Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce (Freezer-Friendly!)
This Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce is incredibly quick and easy to make and is full of that sweet and tangy tomato flavor making it a delicious base for almost any meal!
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Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
I originally posted this recipe back in November of 2015 when I had a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes and needed to use them up in a quick and easy way. This recipe was such a success that I purposefully plant several cherry tomato plants each year so that I can make this delicious sauce.
Several years ago we ended up with a ton of cherry tomatoes. They produced all the way until Thanksgiving, which is highly unusual.
I had a friend give me a bunch of plants of unknown variety that year and they all ended up being cherry tomatoes. There are only so many that you can cut up and add to salads so I knew I had to find something to do with them.
I LOVE this recipe because it’s easy to make, super creamy and freezer-friendly. I put mine through a food mill which is awesome for removing the skins and seeds and I highly recommend doing so if you want a smooth and creamy sauce.
Want more recipes using fresh garden produce? Here are some of my favorites:
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Old-Fashioned Zucchini Fritters
Blender Salsa {Restaurant Style}
Basil Walnut Pesto
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How to Make Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove stems and wash tomatoes.
Place tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan.
Drizzle tomatoes with oil and all seasoning except oregano.
Bake for 45 minutes or until skins are wrinkly.
Let cool and then blend in food processor until creamy.
Run sauce through food mill. (This step in extremely important for a seed and skin free sauce.)
Add oregano and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Use it immediately, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze it for later use.
Different Freezing Methods:
DISCLAIMER: I freeze this sauce in mason jars or these freezer containers. If you would like to try canning tomatoes please visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation for current USDA approved recipes and safety guidelines. This recipe is not approved for canning. Please be safe.
Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce (Freezer-Friendly!)
Ingredients
- 5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Remove stems and wash tomatoes.
- Place tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Drizzle tomatoes with oil and all seasoning except oregano.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until skins are wrinkly.
- Let cool and then blend in food processor until creamy.
- Run sauce through food mill. (This step is extremely important for a skin and seed free sauce.)
- Add oregano and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.
- Use it immediately, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze it for later use.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you add the extra oil and water/juice that it makes while baking when processing it or just the tomatoes them selfes? I have never attempted any sorts sauce this is my first attempt so sorry if this is a silly question.
I just scoop up the tomatoes and leave the juice in the pan. You don’t want your sauce to be too watery. And just to clarify, this recipe is for the freezing, not for canning.
How many jars (what size jars) does this recipe yield?
This recipe should yield around 3 pints, but you can adjust it to make more.
If you heat the sauce after preparing, could you then can it?
If I was canning this recipe I would leave out the oil completely, then boil the sauce for 10 minutes after you put it through the food mill and add 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice per pint (2 tbsp per quart) before canning.
How long can this keep in the freezer?
I keep it up to a year in the deep freeze and 6 months or so in a regular freezer.
Can I put this directly into mason jars then cool and set in freezer?
Yes, I try to let it cool as much as possible before putting it into jars. Wide mouth jars are freezer-friendly, but regular mouth run the risk of breaking if you don’t leave enough headspace.
Did you seal the can before placing it in the freezer?
No, I just screwed the lids on.
Save your jars-this sauce freezes beautifully in freezer bags.they take up less room and are way easier to defrost
Can I cook down peppers and onions with the tomatoes to add to the sauce
Here is a similar recipe that might be what your looking for. http://sherellechristensen.typepad.com/my_weblog/2015/07/fresh-roasted-summer-garden-pasta-sauce.html
This looks good, and adaptable to freezing in a ziploc bag. I have 4 lbs of cherry tomatoes that I need to deal with. Thanks!
I don’t have a food mill, what else can be used?
A fine mesh strainer might work, but a food mill would be better.
Can I leave it chunky? Has anyone tried that? Sounds like it would be good to saute with some chicken…
Whatever you prefer. I like a smooth and creamy sauce without the texture.
I don’t have a food mill, can I strain it instead? To be honest, I don’t need ANOTHER contraption in my cupboard. But If i HAVE TO, GUESS I WILL!
Thank you!
You could try straining it, although it would need to be a fine mesh strainer and I’m not sure how well it would work. I understand not wanting to add another gadget in the kitchen, but if you make a lot of homemade tomato sauce, applesauce or jams, then the food mill is a MUST in my opinion.
