Top 3 Best Recipes to Preserve Your Tomato Harvest

Preserved tomatoes Learn the top 3 methods to keep your tomato harvest fresh all year: fermenting, freezing pureed tomatoes, and canning cherry tomatoes.

Tomatoes are one of the best things about summer, but what do you do when those lovely tomato plants produce a glut of tomatoes? If you have a tomato bounty, don’t let those ripe tomatoes go to waste. I’m about to offer you three easy ways to preserve them for later: fermenting, freezing pureed tomatoes, and canning tomatoes, whether they’re small tomatoes from the farmers market or larger tomatoes from your garden.

These methods ensure you’ll have fresh tomato products like pasta sauce, tomato paste, and more to enjoy during the winter months. So whether you’re using a pressure canner or just a large pot, you’ll be set with frozen tomatoes or canned tomato products throughout the year.

Method #1: Fermenting Tomatoes

Fermenting cherry tomatoes is one of the easiest ways to turn those juicy little gems into something even more delicious. Whether you’ve got a bunch of raw tomatoes from the garden or you’re just looking for a way to use up a few extra tomatoes, this method is a game-changer. You end up with tomatoes that are tangy, flavorful, and perfect for everything from topping your pizza to tossing in a salad.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

Cherry tomatoes (just grab what you’ve got)
Water
Salt (we’re making a 3% brine here)
Large jar
Fermentation weights (or really, anything heavy and clean to keep your tomatoes submerged)
Kitchen scale

Instructions

Wash your hands and get your kitchen scale ready. Place the jar on the scale and hit the “tare” button to reset it.
Add your cherry tomatoes to the jar, then pour in the water. Make sure to note the weight of everything in the jar.
Now, take that weight and multiply it by 0.03. This gives you the right amount of salt for the brine—just enough to work its magic without over-salting things.
Add the salt to the jar and put the lid on. Shake it up good so the salt dissolves evenly through the water and tomatoes.
Open the jar again and drop in your fermentation weights. The goal here is to keep those tomatoes fully submerged under the brine. Cherry tomatoes can be a little tricky since they like to float, so you might have to get creative with your weights. If you don’t have fermentation weights, a clean rock or something like a ceramic dish can do the trick. Or, if all else fails, use a cabbage leaf to help keep them down.
Once everything’s in place, cover the jar with a loose-fitting lid or a cloth. Use a rubber band to keep it secure, just to make sure no bugs get in there.
Now comes the fun part: let it sit out of direct sunlight for anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on how tangy you want it. The warmer it is, the faster it’ll ferment. You’ll see bubbles start to form as it ferments, which is a great sign that things are on track.
Taste it as it ferments. Just use a clean spoon or fork to check the flavor. When it hits the spot for you, toss it in the fridge to stop the fermentation process.

Fermented tomatoes will last for quite a while in the fridge, and they’re perfect for all sorts of dishes. Add them to salads, and sauces, or even make a quick topping for pizza bases. They’re also a great way to use up excess tomatoes and take advantage of those tomatoes that are perfectly ripe but need preserving before they go bad.

This method is super simple and doesn’t require any fancy equipment or special skills—just a bit of patience. It’s one of my favorite preservation methods, and it’s honestly one of the best ways to enjoy tomatoes long after the harvest season is over. Let me know if you give this a try! You’re going to love how it makes those tomatoes taste.

Tips for the recipe:

Make sure to weigh everything in the jar before adding the salt. This is super important for getting the right brine strength. After you add the tomatoes and water, use your scale to get the total weight, then multiply by 0.03 to figure out how much salt you need. It’s the best way to make sure you don’t overdo it.

Keep the tomatoes submerged! Cherry tomatoes tend to float, which can mess with the fermentation process. Use fermentation weights if you’ve got them, or get creative with clean rocks, ceramic dishes, or even a cabbage leaf. Keeping the tomatoes under the brine helps them ferment evenly and keeps them safe from mold.

Check the taste as it ferments. The beauty of fermenting at home is you can adjust it to your liking. Every day or so, taste a tomato with a clean utensil. If it’s not tangy enough, be sure to let it sit longer. When you’re happy with the flavor, pop it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.

This preservation recipe offers more details about fermenting tomatoes at home if you’d like to learn more.

