Tomato confit is synonymous with big flavored cuisine that doubles as the perfect French old-world preservation tactic. Fresh, juicy, ripe tomatoes are slow-cooked in a fragrant bath of thyme, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The preservation concentrates the tomato flavor and extends tomato season so we can enjoy it year-round.
And the great thing about confited tomatoes? They are delicious served on top of pasta, pizza, bruschetta. Tuck it into hearty sandwiches and top a slice of buttered, crusty bread.
When you hear “confit tomatoes,” and especially if you’ve never prepared them before, the fancy term may sound sophisticated and intimidating (confit is a French word, in fact, and is often associated with duck).
But we’re here to prove that it’s not intimidating at all! Tomato confit is a simple recipe that is a great way to preserve the bounty of summer tomato season and enjoy sweet tomatoes prepared with fresh herbs during any season.
How to Use Confit Tomatoes
There are so many ways to enjoy this cherry tomato confit recipe and fortunately it makes a large batch so you can try out all the delicious options!
Some of our favorite ways is slathering tomato garlic confit on no-knead rosemary bread or spelt sourdough bread, either on its own or with avocado and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
It makes a delicious, minimalist tomato sauce that works with spaghetti, pasta bakes or even stuffed pasta shells.
Use it as a pizza topping for homemade pizza dough or add a dollop of tomato confit as a garnish for our spicy tomato soup! You can even turn tomato confit into a simple salad dressing to drizzle on your favorite salads.
Why This Tomato Garlic Confit Recipe Works
Tomato confit is the perfect way to preserve delicious tomatoes at their peak ripeness. This French technique creates a simple preservation method by slow roasting the juicy tomatoes in olive oil until they are soft and wrinkled but do not burst.
The cooking method is especially tasty with smaller cherry tomatoes. Simple ingredients are all you need, too!
We could eat tomato confit on a daily basis- and since they’re doused in good olive oil and fresh herbs, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, either!
Confited tomatoes are:
- Easy to prepare and a great way to preserve a bounty of ripe tomatoes.
- A healthy, nutritious way to enjoy preserved tomatoes year-round.
- Fresh herbs, kosher salt and the best oil infuse these slow-roasted tomatoes with maximum flavor.
- The intense tomato flavor makes this a super easy condiment, topping or sauce to dress up a variety of meals and snacks.
Ingredients for Tomato Confit
Here’s a look at what you will need to make this confit reci:
- Cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have a natural sweetness that works well for confited tomatoes. Make sure their stems are removed.
- Garlic head. You will need a full head of garlic, with its cloves separated and peeled.
- Fresh thyme. Fresh thyme sprigs add an herbaceous element to the tomato garlic confit.
- Salt and black pepper. Use fine salt and coarse-ground black pepper for the perfect amount of seasoning.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. A good quality olive oil is key to making delicious tomato confit which is why we recommend extra virgin olive oil over regular olive oil.
Our Easy Confited Tomato Recipe
For this simple confit tomato recipe, follow the steps below but be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the printable recipe card with all of the instructions and ingredient amounts.
Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish or ovenproof dish that will comfortably hold them in a single layer. Nestle the thyme and garlic cloves around the tomatoes and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Pour enough olive oil into the dish so that the tomatoes are covered about 3/4 of the way.
Transfer to the oven and slow roast at 225°F for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until the tomatoes are soft and wrinkled (they shouldn’t have burst).
Remove from the oven and let them cool in the dish. Transfer them to a clean jar and pour enough of the olive oil into the jar to keep the tomatoes submerged. Refrigerate and use as needed.
Tips for the Best Results
- Confited tomatoes are the tastiest when made with cherry tomatoes since they’re naturally very sweet and juicy. You can substitute grape tomatoes, but the flavor won’t be as intense.
- Feel free to use your favorite fresh herbs to change up the flavor variation of this confit recipe! Fresh basil or fresh rosemary are a fantastic way to incorporate more garden herbs into your tomato confit.
- The amount of oil used will vary based on the depth of your baking dish. The tomatoes just need to be submerged about 3/4 of the way in oil, not completely covered.
- The cooking time will vary based on the size of the cherry tomatoes and your oven. Check it at about 90 minutes and if the tomatoes don’t appear soft and wrinkled, you may need to let it go for another 15 minutes or so.
Storing Tomato Confit
- Store the tomato confit in an airtight container with a lid. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To freeze tomato confit, make sure they are in a lidded container (like an airtight jar) and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. For smaller, frozen portions of tomato confit, you spoon small amounts of tomato confit into ice cube trays and store it in the freezer that way.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:
- Baked Goat Cheese Pasta with Tomatoes
- Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
- Corn Succotash without Beans
- Classic Wedge Salad
- French Onion Soup Casserole
- Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes
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Recipe adapted from: “Saving the Season” by Kevin West
Confited Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes stems removed
- 1 garlic head separated and peeled
- 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Coarse grind black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225°F
- Place the tomatoes into an ovenproof dish that will comfortably hold the tomatoes in a single layer.
- Nestle the thyme sprigs and garlic cloves around the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour enough olive oil into the dish to come ¾ of the way up the tomatoes
- Transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 1-½ to 1-¾ hours or until the tomatoes are soft and wrinkled but not burst.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the dish then transfer to a covered jar. Pour enough of the remaining oil over the jar keeping the tomatoes submerged.
- Refrigerate and use as needed.
Notes
- Confited tomatoes can be topped on toasted bread, tossed with pasta, added to pizza or served alongside any entree.
- Stored in a lidded container, confited tomatoes will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator and in the freezer for 3-months.
