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Confit Tomatoes Recipe

Confit tomatoes are an easy and delicious way to enjoy fresh summer tomatoes.

  • This confit tomatoes recipe is the perfect way to use up summer tomatoes
  • The tomatoes are slow-roasted in olive oil and garlic, resulting in a sweet and intensely flavored dish
  • You can also cook this confit tomatoes with potatoes or any vegetable that takes your fancy

What Is The Difference Between A Confit Tomato And A Regular Tomato?

confit tomatoes recipe

A confit tomato is simply a fresh ripe tomato cooked slowly in olive oil and seasoned with salt, sugar, and aromatics.

It’s similar to how you might prepare a pan sauce by simmering ingredients (often meat) in butter, wine, stock, or other liquid until they caramelize into a richly flavoured sauce.

While it sounds like there’s little difference between confiting and cooking a tomato, there actually is a big difference.

Here’s what distinguishes confited from sautéed tomatoes:

A confite contains all of the seasonings used for seasoning the tomato at the start, including garlic, herbs, spices, etc.

Sautéed tomatoes have no additional seasonings added to them during their preparation.

That means that if you were to add extra flavor after preparing the tomatoes, you would need to remove some of the original seasonings first.

For example, if you wanted to add rosemary, parsley, and sage to a batch of sautéed tomatoes, you would need to take out those three herbs before adding anything else.

If you want to learn more about why cooking with fresh tomatoes is better than canned ones, check out our guide on the best ways to store tomatoes.

Why is confit so good?

Because they’re made using only high quality ingredients, confits provide incredible flavour — even when compared to dried or cured meats.

Plus, because they contain all of the same flavours as the original ingredient, they tend to be less salty.

Confites often include tomatoes that are not quite ripe enough to eat raw, but still tasty enough to serve as the base of a meal.

If you don’t mind eating slightly underripe tomatoes, then these may work well for you too!

How Do You Make A Confit Tomato?

A confit is a French technique of cooking food slowly over low heat for long periods of time in fat.

Most commonly used as a method to preserve vegetables, it’s not just about preserving their flavor but also making them more tender by rendering out much of their water content.

In other words, when cooked properly, they don’t dry out like most raw veggies would.

As such, confits have been used since antiquity and many restaurants still serve them today.

For our recipe today, we will be using fresh tomatoes because we think they taste better than canned ones.

If you want to try something different, feel free to substitute canned tomatoes instead.

However, if you really want to go all out, then why not make a homemade basil pesto sauce (you can see how here) and pair it with these confited tomatoes!

We recommend serving this confit tomato on its own or alongside grilled meat or fish.

Ingredients

  • 6 large ripe red tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves of peeled garlic
  • Salt and pepper

Before starting, place six ovenproof ramekins into a baking tray and fill each one with 1 inch of water.

Place the tray inside an oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit).

You should let the tomatoes cook for around 3 hours before taking them out of the oven.

Step 2 – Preparing the tomatoes

To start preparing the tomatoes, cut off the tops and bottoms so that they fit comfortably into the mold.

Then slice the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds from each piece.

Next, dice the tomatoes into small pieces.

Once everything has been prepared, add the diced tomatoes into the bottom of the ramekin and set aside.

Now, pour the olive oil onto the top layer followed by the chopped garlic.

Make sure the garlic doesn’t touch the sides of the pan otherwise the aroma might escape during the cooking process.

Next, sprinkle some salt and pepper liberally over each tomato quarter.

Finally, cover the entire mixture with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for another 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, carefully open the lid and check whether there is enough liquid left to submerge the slices of tomatoes.

Step 4 – Cooking the tomatoes

After checking whether there is enough liquid left to submerge the slices of tomatoes, close the lid again and continue roasting until the tomatoes become soft and caramelized.

Depending on the size of the ramekin, this could take anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes.

When the tomatoes are done, they should look like little golden brown orbs.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to cool down completely.

When ready, pop the tomatoes out of the molds and serve immediately.

What Is The Best Way To Store Confit Tomatoes?

If you have some left over and want to keep them for later then put them into the fridge after they’ve been cooked.

Don’t expect them to stay good for very long though as they will be soft and mushy within two weeks of being stored at room temperature.

It’s better if you freeze them instead so they don’t go off before you get around to eating them.

If you really need to preserve them for longer than a month it might be worth investing in a vacuum sealer or food dehydrator.

How Long Do Confit Tomatoes Last?

If you’ve ever had fresh tomatoes at home, then you know how quickly they go bad if left out on windowsills all day.

If you want to have tomato sauce for dinner but don’t want it to be gone before tomorrow afternoon, then try making some of these recipes instead!

It doesn’t matter what time of year you make them, as long as there are plenty of ripe tomatoes around.

Confited (or preserved) tomatoes are one of those things that taste better after you’ve made them.

They take less than 30 minutes to prepare and will keep for months, even years, in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Confit Tomatoes?

Yes! You can freeze them as well, but they will take on more of a tomato flavor after thawing than if they were frozen raw (which means it’s probably not worth freezing).

In general, I prefer to eat my vegetables straight from the garden when possible.

But sometimes there just aren’t enough tomatoes left over to make another meal out of it, so I like to preserve them by making confit tomatoes.

They taste great on their own, but I often add them to risotto, soup, pasta dishes, salads, and even pizza.

For best results, don’t refreeze these tomatoes once they have been cooked.

