Easy Roasted Cherry Tomato Spread | A “Burst” of Flavor!
So, you’re either a way better gardener than you thought, or you went overboard at the market and now your kitchen is being held hostage by a mountain of cherry tomatoes. Before they turn into sad, wrinkly raisins, give them a glow-up with these Cherry Tomatoes Roasted in Oil and Herbs. Yes, they’re a FRUIT so, I know.. I know… but this is the easiest (and delicious!) ways to use them up.
They’re super versatile. Try pairing this jammy goodness with my Grilled Mediterranean Pork Chops for a “cheffy” vibe, or toss them on top of simple avocado toast with eggs, spread on top of Sardine Salad would be incredible. Lastly, serve them on the side of my Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich because well.. you KNOW how well grilled cheese and tomato flavors go together!
🌟 Ingredient Notes
✅ Fresh Cherry Tomatoes – Any color you want…red, yellow, or a mix!
✅ Olive Oil – Enough to drizzle and coat them for that perfect roast.
✅ Salt and Pepper – To bring out the natural sweetness.
✅ Sage – Fresh or dried for an earthy aromatic touch.
✅ Thyme – The perfect Mediterranean herb for roasting.
How to Make Cherry Tomato Spread
- Preheat your oven. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a baking pan lined with parchment paper for EASY PEASY cleanup!
- Drizzle them with olive oil and shower them with your herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Cook them until they are soft, cracked, broke down to look crumpled. You might notice some caramelization on top, which is a great thing because it adds extra flavors you don’t want to miss!
- Once they cool, move them to a squeaky-clean jar and top with extra oil.
🍅 What If You Don’t Like Tomato Skins?
If the skins really bother you, you can choose to peel them! It involves blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds until the skins fall right off. I have a quick How to Peel Tomatoes tutorial if you want to take a peek. However, this roasting method cooks them down so much that the peels usually just melt into the dish anyway!
Fun Fact: Did you know that there’s a different name for each size of tomato? They all have different characteristics and best uses for each. An article at Healthline about 7 different tomatoes spells all that! Besides, tomatoes are absolutely versatile, and not to mention a great source of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C and lycopene!
How To Know If Your Cherry Tomatoes Are Perfectly Roasted?
Your cherry tomatoes need to be soft and cracked. They need to break down and look shriveled.
You might notice some caramelization on top, which is ok, you actually want that to happen! Having that color on top add extra flavors that you don’t want to miss. Besides, who doesn’t love anything caramelized?!
💡 How To Store Cherry Tomatoes Properly
You can definitely store these for later use! After they cool, simply place them in a squeaky-clean jar (washed with hot, soapy water and completely dried!) and top off with the same type of oil you roasted them in. Keep the jar in your fridge and you can enjoy them for months IF you follow these steps:
- Release Air: When you put them in the jar, take a chopstick or knife and slowly stir it around to break up any trapped air bubbles.
- Keep Submerged: After using a portion, always ensure none of the cooked tomatoes are exposed to air. Drizzle a bit more oil on top so they stay submerged under that “liquid gold!”
- Safety First: If you notice mold or a “funky” smell, throw the contents away!
Delicious Serving Ideas
The sky is the limit for how to use this beautiful cherry tomato spread:
- Serve it on toast or on top of crackers with cream cheese!
- Try mixing it into cooked rice or any other vegetable for a nice change.
- It makes a great side dish or topping for roasted meats like this Roast Beef and cooked eggs.
- They even work wonders alongside Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs as well.
❄️ Can You Freeze This Spread?
Yes, you can freeze these roasted cherry tomatoes. Use a freezer-safe container and be sure to allow for expansion. They’ll be good for about 3 months on the freezer shelf, but just know they may be a tad more liquidy than usual when they thaw.
I normally don’t freeze them – I just keep them in my fridge. They usually find their way to back and when I bring them out to use them, the oil sometimes turns opaque. It’s not a big deal. If you let the jar sit at room temp for a few minutes (or sit it in some warm water, lid still on), you’ll see the oil begin clear up and all will be right in the world again. 🙂
I hope you make these delicious roasted cherry tomatoes and enjoy them in any meal! Drop a comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected] with your thoughts! Have a TRULY AWESOME DAY!
~Joanne
HERB & OIL ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
Delicious, herb-infused roasted cherry tomatoes. They reduce down to almost a spread like consistency that's so perfect for so many uses!
Ingredients
- 20 ounces of cherry tomatoes (any color you wish)
- 1 cup of oil (see notes)
- as desired, salt and pepper
- as desired, fresh sage, rosemary and thyme (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half
- Place the cut tomatoes cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Drizzle with the oil
- Sprinkle cut herbs over top the tomatoes
- Season with salt and pepper
- Roast for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are well cooked down, wrinkled, cracked skins and (*optional) caramelized color on the tops.
- Remove the tomatoes and let cool completely. Transfer to a very clean jar. Fill the rest of the jar with extra oil to keep the tomatoes submerged. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
Best tips and tricks:
1. Use the freshest cherry tomatoes you can find.
2. Use an oil like olive oil or avocado oil. You can use regular vegetable oil as well, but just use an oil that you prefer the taste of.
3. Adding extra seasonings like garlic and onion powders is possible if you prefer those flavors. I like those flavors as well but I chose to keep the tomatoes without garlic this time for ease of versatility.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 56 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 37Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Absolutely amazing! I used fresh rosemary from my garden and my husband is eating it with a spoon!!
Aw that’s awesome Shannon! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband love the recipe! Thank you so much for commenting!
Can this recipe be water bathed canned & stored in cellar?
Hi Laverne! Unfortunately no. Because it’s filled with oil, you can’t waterbath this.
Went to use and The oil has solidified has that happened to anyone else or is this normal does not look too appetizing.
This is from the website Oliveoilandbeyond. com. Regarding oil and solification:
Refrigeration will extend the life of olive oil without harming the oil. The oil will become cloudy and solidify in the refrigerator, but this will not significantly affect the quality or flavor. When the oil is warmed to room temperature it will return to a liquid state and its color will be restored. I hope this helps!
Hi Joanne: Could you tell me how long they can stay in the fridge. Thanks.
Hi Nancy! So here’s the thing. I’ve done these tomatoes many times and had them last quite fine in the fridge for at least six months. This amount of time will depend on a few things. When you remove some of the tomatoes, it’s important to have any of the oil in the jar, and completely cover the remaining tomatoes left in the jar. If there’s not enough oil, then I’ll pour a bit more in there just to make sure they’re submerged.
Having said that, they’ll stay perfect in the coldest part of the fridge for a month at the least.
Made this early last fall, it is amazing!!! Still have two jars that are perfectly safe to eat, and I’m coming up on Sprinz! LOVE, LOVE,LOVE!!!! Thank u for the recipe sister.
Corinne!! First, thank you for commenting, and second – yesssssss I know what you mean about these tomatoes!! When you keep them in the fridge, they last a long time and they’re soooo delicious on so many things! It makes me happy that you love the recipe!!
Joanne, are your tomatoes shelf stable? Thank you
Hi Laura! I’m going to say no. Maybe back in the day, my grandmother would have been ok preserving the tomatoes simply by topping off with oil and leaving them at room temperature but it’s just something I feel comfortable with. I keep mine in the fridge. I hope this helps 🙂
I think you missed the part where is says to keep them in the refrigerator.