It’s that time of year again when the tomato plants in your garden are flourishing and you might have more tomatoes than you know what to do with. Fortunately, there are plenty of uses for tomatoes that may not cross your mind at first. Tomatoes are extremely versatile and can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored for later.
Looking for ideas on how to use all the tomatoes from your garden? Read our list of suggestions below.
Make Your Own Salsa
Salsa is easy to buy from the store, but your own fresh salsa will taste even better. Homemade salsa won’t have any of the additives or preservatives that store bought salsa often comes with. When you make your own salsa, it can be customized to have all the seasonings and flavors of your preferences, so you don’t have to worry about it being too spicy— or not spicy enough!
If your garden is producing a lot of tomatoes, this is an excellent way to make use of them, and fresh salsa can last several weeks when stored in the refrigerator. Chances are, it will be eaten well before it reaches its expiration date.
Make Your Own Pasta Sauce
Pasta sauce lasts for quite a while when stored properly, and it is a healthy and easy way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. If you have too many tomatoes, appeal to the pasta lovers in your household by making fresh pasta sauce. You can even add basil or vodka to create a rich, tasty sauce that store bought pasta sauce simply can’t compete with!
Make Homemade Ketchup
Store-bought ketchup often contains many additives, such as high fructose corn syrup. As a healthier and more fresh alternative, use your own tomatoes to make homemade ketchup. The shelf life of homemade ketchup will be shorter because it doesn’t contain preservatives and additives, but homemade ketchup can typically last for up to two or three months, which is still plenty of time to make use of it.
If your household loves to enjoy ketchup with fries or hamburgers, this could be an excellent way to use extra tomatoes.
Can Tomatoes
Canning tomatoes is a relatively simple way to store tomatoes for later use. In order to can tomatoes, they must be blanched and peeled, then chopped into smaller pieces. Lemon juice is helpful to add in order to preserve the tomatoes more safely.
Before canning tomatoes, they must be boiled briefly for at least a minute, and then sealed in a secure, airtight jar with the lemon juice. Canned tomatoes will last from 18 to 24 months, so your ripe tomatoes can be enjoyed all throughout the winter months.
Try Tomato Jam
Tomatoes might not be the first fruit that you associate with jam, but it tastes better than you might expect! Surprisingly, tomato jam tastes quite similar to strawberry jam when made with a little cane sugar. Tomato jam is easy to make, and can be prepared to be sweet or savory, depending on your preference.
Sweet tomato jam pairs well with biscuits and honey, while savory tomato jam pairs well with goat cheese and toasted baguette. Tomato jam is made by cooking tomatoes and your preferred seasonings in a saucepan until the mixture thickens. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Make Your Own Dried Tomatoes
Dried tomatoes can be expensive when purchased from the store, but they are easy to make at home for a fraction of the price. Tomatoes can be dried by baking in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours.
While the process might take a few hours, it is low effort and results in tasty “sun-dried” tomatoes that can be eaten as a snack or added to a recipe. Dried tomatoes can last for up to 18 months when stored in the freezer or refrigerator.
Freeze Tomatoes
Freezing ripe tomatoes is an excellent way to store them for later use. While you may not be able to enjoy them fresh after they’ve been frozen, they will cook as normal and make an excellent addition to any hot dish after being heated.
If you don’t have time to cook or prepare tomatoes right away, tomatoes can be frozen and used later to make sauces, ketchup, or more. When frozen, tomatoes maintain their flavor for around 12 months.
Tomato Salad
Looking for ways to enjoy tomatoes while they’re fresh off the vine? A tomato salad can be a convenient and enjoyable way to serve a variety of ripe tomatoes.
In order to make a tomato salad, select a variety of tomatoes off of your tomato vines, and dice if necessary. Add your preferred seasonings, such as oregano and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and mozzarella.
Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is affordable to buy, but making your own is even more satisfying. Tomato soup can be made with just a few ingredients, such as tomatoes, butter, and onion for seasoning.
You’ll notice the difference between the taste of fresh tomato soup and store bought soup, and it’s an excellent way to use up a lot of ripe tomatoes at once. Homemade tomato soup will have a shorter shelf life, and should be eaten within 3 or 4 days.
Make BLT’s
BLT’s (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) is a classic sandwich combination that is easy to make at home, as long as you have the three required ingredients and your favorite sandwich bread.
This simple sandwich is an excellent way to make use of extra tomatoes. A BLT with fresh tomatoes will taste much better than one made with store bought tomatoes!
Make Tomato Sandwiches
If BLT’s aren’t your thing, there are a variety of other sandwiches that tomatoes can be added to. Tomatoes can even be the primary ingredient of a sandwich, and pairs well with a variety of cheeses or sauces, such as mayonnaise.
Try adding your tomatoes to a sandwich for a fresh and convenient lunch.
Make Tomato Juice
Tomato juice is an excellent on-the-go source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium. Skip the V8 on your next trip to the grocery store, and try making your own tomato juice!
In order to make tomato juice, try adding your fresh tomatoes to a juicer. If you don’t have a juicer, tomato juice can be made by blending tomatoes in a blender with a small amount of water and filtering out any larger pieces of tomato with a cheesecloth.
Fresh tomato juice will last for about 3 to 5 days when stored in the refrigerator.
Roast Your Tomatoes
Roasted tomatoes are a delicious, savory addition to any Mediterranean-style meal. In order to roast tomatoes, cut them into thick slices, and place them on a large sheet pan. Add your preferred seasonings (garlic cloves or fresh thyme are both excellent choices) and roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roasted tomatoes can last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 4 months if you prefer to use them later.
Add to Skewers
Many enjoy eating vegetables on a grilled skewer or kebab. This is a wonderful summer meal to incorporate in-season vegetables into your diet, including tomatoes!
Next time you add skewers to the grill, consider adding fresh vegetables to your lineup of veggies and meat. Tomatoes pair well with squash, onion, and potatoes on a skewer.
Eat Fresh Tomatoes
There is nothing like the taste of a fresh, ripe tomato. If you’re looking for a quick and convenient snack, try eating your fresh tomatoes right off the vine! (After a quick rinse under cold water, just in case any bugs have made themselves at home on your tomato vine.)
Tomatoes ripen while on the vine, so by the time you pick them, they’ll be ready to eat! Add a dipping sauce such as ranch or hummus if you prefer a little extra flavor.
Share With Friends and Family
If you have too many tomatoes, share with your friends and family! They will surely enjoy the gift of fresh, ripe tomatoes. You can even make tomatoes into sauces or salsas to give to friends if your vines are producing more than you can keep up with.
Some even find themselves with a small business after growing a thriving garden of tomatoes. If you have a lot of tomatoes, you can sell your fresh tomatoes to others or even make sauces or tomatoes to sell. Many will appreciate fresh, local food and would love to compensate you for your hard work.
Remember to Save the Seeds
As you harvest your garden of tomatoes, remember to save some seeds from the tomatoes! These seeds can be dried and replanted for later use. Your initial investment of tomato seeds can turn into an endless supply of free tomatoes, year after year!
What to Do With Too Many Tomatoes: Final Thoughts
While a tomato garden might seem overwhelming if you find yourself with an excess amount of tomatoes, there is no need to worry! There are plenty of ways to prepare and store your tomatoes. We hope that you have learned a few new ways to use your fresh tomatoes.
In order to ensure that all of your fresh produce and tomatoes are eaten before its expiration date, download the Lil’ Broc app to track and monitor the shelf life of your produce!