Too many cherry tomatoes?

I love planting a few cherry tomatoes each year. They come in a bit sooner than the larger varieties, are easy to pop into salads and sauces and for some folks, they provide a tasty snack while working in the garden. The only problem with growing cherry tomatoes is that a couple of plants can overwhelm a family with too much ripe fruit at once. 

One of my favorite canning books (pictured below) has a recipe that works great for cherry tomatoes. It actually calls for plum tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes work just fine. The recipe is labeled as “Bruschetta in Jar”. I might be corny, but I think the name is part of the charm and it’s fun to say! The liquid comes together quickly, is made up mostly of things you are likely to have on hand and it’s a quick processing time of 20 minutes in a water bath canner. 

Don’t let the name limit you!  “Bruschetta in a Jar” implies you only serve the contents on bread, but feel free to use your imagination. Use it to make a winter caprese salad by adding some olive oil, fresh basil, mozzarella with salt and pepper to taste. It also makes a great topping for fish, chicken, pork or even a salad when tossed with a little olive oil. Why not add it to a charcuterie board too? It’s one more way to revisit the flavors of summer.

These half pint jars filled with goodness make great hostess or holiday gifts. If you want to add some pizzazz to the presentation, use a small bowl to trace a circle on the back of a piece of cotton material. Use pinking shears to cut the circle of fabric. Center the fabric over the lid and screw the top of the jar over the fabric exposing equal amounts on each side. If you are feeling super adventurous, you can buy sheets of various shaped printable tags at an office supply store to include a note. The tags I’ve used having holes so you can thread twine or ribbon through them to tie them onto the neck of your jar. Here is a link to an example that I’ve used in the past: https://www.avery.com/products/tags/80512. It’s always a good idea to include the year and suggestions for uses on the label when giving it as a gift. If your friends know what to do with it, they are more likely to enjoy the spoils of your labor. 

Hoping this helps provide a tried and true idea for your excess harvest.  Happy canning!