Cherry tomatoes are in season from November to February. Late spring and summer is the best time to buy New Zealand grown Cherry tomatoes. This is when these juicy, sweet fruits are plump and bursting with delicious flavour. It's also when they're at their most affordable and available in a wide range of different varieties.
Buying fresh produce when it’s in season is a great way to save money on groceries. To make the most of your weekly food budget, check out our fresh market update for advice on affordable seasonal food to buy right now.
12 creative ways to cook cherry tomatoes
There are so many ways to enjoy these tiny fruits when in season from the classic Caprese salad to a simple bruschetta topping. You can build an entire dish around a low cost punnet of cherry tomatoes with just a handful of additional pantry staple ingredients. Or elevate them to super star status as the hero ingredient in a splendid summer tomato tart.
If you're looking for creative inspiration, we share our favourite go to cherry tomato recipe ideas below:
- Make a simple Italian Caprese salad with sweet basil leaves and sliced fresh mozzarella
- Roasting cherry tomatoes with olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic cloves until they burst open, releasing all of their sweet juices creates the perfect summer side dish. For a simple light lunch, serve with crusty bread.
- Cherry tomatoes with extra garlic add rich flavour and sweetness to a slow cooked pasta sauce which also makes a delicious topping for bruschetta. Once you've prepared the simple sauce recipe above, blend with creamy ricotta cheese and add to cooked pasta. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
- A classic Middle Eastern dish, Shakshuka is a simple one pan dish combining sweet cherry tomatoes (canned are perfect), red pepper, onions, garlic, cumin, chilli, smoked paprika and eggs poached in the sauce. This cherry tomato recipe creates a nourishing and filling vegetarian dish, which you can add feta cheese or goat cheese to and eat any time of the day.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes to grilled cheese on toast, or top avocado on toast and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pop these bite sized treasures into lunch boxes just as they are with small cubes of cheese
- Add sun dried cherry tomatoes to olives and olive oil to make a tasty tapenade. Wonderful when spread onto bruschetta
- Cherry tomatoes add a refreshing sweetness to homemade tomato salsa. Just grab your nachos and dip in
- A really easy recipe for special occasions is a cherry tomato and feta cheese tart which is beautiful when served with charred asparagus and buttered Jersey bennes.
- Serve lightly roasted vine ripened heirloom tomatoes with grilled chicken or fish pan fried in butter.
- Cherry tomatoes can be halved and tossed into a couscous salad with colourful capsicums, onions and courgettes. Take the leftovers to work for lunch the next day.Cherry tomatoes can be enjoyed two ways on a pizza. Spread your homemade cherry tomato sauce over the pizza base then add cherry tomato halves to the topping with fresh basil and sliced mozzarella
Types of cherry tomatoes
Sweet cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes vs Grape tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes vs Roma plum tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes vs Cocktail tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes vs Heirloom tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes vs regular tomatoes
How to store cherry tomatoes
The best Cherry tomato recipes
Buy canned cherry tomatoes when fresh are out of season
When fresh tomatoes aren’t in season, you can save money and buy canned Italian cherry tomatoes. These deliver all of the flavour you need for rich tomato sauces and wintery stews. The bonus, you don’t have to pay out of season tomato prices. Cherry tomatoes are picked and preserved at the height of the tomato season, when they're at the peak of sweetness. The canning process begins by gently softening the skins so they add instant texture to thicken soups and sauces. Canned cherry tomatoes are a versatile pantry staple with a very long shelf life.
How to preserve cherry tomatoes
If you have a bumper crop of ripe cherry tomatoes don't let them go to waste. You can extend their life by preserving them. Then you can enjoy them throughout the year.
You can freeze cherry tomatoes for up to 6 months
The simplest method of preserving cherry tomatoes is to freeze them whole whilst fresh, which involves batch freezing on trays before placing them in airtight freezer bags. You can also half cherry tomatoes and oven roast with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper before freezing. There’s little nutritional difference between fresh versus frozen vegetables. They can then be cooked straight from frozen in soups and sauces without the need to defrost. An alternative method is to make a rich tomato sauce with the wonderfully fresh flavours of fresh basil, fresh oregano, thyme and garlic. Then portion and freeze in airtight containers for quick midweek family meals.
Make your own sun dried tomatoes
If you have one, you can use a dehydrator to remove the moisture and dry cherry tomatoes. You can also lay them out in the sun to dry if it's really hot.
Have a go at canning cherry tomatoes
Fill a glass jar with tomatoes, top with boiling water and a 1 tsp of bottled lemon juice or citric acid. You can also partially cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes before canning in their own juices. Canned cherry tomatoes are perfect for using later in cooked stews, soups and stews.
Eating well for less
Buying fruit and vegetables when they are in season means you'll always have our fresh guarantee, with food at its tastiest, cheapest, and most nutritious. It’s the perfect way to make your weekly food budget stretch further and to eat well for less. Discover what fruits are in season here. If you’d like to find out what’s fresh at this time of year, visit our Fresh Market Update.