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If you’re a backyard gardener, then you probably have tomatoes coming out of your ears right now! It’s the height of summer, which especially in the South, means tomato season. Even if you’re not growing them yourself, roadside stands abound this time of year, so you can almost always find a place to get fresh tomatoes. And once you have them, there are lots of options as to what to do with them. Here are 10 of my favorite ways to use fresh tomatoes, from just slicing them and adding some seasoning to using them to make other delicious recipes!
10 Ways to Use Fresh Tomatoes
Slice them with salt and pepper
The easiest way to eat a fresh tomato is to take out the core, then cut it into slices. Top with salt and pepper. My husband grew up with this as a side dish at almost every meal in the summer, and we do it as much as we can now.
Make salsa or pico de gallo
Fresh tomato salsa is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You can add heat or other flavors to make it as unique as you want. Use my pico de gallo recipe or make your own. (Note: If you don’t like chunkier pico de gallo, just throw that recipe in the food processor and it is basically salsa!)
Roast them
I actually don’t love fresh tomatoes myself, but I love eating them roasted. These are perfect as an accompaniment for meat or as a side all by themselves.
Make sun dried tomatoes
Sun dried tomatoes are a perfect addition to salads or pasta dishes. These are not dried in the sun but in your oven, and the taste is out of this world!
Pickle them
Until I started pickling other vegetables, I had never heard of pickled tomatoes, but now I’m really curious. I am definitely planning to try this next summer!
Make tomato soup
You’ll have to do a bit of work to turn your fresh tomatoes into crushed tomatoes, but once you do, you can make my slow cooker tomato soup!
Make tomato pie
If you’ve lived in the South and have never had tomato pie, you’re missing out. It’s got cheese, bacon, and fresh tomatoes, plus a delicious pie crust. It’s a perfect main dish for a light dinner or a great side dish at a potluck.
Can the sauce
Canning is an area I haven’t ventured into yet, but if you’re willing to try it, you can enjoy fresh, canned tomato sauce year round.
Make fried green tomatoes
It’s hard to get green tomatoes at the store, but if you have a garden, pick several before they have ripened and make fried green tomatoes. Even people who don’t like tomatoes like these—who doesn’t love anything fried!?
Freeze them whole
If you don’t have a solid plan yet but your tomatoes are becoming overripe, you can always freeze them whole. Then you can use them for salsa or other things at a later date!
What’s your favorite way to use fresh tomatoes? Let us know in the comments!
