Learn how to make tomato confit, a savory, full-flavored French condiment. It requires minimal prep time and will fill your kitchen with the most glorious aroma.
Eating tomato confit feels like you’re in the Mediterranean. Just add a glass of local wine, music, good food, company, and beautiful views and you’ll almost be there.
Almost.
What is Confit?
Confit (pronounced cone fee) is a French cooking method that means to preserve.
The tomatoes cook in fat at a low temperature until they’re incredibly soft and their flavor is super concentrated.
Making confit is one of the best ways to build a well-stocked pantry. It also allows you to enjoy fresh produce for longer, and create flavor-packed, homemade meals in a relatively short amount of time.
Ingredients
- fresh tomatoes – cherry, grape, or small heirloom tomatoes work really well
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic cloves
- fresh thyme sprigs
- kosher salt & black pepper
Helpful Tips When Making Tomato Confit
Use ripe, fresh tomatoes
They can be any color, but you want them to be at their peak ripeness for the best flavor.
Quantity of Olive Oil
You want just enough olive oil so that the tomatoes are slightly submerged. They don’t need to be swimming in it because as the tomatoes cook, they release their own juices. The amount you use will largely depend on how many tomatoes you use, so just eyeball it.
How to Store
Store the tomato confit in a tightly sealed jar with the cooking oil covering the tomatoes (this helps to properly preserve them) in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for 3 months.
Leftover Oil
You may have a little leftover cooking liquid after you jar the confit tomatoes, but don’t throw it away! It’s infused with tons of flavor already, so just use it to cook something else or to make a homemade vinaigrette.
How to Serve Tomato Confit
- make Margherita Pasta (or another pasta dish) with it
- add to pizza sauce for an oomph of fresh flavor
- enjoy on toast with almond ricotta and arugula pesto
- add it to a dragon bowl
- put on top of cooked protein or roasted veg
Tomato Confit
Ingredients
- 1-1½ pounds tomatoes cherry, grape, or heirloom are best
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil possibly more, see notes
- kosher salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Wash and dry the tomatoes and add to a 9×13 pan with the smashed garlic, olive oil, the thyme sprigs, and salt and pepper.
- Mix everything together with your hands or a spoon and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes until the tomatoes are shriveled and soft. Let cool completely.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and tranfer the tomato confit to an artight glass container making sure to completely submerge the tomatoes in their cooking oil.
- Store in the frige for 1 month or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- You want just enough olive oil so that the tomatoes are slightly submerged in the fat, but they don’t need to be swimming in it because as the tomatoes cook, they release their own juices. The amount you use will largely depend on the quantity of tomatoes you use, so just eyeball it.
I have to admit that I haven’t tasted it yet but the smell is tantalizing! I had a lot of tomatoes from my garden so used romas and some other small tomatoes rather than my cherry and pear tomatoes because we eat those like candy.
Try the Tomato Confit with grilled late summer veggies and mushrooms over brown rice. It’s delicious! The confit adds richness and depth. Another time, I’ll amp up the protein with quinoa rather than rice or top with a fried egg. This is a flavorful, versatile condiment!