What Are Some Other Uses For Confit Tomatoes?

There are many ways to use confit tomatoes.

You could simply slice them thinly and grill them on a barbecue as part of a salad.

Or add them to a tomato soup.

If you’d like to make something more substantial though, we suggest trying out these recipes below:

Cooked Confited Tomatoes (Vegan)

These cooked confited tomatoes are vegan and incredibly tasty.

They are made from canned tomatoes which have been slowly roasted in olive oil and garlic over low heat until they become tender.

If you don’t want to roast the tomatoes yourself, there are plenty of readymade products available online.

For example, you can buy frozen confited tomatoes that need only heating through before serving.

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup With Confite Potatoes Recipe (Gluten Free)

This recipe calls for using confité potatoes but if you prefer not to use these, then just swap them out for red potato cubes instead.

Both options work equally well when it comes to making this delicious tomato soup.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups of chopped tomatoes

4 cups of chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker and let the mixture simmer overnight at a low temperature.

In the morning, remove the lid and allow the contents to cool down slightly before transferring everything to blender along with a cup of water.

Blend together thoroughly and serve immediately.

What Dishes Can Confit Tomatoes Be Used In?

Confit Tomatoes Recipe

Confit tomatoes work well as part of a salad, but they have many more recipes available online.

You’ll find them in soups, stews, pasta sauces, and even desserts!

Here are just a few ideas for how you might want to use it:

Soups & Stews

Cooking confited tomatoes in soup works really well because the flavor of the tomatoes will enhance every ingredient around them.

They can add depth and richness to broths like chicken stock, mushroom broth, or clam chowder.

If you don’t feel like making your own stock from scratch, try using store-bought low sodium canned broth instead!

Pasta Sauces

You could make a quick sauce out of leftover confited tomatoes by adding them to some homemade marinara sauce, pesto, or chimichurri (just one of our favorite ways to eat these!).

If you’re looking for something slightly different, try combining confited tomatoes with olives or capers.

Vegetables

A lot of Italian meals center on vegetables, so why not incorporate confited tomatoes into those meals too?

Try putting them at the top of a panzanella salad or serving them alongside roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, or squash.

Desserts

We all know that there’s no better way to end dinner than with dessert — especially if it involves warm, gooey chocolate cake or ice cream!

Add a little extra kick to your next meal by including confited tomatoes in your dessert menu.

They complement dark chocolate wonderfully and pair beautifully with berries, citrus, nuts, honey, or vanilla bean paste.

What Is The Nutritional Value Of A Confit Tomato?

A confit tomato is typically made by slowly cooking fresh tomatoes in oil until they become soft, then removing them from their container and letting them cool down so they can be stored for later use.

These days, you’ll find that confit tomatoes are often sold as part of a mixed bag of preserved foods, which include olives, peaches, pears, plums, and figs.

If you like eating tomatoes raw, you may be wondering what the nutritional value of a confit tomato would be compared to other types of tomatoes.

In terms of calories per serving, one whole medium tomato contains about 90 calories.

When cooked, however, the calorie count drops dramatically, depending on how long the tomatoes have been cooked.

A half cup (about 100 g) of sliced confit tomatoes has just 25 calories.

In terms of vitamin C content, there isn’t much difference between fresh and canned tomatoes.

However, if you eat more than one piece of fresh fruit every day, it’s probably best to buy organic varieties because some conventional tomatoes contain higher levels of pesticide residues.

If you want to know exactly how many milligrams of vitamin C each tomato provides, check out our guide to determining the vitamin C content of different fruits and vegetables.

Other nutrients found in tomatoes include potassium and folate, both of which help maintain healthy blood pressure.

Eating enough tomatoes will ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to stay fit and well.

confit tomatoes recipe

How Do Confit Tomatoes Taste?

A good confit tomatoes recipe should be a balance between sweetness and acidity.

You want the tomatoes to have enough flavour so you don’t need to add extra seasoning, but without being too overpowering.

The secret ingredient here is lemon juice – it helps bring out all the flavours from the tomatoes.

In addition to the tomatoes, you will need some salt for seasoning and some freshly ground black pepper.

If you like things spicy, then try adding chili flakes as well.

A squeeze of balsamic vinegar adds another layer of flavour.

Finally, if you want to serve these confit tomatoes on their own, they make great finger food (just remember to cut them into wedges first).

For something more substantial, however, try serving them alongside grilled chicken or fish.

Where Can I Buy Confit Tomatoes?

If you’re looking for some great recipes featuring confited vegetables, then you should check out our guide to using preserved lemons on top of chicken wings.

If you want to make confit tomatoes at home but don’t know where to start, we have all the information you need right here!

Confit Tomatoes Recipe

Confit Tomatoes Recipe

Confit tomatoes are an easy and delicious way to enjoy fresh summer tomatoes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Confit Tomatoes Recipe
Servings: 2
Calories: 304kcal

Equipment

  • The Oven

Ingredients

  • 10 Roma tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Set the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Toss the tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, thyme, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • The tomato halves should be arranged cut-side up on a wire rack that has been fitted to a baking sheet. Cook the tomatoes for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they are shriveled and soft.
  • serving recommendations: Slice the tomatoes roughly, then place them in a serving basin. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and offer with crostini. Use as a topping for roasted chicken or fish, or add to pre-made tomato sauce to enhance flavor.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2897IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
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