Linda McElroy

Linda emphasizes that while the peeling process might seem “slightly obnoxious,” it is unequivocally “worth it!” She highlights a crucial benefit: unlike roasted tomatoes with skins, which can squirt hot juices, the peeled confit tomatoes “melt in your mouth” without such risk. Linda also offers a clever tip for speeding up the peeling: instead of scoring an “X,” try making just one slit at the bottom of each tomato. She believes this might allow the skin to come off in two larger pieces, making the process faster. For cooling, she found cold tap water sufficient instead of an ice bath. Her serving suggestions included spooning the confit over avocado toast for a “divine” lunch and using it to slow-roast salmon, calling it a “better way to enliven previously frozen salmon in winter.” She strongly recommends including one of the optional herbs, noting that fresh thyme was “lovely.”

Melissa Maedgen

Melissa reflected on the recipe with mixed feelings: delight in its deliciousness, even with supermarket tomatoes, but also acknowledging the “royal pain” of blanching and peeling. However, she asserts that this step is “not one you can skip,” as the reward is “a jar full of perfectly seasoned, tender orbs of tomato goodness.” She used both basil and thyme, noting both flavors, along with garlic, came through beautifully. Melissa suggests trying different herbs like fresh oregano or marjoram for variations. She also advises optimizing pan size to potentially use less olive oil, as 2 cups were more than enough for her 8×11-inch dish. The cooking time and temperature yielded tomatoes that were intensely flavored yet held their shape perfectly. Melissa enjoyed the confit over cheese and crackers, and spooned it onto her breakfast grits, calling it “scrumptious.” She also highlights the dual benefit of the recipe, praising the flavorful oil for use on bruschetta or sautéing vegetables. She looks forward to revisiting the recipe with perfectly ripe Sun Golds in the future.

Mackenzie Campbell

Mackenzie categorizes this recipe as “simple but sounds impressive,” appreciating its ease, versatility, and long shelf life in the fridge. She particularly values its ability to make “off-season tomatoes taste delicious,” calling it a “creative method of brightening up the sometimes depressing selection in the produce section in the dead of winter.” While acknowledging the blanching and skinning step, she states it’s “not much” effort, and the rest is hands-off. Mackenzie noted some ambiguity regarding the “doneness” of the tomatoes, sticking to the 30-minute time. Despite the long cooling time, she found the result “luscious and decadent” with “great tomato flavor.” She added both thyme and basil but suggests omitting them for a more versatile flavor profile. Her endless serving ideas include adding them to a sauté, on pizza dough, toast, or pasta, praising how the technique concentrates the flavor of store-bought cherry tomatoes.

Trista Smith

Trista felt like a “very cool, chef-type person” while making the confit, even though she faced a small challenge with pan size. She opted for a single layer of tomatoes, which meant some were not fully submerged, causing them to “sort of melted” at the exposed points. This highlights the importance of using a dish that allows full submersion for optimal results. She also stressed the need for “good equipment,” particularly a sharp knife for scoring, as a dull knife led to cutting deeper into the tomatoes. Despite these minor setbacks, Trista loved the “end result (looks aside),” enjoying the confit on cod fillets, smashed onto toast with cottage cheese, in a BLT, and even “straight off a spoon.” She found the labor “fun” and “not needing to concentrate too hard,” likening the peeled tomatoes to “grape eyeballs in the haunted houses of my youth – pure joy!”

Elsa M. Jacobson

Elsa chose to skip the basil and used fresh thyme sprigs, achieving a “nice hit at the holiday table” with these “luscious little tomatoes.” Unsure how to specifically serve them, she simply placed them with the cheese tray, which proved to be a hit. The tomatoes were “a cheerful red color and a nice bite-size treat,” disappearing quickly. Crucially, “no one wanted to part with the oil,” which she found “flavorful and delicious as a dip for crusty bread on subsequent evenings.” Elsa strongly recommends this recipe for “winter tomatoes,” as it “really perked up some okay tomatoes.” She looks forward to trying the optional basil for a different flavor profile and visual appeal.

Anya L.

Anya found the cherry tomato confit “very easy to make with the directions in the recipe” and appreciated that the “whole process looked beautiful at every step—especially the end result.” She successfully incorporated the confit into various meals, using it with “lamb dishes, chicken, and vegetables,” showcasing its broad culinary application.