The project.
HOW TO STERILISE JARS, BOTTLES & LIDS
Wash in soapy water, rinse thoroughly, then place in a hot oven (180°C fan/ gas 6) for 10 minutes or into a microwave on high power for 2 minutes (make sure the jars are still wet). You can sterilise anything that can’t go in the oven or microwave (such as lids with rubber seals) by submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
FOOD STYLING: EMILY GUSSIN. PHOTOGRAPHS: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
I’ve always loved tomatoes. If there’s a punnet of cherry tomatoes in the kitchen, I’ll snack on them like popcorn while I’m cooking. I try to grow my own most years, too, even on my tiny north-facing balcony in a block of urban flats – although that does admittedly result in more green, clinging-on-for-dear-life tomatoes than gorgeously ripe red ones.
As soon as British tomatoes are in season, I buy big cratefuls. These days, you can get them easily year-round, but those shipped from overseas are picked before they’re fully ripe to extend their shelf life. Although they do ripen during transit, they can’t develop in flavour as they would naturally, resulting in watery, tasteless tomatoes that do a disservice to the real deal. Those grown in the UK, left to fully ripen on the plant and kept away from cold storage taste completely different – properly sweet and rich in flavour.
If you find yourself with a glut of these beautifully ripe tomatoes, don’t panic – you don’t need to use them all up right away. Here’s how to preserve the bounty and enjoy them for months to come.
CHOOSE YOUR TECHNIQUE: SWEET OR TANGY
Whether you grow your own or not, a weekend spent preserving tomatoes is a joy. There are so many ways to enhance their flavour while also making them last longer, but here I’ve focused on the two main methods: slow-cooking (via confit and semi-drying) and increasing acidity (through pickling and creating vinegar-based ketchup).
SLOW-COOKING FOR SWEETNESS
This method draws out a richer base flavour – perfect for tomatoes at peak ripeness and enhancing sweetness. Confit tomatoes are submerged in oil, then poached, whereas semidried tomatoes gradually lose their water content in a low oven. The difference is texture: confit tomatoes still burst in your mouth, while semi-dried gain that seductive chew.
UPPING THE ACIDITY FOR TANGINESS
If you have a batch of less ripe tomatoes to use up, they will benefit from slightly harsher treatment: acidity. While slow-cooking amplifies the sweetness and umami found in tomatoes, pickling or processing them into chutneys and condiments (like ketchup) shines a light on the fruit’s natural tanginess and acidity instead.