A few weeks ago, we canned 60 pounds of dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes. My CSA sent along a recipe for oven-candied tomatoes, so we did a small batch of those as well. WOW! They were so good that we just got another 60 pounds specifically for oven-candying. Cooking them slowly in the oven intensifies the flavors; we were literally burning our mouths popping the tomatoes in like candy.
The recipe couldn’t be simpler; the trick is slow-cooking high-quality tomatoes. Even better, you don’t need to go through the hassle of canning them; they’ll keep in the olive oil they roast in for a few months in the fridge (assuming they’re not eaten before then!).
Make them now while you can get the last of the season’s tomatoes; I guarantee they will add some sweet summer flavor and eye-popping color to your Thanksgiving feast.
Oven-Candied Tomatoes
Cut small, good-quality tomatoes in half (they don’t have to be Early Girls, but choose tomatoes with a lot of flavor) and put them in a metal roasting pan. Cover generously with olive oil (more than you think you need, in fact). Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn down to 350 for 30 minutes, then 300 for 30 minutes. If they’re starting to burn, take them out, but if they still need a little caramelizing, turn the oven down to 250 and let sit for another 20-30 minutes. Let them cool to room temperature, then cover with the olive oil in a jar and store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Here’s what they look like straight out of the oven: