Homemade Sunblushed Cherry Tomatoes

These homemade sunblushed cherry tomatoes beat anything you can buy in a jar at the supermarket — and it isn't even close. All you need is a glut of cherry tomatoes, a low oven, and a little patience.

Make a large batch. You will find uses for them everywhere.

Fresh from the garden, slow-roasted to perfection — The Flexible Chef

The Recipe for Homemade Sunblushed Cherry Tomatoes

• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Pinch sea salt
• Grind of black pepper
• Dried thyme and oregano
• Pinch of sugar

Preheat your oven to maximum. Place the halved tomatoes in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated.

Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and place in the oven immediately, turning the heat straight down to 75–100°C. Leave undisturbed for 2 to 3 hours. The slower they cook, the sweeter they become — but keep an eye on them towards the end and make sure they don't char too much. They are ready when soft, shrunken, and deeply fragrant.

How to Use Them

Toss through pasta with a little of the oil from the jar. Pile onto bruschetta with torn basil. Serve alongside grilled fish or a piece of roasted chicken. Layer it into a cheese sandwich — the combination is extraordinary. Stir through roasted vegetables in the final few minutes of cooking.

Why Low and Slow Works

The secret is the temperature. Starting at maximum heat and then dropping immediately to 75–100°C forces the moisture out of the tomatoes gradually rather than blasting it away. What you're left with is a concentrated, intensified version of the tomato itself — the sweetness amplified, the acidity softened, the flesh collapsed but still holding its shape.

It is essentially a controlled dehydration. The sugar you add at the beginning accelerates the caramelisation, and the garlic and herbs perfume the oil that pools around the tomatoes as they cook. That oil is as useful as the tomatoes themselves — don't waste a drop of it.

Storing

These homemade sunblushed cherry tomatoes rarely last long. If you want to keep them, pack into an airtight jar, cover completely with olive oil, and store in the fridge. Use within a week.

Fancy putting those sunblushed tomatoes to use? My Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Balsamic Onions & Wild Asparagus is a good showcase for them.

This recipe is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses collection — proper produce, done properly. It also features in my Spanish Recipes and Sauces, Salsas & Dressings collections.

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Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef