Tomato Confit

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/1/23
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Tomato confit

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 4 cups

Confit comes from the French term "to preserve", and tomatoes are the perfect vegetable to store in your refrigerator after the days of summer are gone. They are cooked low and slow in (quite a lot) of olive oil, which preserves their texture and shape. This process also brings out their beautiful sweetness and infuses them with some amazing garlic and thyme flavor. 

While roasting will drastically change the flavor and texture of the tomatoes, cooking in oil will produce a nice plump and juicy tomato that's perfect for spreading onto crusty bread. You can also toss with freshly cooked pasta for a no-fuss sauce. Tomato confit is great as a topping for roasted fish, grilled chicken, or alongside sliced mozzarella for a twist on your favorite Caprese salad.

The tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a month so you can enjoy this confit long after your harvest. Or you can make a large batch and give them as gifts for the holidays. Just make sure to refrigerate them.

"The kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful and because of this I was starving by the time cooking was done. I put some in everything from wraps, to salads, soups, and pasta. Worth the extended cooking time." —Diana Andrews

Tomato Confit/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or brown sugar

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, about 3 cups

  • 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

  • 5 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 250 F.

    Ingredients to make tomato confit

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar.

    A small bowl with oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Leave the vines on the tomatoes if you wish, or you can remove them. Add the the tomatoes, garlic, and thyme to a 2 3/4 (9 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 3-inch) baking dish. Pour the oil mixture over the tomatoes.

    A baking dish with tomatoes, garlic, and thyme, with the vinegar mixture drizzled on top

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Bake, uncovered, until the tomatoes have wrinkled and softened, but have not totally burst, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

    Baked confit tomatoes in a baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Let cool to room temperature, and serve.

    Tomato confit served with crusty bread

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Recipe Tips

  • Grill some bread, slather it with some ricotta or mascarpone cheese and then top with some of the confit. 
  • Toss some of the tomatoes and olive oil with freshly cooked pasta. Sprinkle with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Pecorino Romano also works well. 
  • Use the tomatoes as a condiment for grilled chicken or fish. 
  • Add the tomatoes to a fresh arugula salad, or alongside freshly sliced mozzarella, and then top with chopped fresh herbs. 
  • Try using an infused olive oil (such as lemon or garlic) for even more flavor. 
  • If you have leftover olive oil you can also store it in the refrigerator and use it for cooking or in salads.

How to Store

Once the tomatoes are cool, you can place them into jars and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
248 Calories
27g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 399mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 74mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)