Managing Excess Tomatoes: Creative Uses, Preservation, and Recipes for Your Harvest

Having an abundance of tomatoes from your garden is a delightful challenge, but it can feel overwhelming without a plan. Whether you’re dealing with a bumper crop or a repeating harvest, here are practical, creative, and sustainable ways to use, preserve, and repurpose excess tomatoes, along with delicious recipes to make the most of your harvest.

1. Preserve Through Traditional Methods

Extend the life of your tomatoes with these time-tested preservation techniques:

• Canning/Jarring: Transform tomatoes into sauces, salsa, chutney, or whole peeled tomatoes. Use sterilised jars to store them safely for up to a year.
• Sun-Drying or Dehydrating: Slice tomatoes and dry them in the sun, a dehydrator, or an oven at low heat (135°F/57°C). Store in airtight containers with olive oil or dry for long-term use.
• Freezing: Chop or puree tomatoes and freeze in portions (e.g., freezer bags or containers). Roast them first for a richer, caramelised flavour.
• Pickling: Pickle green or cherry tomatoes with vinegar, spices, and herbs for a tangy treat that lasts months in the fridge.

2. Transform Into Versatile Products

Turn your tomatoes into pantry staples or unique creations:

• Tomato Paste/Purée: Cook tomatoes down into a concentrated paste or purée. Store in small jars or freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning in recipes.
• Fermentation: Create fermented tomato salsa or ketchup, which preserves tomatoes while adding gut-friendly natural probiotics. Use a simple brine with sea salt and water.
• Juice & Soup: Blend fresh tomatoes into juice or make batches of gazpacho or tomato bisque, which can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for months.
• Tomato Jam: Cook tomatoes with sugar, lime juice, and spices for a sweet-savoury spread perfect for toasts.

3. Share and Support Your Community

Spread the bounty and build connections with others:

• Gift or Trade: Share fresh tomatoes with neighbours, friends, or trade for other crops like zucchini, greens, or herbs.
• Charity Donations: Donate surplus tomatoes to local food banks, shelters, orphanages, or community kitchens that accept fresh produce.
• Community Events: Host a tomato swap or cooking party to exchange recipes and produce with fellow gardeners.

4. Creative Kitchen Uses

Get inventive with your tomatoes in the kitchen:

• Tomato Powder: Dehydrate tomatoes and blend into a fine powder to season soups, stews, popcorn, or sauces.
• Tomato Snacks: Make crispy tomato chips by thinly slicing, seasoning with salt and herbs, and drying in an oven or dehydrator.
• Infused Oils or Vinegars: Infuse dried tomatoes into olive oil or vinegar for gourmet cooking or salad dressings.
• Tomato Skins: Don’t discard the skins after peeling – dry and grind them into a flavourful seasoning for pasta or bread.

5. Extend Shelf Life Naturally

Keep your tomatoes fresh for as long as possible:

• Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature (60-70°F/15-21°C), away from direct sunlight, to maintain flavour and texture.
• For slower ripening, place tomatoes in a cool, dark place like a basement or pantry (avoid refrigerating unless already cut, as cold dulls flavour).
• Pick some tomatoes while still green and unripe – they’ll ripen gradually indoors when stored in a paper bag with an apple to speed up the process.
• Check regularly for spoilage and remove any affected tomatoes to prevent rot from spreading.

6. Beyond Food: Sustainable Uses

Tomatoes can contribute beyond the kitchen:

• Seed Saving: Harvest seeds from your best tomatoes, ferment them in water for 2-3 days, dry, and store in a cool, dry place for the next planting season.
• Compost or Animal Feed: Use spoiled or overripe tomatoes to enrich your compost pile or feed livestock like chickens, goats, or pigs (ensure they’re safe for your animals).
• Natural Beauty Products: Use tomato pulp in DIY face masks for its antioxidants and mild acidity, which can brighten skin (mix with honey or yogurt).
• Garden Pest Deterrent: Boil tomato leaves (not fruit) to create a natural insect-repellent spray for plants (avoid using on edible crops).

7. Delicious Tomato Recipes

Here are three simple, flavourful recipes to make the most of your tomato harvest:

Here are 7 easy, Sebi-approved tomato recipes you can try:

1. Fresh Tomato & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• Handful of fresh basil or cilantro
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 key lime
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, and herbs in a bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice.
3. Toss gently, season with sea salt, and serve fresh.

2. Alkaline Salsa (Pico de Gallo Style)

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small chile pepper, minced (optional)
• Handful of cilantro
• Juice of 2 key limes
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Mix tomatoes, onion, chile, and cilantro in a bowl.
2. Add lime juice and salt.
3. Serve with homemade spelt flatbread or as a side to veggies

3. Tomato & Okra Stew

Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup fresh okra, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pot, sauté onion and garlic.
2. Add tomatoes and cook until they soften.
3. Stir in okra, thyme, and sea salt.
4. Simmer until thickened. Serve with quinoa or wild rice.

4. Roasted Tomato with Herbs

Ingredients

• 6 medium tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano or thyme
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Place tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with herbs and salt.
3. Roast until caramelized (about 30-40 mins).
4. Eat as a side or blend into a soup.

5. Creamy Alkaline Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 6 roasted tomatoes
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 cup homemade hemp seed or walnut milk
• Basil leaves
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Sauté onion in avocado oil until soft.
2. Blend roasted tomatoes with onion, and nut milk until creamy.
3. Reheat, add sea salt and basil before serving.

6. Tomato Chutney (Sweet & Spicy)

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp date sugar or blended dates
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 small chile pepper (optional)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Cook tomatoes, onion, and ginger in a pan until soft.
2. Add date sugar, chile, vinegar, and sea salt.
3. Simmer until thick.
4. Cool and store in a glass jar (refrigerated).

7. Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Ingredients

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (made naturally, no preservatives)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• Handful fresh basil
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Blend sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil, onion, basil, and sea salt.
2. Spread on spelt bread, crackers, or use as a dip.

References

• Ball, A. (2020). Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Robert Rose.
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. (2023). Preserving Food: Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products. Retrieved from https://extension.uga.edu
• McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Scribner.
• USDA. (2022). Complete Guide to Home Canning. Retrieved from https://nchfp.uga.edu
• Gooden, J. (2024). 100+ Alkaline Diet Recipes. Available at https://lulu.com

By using these methods and recipes, you can make the most of your tomato harvest, reduce waste, and enjoy the fruits of your labour year-round. Happy gardening, cooking, and preserving!

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