What to do with overripe tomatoes

There’s nothing worse than biting down into a squishy, overripe tomato in your salad. But although they’re not great for eating raw, tomatoes that have gone a little beyond their ideal deadline are still packed with flavour, health benefits and juicy goodness. In fact, the underrated overripe tomato tends to be even sweeter and juicier than its unripe counterpart.

So, what should we do with our overripe tomatoes? Over in Spain, we could put those squishy red fruits to use at the La Tomatina festival – where thousands of people throw overripe tomatoes at each other in a battle of bright colour and cultural significance. But we’re not in Spain (even if we wish we were), so we put the NEFF team to work and came up with our favourite 5 ways to repurpose overripe tomatoes so that they don’t go to waste:

1. Make a tomato vinaigrette

Spruce up your salads with this juicy, tangy and simply delicious dressing. All you have to do is press and strain your overripe tomatoes to collect the juice, then add equal parts olive oil. A dash of balsamic, a few pinches of salt, pepper and any other herbs and seasonings won’t go unwanted either. Whisk, drizzle and enjoy!

2. Tuck into a roasted tomato soup

This rich, sweet and irresistibly smooth tomato soup can be served hot or cold. Simply roast your overripe tomatoes on a baking tray with chopped onions, olive oil, salt and pepper before blending with a delicious vegetable stock and any other herbs to taste.

3. Experiment with jams and relishes

Summer calls for simmering jams and picture-perfect pots of relish for the brunch and lunch tables. Put your overripe tomatoes to good use with our tomato relish recipe or experiment with tomato chilli jams and other sauces. You could even host a passata making day and make nonna proud with the perfect pasta sauce.

4. Bake it up

It has been said that everything tastes better when it’s in a pie. In that case, why not whip up a delectable tomato tarte tatin – sure to bring out the best of your sweet, juicy overripe fruits.

5. Freeze them

If all else fails, frozen tomatoes last up to 6 months in the freezer. Save your squishier varieties for a rainy day ahead when you have time to experiment. When you’re ready, simply set the thawed tomatoes on to boil and get started with your favourite recipe above.