go. If that is what you want to learn about I highly recommend this article from Kitchen Stewardship.

But I am going to go down a different path. This one can help you save up some of those end of season tomatoes… or improve the flavor of winter tomatoes until the good stuff comes back.

Why slow roast? Because this process adds a depth of flavor that preserves and enhances great summer tomatoes… and significantly helps out the otherwise tasteless tomatoes we are left with the rest of the year. Slow roasting takes advantage of the caramelization process. No, that does not mean we are going to pour dessert topping on our tomatoes. Caramelization is what happens when the Maillard reaction causes sugar to react with amino acids under the influence of heat. Or put slightly more simply by the Science of Cooking:

Caramelization or caramelisation (see spelling differences) is the oxidation of sugar, a process used extensively in cooking for the resulting nutty flavor and brown color. Caramelization is a type of non-enzymatic browning reaction. As the process occurs, volatile chemicals are released producing the characteristic caramel flavor. The reaction involves the removal of water (as steam) and the break down of the sugar. The caramelization reaction depends on the type of sugar. Sucrose and glucose caramelize around 160C (320F) and fructose caramelizes at 110C (230F).

That’s why “brown food tastes good”. Also, slow roasting is an easier (and cheaper) process than the canning approach.

I buy whole flats of plum tomatoes at the end of the summer to roast and freeze a bunch for the winter. Some never make it to the freezer as they are too good to not use right out of the gate. I pre-season some and some just get salt and pepper. This is really about the technique and not the specifics of the ingredients or amounts.

They get used in recipes like this:

Roasted Tomato and White Bean Soup

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

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Recipe by Mark Michalski Difficulty: Easy

These tomatoes have a multitude of uses or just eat them as they are!

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 Lbs Plum Tomatoes (quantity does not matter here. You can use this technique for any amount or type of tomato)

• Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

• Option Items (see note)

• Whole Clove Garlic (outer peal removed, halved)

• Fresh or Dried Oregano (enough create a light sprinkle)

• Fresh or Dried Thyme (enough create a light sprinkle)

Process

• Preheat oven to 250 Deg F (121.111 Deg C)
  Formula: (250°F − 32) × 5/9 = 121.111°C
• Cut tomatoes in half length wise and place on a sheet pan cut side up.
• Sprinkle with a healthy dose of salt and pepper.
• Pour a light coating of olive onto each tomato.
• Add any additional ingredients. If using additional herbs, sprinkle directly unto tomatoes. (Also see notes below)
• Place pan in oven. Cook for at least 2 hours until tomatoes start to dry out and turn brown on the edges. You may need more time if your tomatoes are large. Check every half an hour until you get the doneness you desire.
• Remove from the oven to cool. Use right away or portion into freezer safe bags and freeze for later use.

Notes

• I like to make multiple versions of these tomatoes, with and without additional herbs. I use the herb enhanced version for salsas and pasta sauces. I use the “plain” version when the usage will be heavily seasoned later and I want a clean slate.
• I had some cherry peppers that had just been harvested when I took these photos. I threw them on the pan to roast as a matter of convenience. As it turns out, it worked great to make salsa.