Method #2: Freezing Pureed Tomatoes

If you’ve got a bunch of fresh tomatoes piling up, freezing them as puree is one of the easiest ways to save them for later. Whether you’re dealing with a garden glut or scored a great deal at the farmers market, this method is a solid option to make sure you can enjoy that summer tomato flavor all year long.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

Fresh tomatoes (whatever you’ve got on hand)
A beverage dispenser jar with a spigot (the kind you might use for lemonade at a BBQ)

Instructions

First, cut your tomatoes into chunks so they’ll fit easily into your blender. Don’t overcrowd it; blend in batches if needed.
Once your tomatoes are fully blended, pour the puree into the beverage dispenser jar.
Stick the jar in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, you’ll notice that the tomato puree has settled and there’s a thin layer of liquid at the bottom.
Put the jar on the edge of your sink, open the faucet, and drain out the excess liquid.
Take the lid off and scoop the puree into freezer bags.
Be careful not to overfill the bags—leave some room for them to expand. Lay them flat in the freezer so they freeze evenly. You can even put the bags on a cookie sheet if you want to keep things nice and flat while they freeze.

Once frozen, your pureed tomatoes will be good to go. Whether you’re making spaghetti sauce, adding them to soups, or just looking to enjoy those summer tomatoes in the middle of winter, this is an easy way to keep that garden-fresh flavor on hand all year.

If you’re interested, this post offers more information about freezing pureed tomatoes.

Tips for the Recipe

Blend in batches: Don’t overcrowd your blender with too many tomatoes at once. Blend in batches to ensure a smooth puree. This helps get the best consistency without overloading the blender.
Pour out the excess liquid: After refrigerating overnight, make sure to drain off the thin layer of liquid that settles at the bottom of the jar. This will help keep your puree thicker and better for cooking later.
Flat-freeze: When placing the puree into freezer bags, leave room for expansion and lay them flat in the freezer. If you need to, put the bags on a cookie sheet to keep everything even while freezing. This makes for easier storage and faster thawing.

Method #3: Canning Cherry Tomatoes

Canning cherry tomatoes is seriously a game changer if you want to enjoy that summer taste even in the dead of winter. Whether you’ve got a ton from your garden or just a few too many from the store, this is a simple, foolproof way to save them for later. After a quick canning session, you’ve got tomatoes ready to go for all sorts of dishes like pasta sauces, soups, or even just throwing them on top of a salad for a little burst of flavor.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

Cherry tomatoes
Salt
Lemon juice or citric acid (to ensure the acidity is safe)
Fresh herbs (optional, like basil or thyme)
Boiling water

Instructions

Sterilize your jars and lids by placing them in a large pot of warm water or running them through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Rinse your cherry tomatoes thoroughly under cold water. If you prefer, you can remove the skins by blanching them briefly in boiling water and then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking process. This step is optional, as you can can whole tomatoes with the skins on. Peeling gives a smoother texture for some dishes.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar (or 1 teaspoon for quart jars). If you’d like to add fresh herbs, throw some basil in each jar. Pack the cherry tomatoes tightly into the jars, but don’t crush them. Leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top of the tomatoes (“headspace”).
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid per pint jar to make sure your tomatoes are safe for canning. For quarts, use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. This raises the acidity, making the tomatoes safe for long-term storage
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove any air bubbles by running it around the inside edges of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth to remove any residue.
Place the lids on the jars and tighten just until they’re finger-tight.
Process in a boiling water bath. Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Lower the jars into the water, ensuring they’re completely submerged, and process for 35 minutes for pint jars (45 minutes for quart jars). Keep the water at a moderate heat while processing.
After processing, carefully remove the jars from the water and set them on a towel, lids down, to cool to room temperature. You should hear a popping sound as the jars seal. Once cooled, check that the lids have sealed properly—if the lid pops back when pressed, it hasn’t sealed and should be refrigerated or reprocessed.
Once sealed, store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Your canned cherry tomatoes will be ready to use in pasta dishes, soups, and sauces all winter long.

Tips for the recipe

Ensure proper acidity levels: Always add lemon juice or citric acid to each jar to increase the acidity. This step is essential for safe long-term storage, so don’t skip it.
Leave some headspace: When packing the tomatoes into jars, leave about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. This prevents the liquid from overflowing during the canning process and ensures a proper seal.
Check the seal: After the jars cool, press the lids to make sure they’ve sealed properly. If the lid pops back, the jar hasn’t sealed and needs to be refrigerated or reprocessed. A proper seal is crucial for safe storage.

Learn more about how to can cherry tomatoes here.

What’s your favorite preservation method? Let me know in the comments below. Each of the methods above is an easy recipe you can try at home using tools and supplies you likely already have.