11 Easy Ways To Use Up Excess Homegrown Tomatoes

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you followed our fertilizer advice and have grown more tomatoes than ever this season, congratulations! As well as giving yourself a pat on the back, you might also be wondering what you're going to do with all this tomato bounty. Don't worry — we've got you covered. One of the most important things to think about is how long you want to keep them for. If you're planning to use your tomatoes pretty quickly, keep them on your countertop for maximum flavor. Some people insist whole tomatoes have no place in a refrigerator, but it's the ideal storage solution for leftover slices.

There are also longer-term storage options for tomatoes. Covering the stem holes with either tape or a thin smear of olive oil and storing them upside down in the fridge inhibits bacterial growth, helping them last around 10 days. Meanwhile, anecdotal reports indicate that washing them in a vinegar and water solution before popping them in the fridge in baggies can extend their lifespan by several weeks. You can also toss them in the freezer, where they'll keep for up to 8 months, though the texture of thawed tomatoes makes them better suited to sauces, soups, or similar cooked applications. No need to blanch them first — the skins will slip right off when you run warm water over your tomatoes. Of course storage is just one method of dealing with a tomato glut. Cooking them is much more fun, so let's run down some easy, tasty ways to use up that bumper harvest!

If you've harvested lots of San Marzano tomatoes from your garden, then bravo — they're widely considered the best kind for making home-made tomato sauce. That said, other meaty, plum varieties like Roma are delicious for this purpose, too, while cherry tomatoes bring a vibrant burst of flavor. As long as they're ripe, healthy, and the skins have been removed (blanch tomatoes first to make this step easier), you can put your very own spin on this pantry staple.

We love this recipe for easy creamy Tuscan chicken, and not just because it's a family crowd-pleaser. Among the ingredients are sun-dried tomatoes, which are a great way to use up any excess home-grown fruit. Leaving them in direct sunlight or on a warm windowsill will conceivably dry them out over several days, though we can't quite recommend that for food safety purposes (commercially sun-dried tomatoes often include bacteria-killing salt). Or, you can use the oven or buy an electric dehydrator to get the job done faster, before freezing them or storing them in olive oil for an instant supply of concentrated tomato flavor.

The confusion about whether olives are vegetables or fruit has finally been put to rest. They join tomatoes as members of the fruit family, but unlike olives, tomatoes can be a brilliant addition to desserts as well as savory dishes. The rare, heirloom Dixie Golden is ideal in summer salads but also tastes amazing served with peaches and fresh mozzarella. For home cooks who love a tarte tatin, swap out apples for tomatoes and create a show-stopping tart with unique umami flavor.

Imagine a world where the ketchup on your table didn't have a brand label on it, but was made using tomatoes from your own garden. Your tomato glut can make this a reality! As well as being simple to make, homemade ketchup is also free of the additives and extras that so often go into the commercial kind. Your home-made ketchup might even beat this delicious alternative meatloaf topping.

You can get the whole family involved in making batches of soup to use up your excess tomatoes — we adore this chef's kiss, ultra-creamy version with basil oil. Freeze them in clearly-dated batches and bring them out for a taste of summer in the winter months. If you can't wait that long, whizz up some gazpacho. This method gives you two bites at using up the cherry tomato: you can either drink the raw, blended ingredients as a delicious smoothie, or make the full, refreshing gazpacho recipe.

Another sweet-savory fave is tomato jam, which is wildly popular among social media users. Some people liken it to ketchup, others to a savory jelly, but whatever it reminds you of, it's all good. As well as being delicious, tomato jam is versatile, pairing well with toasted bread, as well as meatloaf and shrimp. Looking for a burger topping that's not run-of-the-mill? Tomato jam is your, er, jam.

Any home cook who cans tomatoes will tell you, perhaps with a fervent gleam in their eye, that it's the best thing you can do with an excess of the fruit. We agree! You can start the process as soon as your tomatoes are ripe on the vine, then stack those glittering jars in your pantry, ready for use during the colder months. Our hot tip? Add them to this simple baked bean and chili mac, and thank us later.

Whether you've got friends round for brunch or you want a starter for a family cookout, a classic tomato bruschetta is a fuss-free and flavorsome way to work through a tomato harvest. It's quick, simple, and easy to prepare and, generously dolloped onto crusty French bread, it's as good for your body as it is for your taste buds. Consider adding this secret ingredient to make that tomato flavor sing.

Please the vegetarians and vegans in your life by turning your excess tomatoes into a mouthwatering filling for stuffed bell peppers. It's one of the simplest recipes around and makes a healthy alternative to the traditional filling of ground beef. Instead, chop up the tomatoes with a little basil and crumble in some feta for a hit of protein and additional flavor, before putting them under a broiler for a quick, tasty treat that screams summer.

Not to be confused with canning, which calls on water to preserve your tomatoes, pickling relies on vinegar instead. This is a great way to use up those last, lingering fruit that — importantly – haven't ripened and are still green. If you want to give your pickled toms a kick, throw in some red pepper flakes or mustard seeds, and enjoy the burst of heat in winter.

No run-down of ways to use up excess tomatoes would be complete without a tip of the hat to Mexican food staples, salsa and pico de gallo. They're far from being the same thing; pico de gallo is a crunchy, zesty accompaniment for tacos, burritos, and fajitas, while salsa is a smoother concoction that's perfect for dipping chips. If you have enough tomatoes, whip up a batch of both and have the best of both worlds!