Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Preserved in Olive Oil

• servings: 2 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes, (I use heirlooms of all colors)

3/4 cup of the best olive oil you can afford (or enough to cover, divided)

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

6-8 basil leaves (torn)

3 cloves of garlic (smashed with the side of a knife)

½ teaspoon salt

A few cracks of black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Rinse and dry the tomatoes, then spread onto a large baking sheet. Add the thyme, basil and garlic to the pan, then drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss with your hands, making sure everything is coated, especially the garlic and herbs to keep them from getting crispy.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then give a good stir to coat everything. Roast for 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours, stirring a few times throughout, or until tomatoes are blistered and shrunken as shown above. The time can vary depending on how much moisture is in your tomatoes.

Taste one and sprinkle with a little more salt if needed. Remove garlic and herbs, as they can spoil and are not safe for preserving, then add the tomatoes to a sterilized jar (thoroughly washed with soapy hot water).

Cover completely with olive oil and store in the refrigerator for 4ish weeks, just make sure they stay completely submerged in the oil. The olive oil will harden in the refrigerator, which is fine, just let sit out before serving and it will return to liquid. You can also freeze these tomatoes in the oil, and they will last 4 to 6 months!