Have you tried cooking black cherry tomatoes confit? And have you tried cooking them in an air fryer? You must do it! They are so delicious 😋😋😋
All summer long, among the varieties of tomatoes that Grandma Vanda planted in her new garden, a single plant of black cherry tomatoes captured all our attention. It was one of the topics of the summer! Maybe because it produced a lot of tomatoes – unlike, for example, the San Marzano, which unfortunately produced little and even got diseased – but also because these small and black tomatoes received conflicting feedback in the family.
Some snubbed them for their color (Grandpa Riccardo thinks they’re weird, but what kind of color is black for tomatoes??) and others judged them as having “hard skin.” I, on the other hand, literally fell in love with them and declared them the “Vegetable of the Summer.” Simply because they are super good (both raw and cooked)!
It’s true, it must be said, that compared to other cherry tomatoes – especially if from a greenhouse rather than home garden origin – they have slightly thicker skin (nothing major, anyway), but raw, they are excellent because they have an excellent taste, an intense, full-bodied flavor, not watery at all as they are small and have little liquid inside. All summer, I’ve been adding them to our mixed salads, used them alone for simple salads of tomatoes and corn or with red onion, or as a topping for friselle (a unique delight, take my word!).
But when cooked, they give their best, and in an air fryer they are superb.
The black cherry tomatoes confit in the air fryer are excellent as a simple side dish, eaten alone, one after another like cherries. But they are also excellent as a condiment, and not just for pasta, they can be paired with everything from couscous to rice, from meat to fish, not to mention cheeses (try them with quartirolo!).
I hope autumn (hey, you wouldn’t say, but it starts tomorrow!) stays away a little longer so we can harvest our black cherry tomatoes as long as possible! 😃🙆♀️
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👇 My other recipes with black cherry tomatoes: 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 24 black cherry tomatoes (approximate amount as it depends on the size of the tomatoes)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
- mint
- oregano
- thyme
Tools
- Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Paper
Steps
Here are our black cherry tomatoes, some tiny, others large. Looks like a plate of cherries, doesn’t it? 😀
A beautiful thing about these black cherry tomatoes is that when you remove the stem, it reveals this beautiful little flower, 🤩 red when the tomato is ripe (and ripe is when it’s at its best), pink when less ripe, and green when unripe.
Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
When they are ripe, the inside is a beautiful deep red.
Place a sheet of parchment paper specific for an air fryer in the basket (some call it a paper basket).
Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes face up on the paper.
The number of cherry tomatoes you can cook depends on the size of the air fryer. Mine is small (it’s a 2.5-liter) and by packing them in as much as possible, I managed to fit 24 cherry tomatoes.
Season the cherry tomatoes with chopped garlic, aromatic herbs (I used thyme, oregano, and mint), and a drizzle of oil.
Finish with a sprinkle of brown sugar (just a little is needed).
Close the basket and turn on the air fryer: set it to 390°F (200°C) and 12 minutes.
👉 The first 2 minutes are for reaching the temperature, 10 minutes are enough for cooking. In any case, I recommend opening the basket halfway through to check and possibly decide whether to vary the time or temperature. With my air fryer, the 10 minutes at 390°F (200°C) turned out to be perfect.
Use the black cherry tomatoes confit as an ingredient for other preparations or simply as a side dish; they are really excellent.
The ones you see in the photo, exactly these, will be found in the next recipe! (Spoiler: I used them to season pasta! 😉😋😊)
Salt-Free Tips
The sugar used in this recipe is minimal so it does not contrast with the lack of salt, as black cherry tomatoes are a variety of tomato with a more intense flavor. Garlic and aromatic herbs, as always, add flavor instead of salt. 😉
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate must gradually get used to it and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a cheat day. It’s good for your mood and helps with perseverance.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, on Pinterest, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
