If you are wondering what to do with cherry tomatoes because you have more than you know what to do with, you aren’t alone. By the end of summer, I seem to have bowls and baskets of them sitting all over my kitchen.
Cherry tomatoes are one of my favorite things to grow in the garden. The plants produce like crazy, and I love being able to walk outside and pick a handful whenever I need them.
Early in the season, it is easy to keep up with the harvest. I toss them in salads, eat them straight from the garden, put them on sandwiches, and serve them alongside dinner.
But then September rolls around and things change. Instead of picking a handful, I am picking bowls full of cherry tomatoes. And there are always more waiting on the vines the next day.
That is when I start looking for ways to use a lot of them at once.
Luckily, there are several easy ways to turn an abundance of cherry tomatoes into something that you can eat now or save for later.
Here are five of my favorite ways to use up a large harvest of cherry tomatoes.
1. Make Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
One of the easiest things to do with a large amount of cherry tomatoes is to roast them.
Roasting concentrates their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness. Even tomatoes that aren’t quite as flavorful as the ones picked in the middle of summer taste great after spending some time in the oven.
Best of all, there isn’t much prep work involved.
How To Make Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
For every 4 cups of cherry tomatoes, you will need:
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Wash the tomatoes and dry them well. You can leave the smaller ones whole and cut larger cherry tomatoes in half.
Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and add the garlic and seasonings.
Toss everything together and spread the tomatoes into a single layer.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst and their juices start to caramelize on the pan.
You can serve roasted cherry tomatoes as a side dish, spoon them over grilled chicken, add them to pasta, put them on toasted bread, or use them as a pizza topping.
I also like adding them to scrambled eggs or an omelet the next morning.
If you have a huge harvest, roast several sheet pans at once. Once cooled, portion them into freezer containers and freeze them to use throughout the winter.
2. Make A Quick Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
When people ask me what to do with cherry tomatoes, making a quick pasta sauce is always near the top of my list.
You don’t need to peel the tomatoes, and there is no complicated process involved.
Because cherry tomatoes are naturally sweet, they make an excellent fresh pasta sauce.
Easy Cherry Tomato Sauce
You will need:
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the tomatoes heat up, they will begin to burst.
Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to gently crush them.
Continue cooking until the sauce reaches the consistency that you prefer. Stir in the fresh basil just before serving.
Toss the sauce with your favorite cooked pasta and add Parmesan cheese on top.
If you want a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to puree it.
For another way to turn a large tomato harvest into sauce, check out my Instant Pot Pizza Sauce Made From Fresh Tomatoes recipe. It is another great option when garden tomatoes are coming in faster than you can eat them.
3. Make Caprese Salad With Cherry Tomatoes
Of course, not everything has to be preserved. Sometimes the best way to use fresh cherry tomatoes is to enjoy them exactly as they are.
Caprese salad is one of my favorite ways to do that.
It is especially good at the end of summer when both the tomatoes and fresh basil are readily available.
Easy Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
For a basic salad you will need:
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Balsamic glaze, optional
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl.
Add the mozzarella and chopped basil.
Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the mixture and gently toss everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving, drizzle a little balsamic glaze over the top.
It makes a great side dish for grilled chicken, burgers, steak or just about any summer meal.
I have an entire recipe dedicated to Easy Caprese Salad With Cherry Tomatoes if you want more detailed instructions, including how to make your own balsamic reduction.
4. Freeze Tomatoes For Later
If you are trying to figure out what to do with cherry tomatoes and simply don’t have time to make another recipe right now, freeze them.
This is probably the easiest option of all.
And yes, you can freeze cherry tomatoes whole.
I wouldn’t plan on thawing them and putting them on a salad because their texture will become soft. However, they are perfect for cooked recipes.
I use frozen cherry tomatoes in soups, sauces, stews and casseroles.
How To Freeze Cherry Tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes and remove the stems.
Then dry them thoroughly.
Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place the pan in the freezer.
Once the tomatoes are frozen solid, transfer them to freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.
Remove as much air as possible, label the container and return it to the freezer.
When you need tomatoes for a cooked recipe, simply grab the amount that you need.
There is no need to thaw them first when adding them to many soups and sauces.
This is a great option when you don’t have enough tomatoes for a large batch of sauce but don’t want them sitting on the counter until they go bad.
During the winter, those little bags of garden tomatoes come in handy.
5. Make Bruschetta
Another easy way to use a lot of cherry tomatoes is to make bruschetta.
Traditional bruschetta is often made with Roma tomatoes because they have less liquid. However, cherry tomatoes work just as well.
The trick is to let the chopped tomatoes drain for a few minutes so your toasted bread doesn’t get soggy.
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
You will need:
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 baguette
Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters and place them in a colander.
Let them drain for approximately 10 minutes.
Then transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and add the garlic, onion, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper and gently toss everything together.
Slice a baguette into ½-inch pieces. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil and toast them in a 400°F oven for approximately 5-7 minutes.
Spoon the cherry tomato mixture over the toasted baguette slices just before serving.
You can also add a little grated Parmesan cheese or a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top.
It is a great appetizer for summer parties, but I have been known to turn it into lunch when there are plenty of tomatoes coming out of the garden.
A Bonus Way To Use Cherry Tomatoes – Panzanella Salad
If you still have tomatoes to use, make Panzanella salad.
This is especially helpful if you also have a loaf of bread that is starting to get a little stale.
Panzanella combines toasted bread cubes with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onion and basil. The tomato juices and dressing soak into the bread just enough to give it great flavor without turning it into mush.
My Easy Panzanella Salad recipe is a great way to use fresh garden produce all in one dish.
What To Do With Cherry Tomatoes Before They Go Bad
No matter which method you choose, don’t wait too long to use your cherry tomatoes.
Keep freshly picked tomatoes at room temperature whenever possible. I like to put them in a shallow bowl or basket rather than piling them into a deep container where the tomatoes on the bottom can get crushed.
Then I go through them every day.
Any tomatoes that are cracked, extra soft or beginning to wrinkle get pulled out first. Those are the ones I use for roasting or sauce.
The firm, beautiful tomatoes stay on the counter for salads, bruschetta and snacking.
And when I realize there is absolutely no way we can eat all of them, into the freezer they go.
That’s one of the nice things about growing cherry tomatoes. Even when the plants produce far more than you expected, there really are plenty of ways to use them.
Roast them, turn them into a quick pasta sauce, make Caprese salad or bruschetta, or simply freeze them for another day. And if your kitchen counter is still covered in cherry tomatoes after doing all of that, consider it a good excuse to make another batch!
Enjoy! Mary
Follow My Facebook Page For Great Recipes! Make Your Meals Facebook Page
To receive our 3 Recipe Articles in your inbox each week, sign up for our free email list located in the middle of each recipe or email me at contact@makeyourmeals.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Pinterest. This article may contain affiliate links where a small commission is paid if you purchase a product at no additional cost to you.