Tomato Confit with Summery Cherry Tomatoes

Tomato confit is easy to make, indulgent and the best way to preserve summer in a jar. I guarantee that you have never tasted cherry tomatoes as sweet or juicy as when they have been slow cooked at a low heat. And, it has to be in a rich and luxurious fat such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

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What also makes this tomato confit recipe a bonus is that it’s dairy and gluten free. It’s also perfect for vegetarians and vegans.

Confit is a French cooking technique where something is cooked in lots of fat at a low heat and for a long time. To confit something is to preserve it. For most part, the fat is usually an animals’ fat such as duck or butter. When making tomato confit, or any confit using vegetables that does not have its own fat, I recommend using a high quality extra virgin olive oil.

To confit tomatoes, they must be fully submerged in olive oil and baked for 2 hours at a very low heat until the cherry tomatoes skin has expanded and they are ready to burst open. They will take on a sweet and rich flavour.

How to serve this confit

You can flavour the olive oil with herbs and spices such as rosemary, thyme, basil, peppercorns, salt or lemon zest. The olive oil will take on all of the flavour from the tomatoes and additional herbs and spices and can be repurposed in any recipe that calls for olive oil. The olive oil will be so tasty that you will find yourself drizzling it over absolutely everything!

Tomato confit is so versatile and can be used in so many dishes. When I have tomato confit in my fridge, I find myself using it as a replacement for recipes that need tinned tomatoes. It creates a beautiful marina sauce as a pizza base or for pasta to be tossed through or a delicious topping on toast.

How to make the best tomato confit

Pick the right tomatoes – the sweeter and more in season the tomato, the better your tomato confit will turn out. I recommend using a smaller tomato such as a cherry tomato.

Use the right olive oil – a high quality extra virgin olive oil will work best when making tomato confit. As the olive oil can be repurposed, it’s important a high quality one is used.

Cook low and slow – a confit recipe cannot be rushed! Patience is key when making tomato confit as for the best results. You need at least 2 hours of cooking time on a low heat of 120 degrees celsius.

Storing the confit

How do I store this confit?

I store tomato confit in a sterilised air tight jar in the fridge with the tomatoes fully submerged in the olive oil. Make sure you don’t discard any of the oil as it can also be repurposed and used for cooking.

How long can I store tomato confit?

When stored correctly, as mentioned above, your tomato confit will last in the fridge for a month. However, tomato confit is so delicious and will become your new secret cooking weapon. I guarantee it wont last that long!

Storing the olive oil

The tomato confit will keep for longer when the tomatoes are fully submerged in the olive oil. However, if you do want to use it in other recipes, scoop a little bit off the top. The olive oil will congeal or harden when kept in the fridge. I recommend taking it out of the fridge 10 minutes before use to allow it to become a liquid consistency.

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