There’s nothing quite like that first ripe tomato in the garden. It starts as an adorable, dainty yellow flower—one of many, it seems. But then a tiny green bubble starts to grow, and the flower falls. The bubble expands to form a perfect tomato shape, and then the color starts to change. It reverse-rainbows from a tight, light green to greenish-yellowish, to orange, and then finally red.
And maybe by the last week in July or early August it’s not just any red; it’s a deep, deep crimson and ready to be plucked from the vine and fed to the family. It’s vibrant, firm, and blemish free. And that first bite proves it: sweet, juicy, and delicious. (Maybe you slice yours. I am a firm believer that the first tomato should be eaten like an apple.)
Regardless of how you eat your season’s first tomato, it’s a gift from your garden to be savored and enjoyed. And then the real bounty arrives: a flood of tomatoes spilling out of the foliage. There really is nothing quite like it.
Fortunately, there are several ways to bottle and save that bright, end-of-summer harvest for the dark cold days of winter. In fact, we can pressure can, use a water-bath method, or steam can. We can freeze, ferment, or even sun-dry or dehydrate tomatoes. There are so many ways.
When they are preserved, tomatoes actually become more nutritious because heating (or freezing and thawing) breaks down the cell walls and makes the antioxidant lycopene easier to absorb. Some people even think preserved tomatoes are more delicious than their fresh-from-the-vine brethren.
If you are like me, the concept of canning can feel daunting. There are warnings about the dangers of botulism and mold when using untested recipes or when prepared in unsanitary conditions. There are anecdotal tales of exploding jars sending shards of glass and tomatoes all over the kitchen or pantry. There are reminders that our high altitude changes the process times and levels of pressure.
It’s a lot to consider, but in my humble opinion, very worth the effort. Visit the Montana State University Extension website at extension-store.montana.edu and search for “home-canning” for free, detailed information about canning.
Of course, for those reluctant to dip their toes in the canning pot, there are simpler ways to preserve the tomato harvest. Freezing whole tomatoes is probably the easiest and least time-consuming way to store tomatoes. Simply wash and dry ripe, unblemished tomatoes, remove the stems, and place on a baking sheet in the freezer until they are frozen solid. After about 24 hours, transfer to freezer-safe containers. When the tomatoes thaw, the skins slip right off and they are ready to cook.
To ferment tomatoes, consider a salsa recipe such as our Lacto-Fermented Cherry Tomato Salsa, available online at ediblebozeman.com. A great resource to learn more about fermentation is Kirsten and Christopher Shockey’s Fermented Vegetables, which is a very approachable and readable reference for home fermentation.
Dried tomatoes can be made by sun-drying, but this method requires consistently hot, sunny weather and quite a bit of patience as it can take longer than a week in direct sunlight for the tomatoes to dry. They can also be made in a dehydrator (following the directions for your machine). Or they can be made in the oven, which is my preferred method as it is so reliably consistent.
To oven-dry tomatoes, set your oven to the dehydrate mode or preheat to 200°F. Wash and dry tomatoes, remove the stem, and halve lengthwise. Larger tomatoes should be cut into thick slices, approximately ½-inch thick.
Arrange tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet cut side up and sprinkle lightly with salt. I often drizzle them with high-quality extra virgin olive oil, which enhances the tomato flavor. Bake until tomatoes are dry, shrunken, and chewy. It takes approximately 2–4 hours for cherry tomatoes, 6–12 hours for medium-sized tomatoes, and overnight up to 24 hours for the largest heirloom varieties. Check frequently to avoid turning them brittle or burning. Cool completely on the pan before storing.
To store oven-dried tomatoes in oil, first ensure they are completely dry to prevent mold. Pack them in sterilized jars with optional add-ins like garlic cloves and herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes. Fill the jar with extra virgin olive oil, making sure tomatoes are fully submerged. Oil-packed dried tomatoes are not shelf-stable and should be refrigerated up to 4 weeks or frozen up to 6 months. (If freezing, be sure to leave at least an inch of expansion space in the jar.)
