Help! I've Got Too Many Tomatoes!
18 Lazy Ways to Use Up All Those End-of-Season Tomatoes
Freeze ‘em and forget ‘em. Core, halve, toss in a freezer bag, and call it meal prep. Future You will thank you in January.
See how to do this here: https://youtu.be/wHxMY0BIuiI?si=PKyxp-RNLx2iNmLB
Roast and toast. Slow-roast with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Instant flavor bombs for pasta or soup.
Make a sauce that tastes like summer. Simmer your extras into marinara or pizza sauce, then stash it in the freezer for those dark, tomato-less months. Try using your Instapot to cook them down into marinara or paste! https://youtube.com/shorts/8tkhsEEmSsc?si=IQ02v8Go3H6lIPKz
Dry like a pro. Oven or dehydrator—doesn’t matter. Homemade “sun-dried” tomatoes make you look like you know what you’re doing. We like to blend them up (skins, seeds and all) and dehydrate for tomato powder. We store in a glass mason jar and use this for either tomato paste or sauce!
Get seeds from the overripe ones. These seeds are mature and can be harvested for baby tomato plants in the spring. You might also consider burying a few overripe tomatoes into the soil where you would like them to grow when the conditions are right.
Whip up lazy salsa. Dice, mix with lime, onion, and cilantro, and you’ve got an appetizer that says “I totally planned this.”
Sweet talk your taste buds. Tomato jam sounds weird—until you try it on a grilled cheese. Then it’s love. I’ve made this tomato jam and it’s a sweet and savory way to use up any extra summer tomatoes and basil you might have. It tastes great on crackers with either goat cheese or cream cheese. https://www.allrecipes.com/tomato-jam-recipe-6561467
Blend into Bloody Mary mix. Add celery salt and a little kick. Suddenly, your overripe tomatoes are brunch material.
Make ketchup that actually tastes like tomatoes. Once you do, the store-bought kind tastes like regret. Seriously, we’ve used the Instapot for this and homemade ketchup is amazing!
Cook down a curry base. Toss in onions, garlic, and spice. Freeze for a future “I don’t feel like cooking” night.
Green tomatoes make delicious relish. I’ve made this green tomato relish and it’s a delicious, tangy mix of green tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and spices. It pairs perfectly with sandwiches, potatoes, cheese, and many other entrées. A jar of this makes a great gift, too!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/19584/green-tomato-relish/ Would you rather ripen the green ones? Here's a tip! https://youtube.com/shorts/8tkhsEEmSsc?si=IQ02v8Go3H6lIPKz
Be the neighbor everyone loves. Share a basket with friends or drop some off at a local food pantry. We bring them to our church, post “free tomatoes” in the Next Door or Facebook apps and even post “free tomatoes” in our city’s “Buy Nothing” group. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how happy people are to receive fresh tomatoes.
Toss ‘em in a sheet-pan dinner. Roasting tomatoes alongside chicken, sausage, or veggies turns “What’s for dinner?” into “Wow, that was easy.”
Make tomato butter. Blend roasted tomatoes with butter and herbs — amazing on bread, corn, or grilled meats. You’ll feel fancy without trying.
Try a tomato confit. Slow-cook cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic until they collapse into pure bliss. Spoon it on toast, pasta, or straight into your mouth.
Bake a rustic tomato galette. Basically a lazy pie with tomatoes, cheese, and flaky crust. Looks impressive, tastes like a summer dream.
Compost the truly hopeless ones. Some tomatoes are just… done. Give them back to the earth so next year’s garden can thank you.
Make freezer meal kits. Layer roasted tomatoes, herbs, and sautéed onions in freezer bags. Label them “pasta night,” “soup starter,” or “I didn’t feel like cooking.” You’ll thank yourself later.
End-of-season tomatoes might look overwhelming, but they’re really an opportunity disguised as clutter. Whether you’re roasting, freezing, or sipping them through a Bloody Mary, there’s no wrong way to enjoy what you grew! Bookmark this post for next fall, share it with a tomato-burdened friend, and remember — lazy gardening isn’t about doing less; it’s about doing it smarter.
Did I miss something important that you do or would like to? Email me and let me know: thelazynortherngardener@yahoo.com