Tomatoes are now ripe, and in abundance! It’s a great time to stock up (usually for a good price) and process them for later. What to do with all those tomatoes? Canning, freezing, or drying are great options. But if you have never made a confit with tomatoes, I highly recommend trying it!
A confit is an easy way to preserve and enhance the delicious flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes. The method is simple: slow-cook sliced tomatoes in oil, and store them under a layer of solidified fat in the refrigerator. Bonus: you can use your slow cooker!
Basic Tomato Confit Method:
Wash, core and slice 4-5 pounds of tomatoes, about 1 cm thick. Lay tomatoes snugly in a casserole dish or slow cooker, about two-thirds full. Add: Bayleaf, garlic cloves, herbs, whole allspice, peppercorns, whatever is handy.
Add olive oil to just barely cover the tops of the tomatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 hours at 225° (or low setting for slow cooker), covered and slightly vented.
When finished, the tomatoes should be soft enough to cut with a spoon. Cool and refrigerate the tomatoes in the baking dish; or you can first pack them into jars, adding oil to cover the top. Once refrigerated, the oil will harden to form a protective layer. This will last a few weeks in the fridge, or you can freeze the jars for longer storage. Use the tomatoes, tomato juice, and oil for flavors in vinaigrettes, soup/stews, marinades, pasta or flatbread pizza sauces, or as a flavored dipping oil. Soo delicious!