Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Name: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1¼ kg (2⅔ lb) plum or medium tomatoes, halved lengthwise (or crosswise for round ones); 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to store; 5 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 tsp sugar, optional, for pale tomatoes; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 6 sprigs thyme or oregano; black pepper

Halved tomatoes roasted low until sweet, jammy and intensely savory

Makes: about 500 g
Hands-on: 10 min
Total: 3 h 10 min
Level: Easy

Three hours in a low oven turns even ordinary tomatoes into something concentrated, sweet and deeply savory — halfway to sun-dried. Make a tray when tomatoes are cheap and use them on toast, in pasta, with eggs, in salads or stored under oil.

Ingredients

1¼ kgplum or medium tomatoes (2⅔ lb)halved lengthwise (or crosswise for round ones)
4 tbspextra-virgin olive oilplus more to store
5 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)
1 tspsugaroptional, for pale tomatoes
4 clovesgarlicthinly sliced
6 sprigsthyme or oregano
black pepper

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: None of the EU 14
Season: Summer, Autumn

Method

Heat the oven to 140°C (285°F). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
Arrange the tomatoes cut side up, close together in a single layer.
Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt, sugar if using, and pepper. Scatter the garlic and herbs over.
Roast until shrunken by about half, wrinkled at the edges and jammy but still moist in the center, 2½–3 hours. 2 h 45 min
Cool on the pan. Use warm or at room temperature. 15 min

Why it works

Low heat slowly evaporates water, concentrating the tomatoes' sugars, acids and glutamates without burning them. As they dry, Maillard browning at the edges adds savory depth. Cut side up keeps the juices in the cup of each half, where they reduce to a syrup.

Common mistakes

Too high a temperature: the edges burn before the tomatoes dry.
Cut side down: the juices run out and scorch on the pan.
Drying them completely: you want jammy, not leathery.

Variations

Cherry tomatoes: Halve cherry tomatoes and roast 1½–2 hours.

Make ahead and storage

Keep up to 5 days in the fridge, covered with olive oil in a clean jar, and always refrigerated: garlic under oil at room temperature is a botulism risk. Use the flavored oil for dressings. They freeze for 3 months.