Great idea and will try it this year with our abundance. We’re no experts, but did enough research to find out that the skin and seeds hold more nutrition than just the meat itself. We felt comfortable enough, not to compost the 2-4 cups of skin & seeds per batch and for last 4 years we have been pulivering the skins & seeds in a “smoothie maker” then adding it back into the sauce, blending before we freeze in foodsaver bags to freeze. The skins deepen the color and flavor of all our organic tomatoes.
What a great idea. I took the “pulp” and smeared on chicken thighs. Then grilled chicken.
I have made this tonight because I needed to make use of a ton of cherry tomatoes. Do you have any favourite recipes you use this with? Thanks!
I use it in place of tomato sauce it any recipe.
Made this and served over meatloaf meatballs and smashed mashed potatoes and it is delicious. So easy and what a terrific eat to use your overproducing cherry tomatoe plants. Can only imagine how good it is over pasta! Thank you…
hi if I dont have a food mill, will the sauce still work according to recipe but skip the food mill part or do I need to adjust? thanks
I would at least try to use a fine mesh strainer to get as many of the seeds and skins out as possible.
I turned out really good but mine made only 1 pint
Same with me! I only got 3 cups! I’m not sure what I did wrong. But it tastes really good.
This is the easiest way I have ever put up tomatoes!! The sauce is rich & full of flavor! Thanks for the idea! A
I love this recipe and have made it twice now. Thanks so much!
Thank you for the awesome recipe.
I had so many cherry tomatoes from my 2 plants I didn’t know what to do with them, til I found your recipe. Turned out perfect. I got 3 pints, 2 of which I froze and I will use the 3rd one for my pasta dish tonight.
You’re welcome! I use it every summer.
I used my Vitamix instead of a food mill. (don’t have one) and was so pleased with the results! Used variable speed up to the highest and then switched to high for about 5 minutes, so smooth! Yielded about 7 cups which I divided between two Ziploc bags and froze. (I added all the juice/oil from the pan also.)
Mmm, yum yum. This reminds me of tomato choka.
I do this with all my extra cherry and regular tomatoes.sometimes i add whatever peppers I have on hand ,onions and garlic.its always delicious.at first I used canning jars to freeze in but I have found it much easier and takes less freezer space to use freezer bags- also quicker to defrost.
To those of you who do not have a food mill spend the 20 bucks to get one it is worth every penny because this recipe is worth it.do not pour off the juice from this it will not thin out your sauce
The best umami flavor of tomatoes is in the seeds and in the slimy liquid covering, around the seeds. Your sauce will taste so delicious if you just leave the seeds in. Just don’t cook at too high a temperature if you want a healthier product because if you keep temp lower the minuscule amount of oil won’t be harmed. See Cook’s Illustrated, etc., and Nutritionfacts.org.
is it possible to use frozen cherry tomatoes thawed out? not all of mine are red at the same time.
Yes, I think it would be fine to freeze them first, however I haven’t tried it. I know lots of people freeze the larger ones, so I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze the small ones.
thanks, ill try it out. they wont be frozen for long just enough to get the others ripe!
What exactly do you use the sauce for?
Anything you use tomato sauce for, soups, chili, casseroles, etc.
I’m getting ready to make this and I accidentally added all the ingredients before cooking, not omitting the oregano. Will that cause a problem?? Thanks!
It will probably be fine, the only thing is the herbs could start to burn.
I really enjoyed how this came out! I didn’t have as many tomatoes. It was fairly quick and easy to make. To keep it in small portions, I put the sauce in an ice cube tray, let it freeze, and then put the cubes in a ziploc bag. This made it efficient for adding to recipes especially considering I mainly cook just for myself. It was great even with the seeds and oil left in. Also, roasting a spaghetti squash on the same pan at the same time was perfect!
Used five cups of cherry tomatoes and only ended up with 200grms of sauce.
Beautiful tasting sauce but not the pints stated
This is the best recipe for tomato sauce I have ever used. I found it last year and I am just waiting for my crop of tomatoes to come in this season to start filling up my freezer with the purest tasting sauce I’ve ever had.
Used 5 cups of cherry tomatoes. Only yielded 2 cups of sauce what did I do wrong?