5 Ingredients or Fewer

Cherry Tomato Confit

by:
August 12, 2011
5
2 Ratings
  • Makes 4 cups
Author Notes

As the term confit implies, this gob of tomatoes is luxuriously rich. The key to the recipe is its simplicity (3-4 ingredients) and time to cook (1 hour) which allows the tomatoes to break down and ooze together with a generous amount of olive oil. The resulting jam is ridiculously intense, and may be divvied up in batches (and frozen) for all kinds of use. Smear some of the confit on crostini, spoon a dollop into a bowl of pasta, use as a pizza sauce, or dilute it with cream for a silky, decadent soup. —TasteFood

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • 4 pounds cherry or heirloom cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
Directions
  1. Combine tomatoes and olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot. Simmer over medium-low heat until tomatoes begin to break down, stirring occasionally and breaking tomatoes apart with a spoon. Continue to cook until all of the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is thick, about one hour in all. Add salt and taste for seasoning. If necessary add sugar.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

9 Reviews

Ashley V. August 6, 2022
My new favorite summer condiment! I especially love how adaptable it is; I’ve made it with the end of a pint of cherry tomatoes, barely enough for a couple of servings, and I’ve made it with Costco-sized containers bought specifically to make this recipe. Planning to make a huge batch to freeze for winter, so I can make my new favorite lazy girl snack whenever I want - toasted homemade bread, Laughing Cow/Boursin, and this wonderful burst of freshness. Bonus - it’s a wonderfully unexpected addition to a cheese board!
Kateq January 10, 2014
Fabulous! I used my potato masher to 'smush' any stubborn cherry tomatoes about halfway through. I put it through the food mill to lose the skins--the result is ethereal!
Jo A. August 30, 2013
I have made this recipe with early girl toms from neighbor's garden. Fantastic! I also made it with cherry toms....but blanched them for 1 min to remove the skins which I don't particularly like to have floating around in this beautiful, sweet, wonderfulmouthfeel ambrosia!
Ms. T. August 16, 2011
This looks scrumptious. And beautiful photo too!
TasteFood August 14, 2011
Hope you all try it - thanks for commenting!
lapadia August 14, 2011
Delicious & Gratifying...let me count the ways to serve this :) Thanks, TasteFood!
Lizthechef August 14, 2011
This is my keeper from the contest so far, the key word being "freeze". I'm sure this could be adapted to can with some more acid, but this is like basil pesto, so easy to freeze in baggies.
wssmom August 13, 2011
How ridiculously simple and I bet it is awesome! Can't wait for the cherry tomatoes to come in!
Midge August 13, 2011
This looks so very tasty. Saving!