How to give your bland winter tomatoes a flavour boost

They are expensive, and once sliced, they can be a bitter disappointment. Out-of-season tomatoes are watery, have little flavour, and their texture resembles cardboard more than healthy and delicious vegetables. It's easy to say just don’t buy them, but following that thought, one might give up many vegetables. Instead of lamenting over a bland sandwich with cheese and tomato, silently cursing for overspending, prepare a rescue marinade.

Marinating or brining are simple ways to add more flavour to tomatoes. These methods allow you to incorporate your favourite spices, highlighting the natural taste of tomatoes and bringing out the best in them.

Ingredients:

• 450 grams of cherry tomatoes,
• 1 onion,
• 100 millilitres of oil,
• 1 tablespoon of honey,
• 1 teaspoon of salt,
• half a teaspoon of pepper,
• half a teaspoon of dried basil,
• 1 teaspoon of tomato paste.

Preparation method:            

1. Pierce each tomato with a toothpick to better absorb the marinade flavours.
2. Finely chop a small onion and place it with the tomatoes in a jar.
3. Combine oil, honey, salt, pepper, basil, and tomato paste in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour the prepared marinade over the tomatoes. Seal and gently shake the jar to ensure the marinade coats the vegetables well.

Store the jar in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. The longer you marinate the tomatoes, the more intense their flavour will be. They make a great addition to salads, sandwiches, main dishes, or as a standalone snack.

Besides the marinade, a simple brine will also enhance tomatoes' flavour on sandwiches or salads.

Ingredients:                    

• 450 grams of cherry tomatoes,
• 1 medium onion,
• 2-3 stalks of celery,
• 480 millilitres of water,
• 1 tablespoon of salt,
• a few peppercorns,
• 1 bay leaf.

Preparation method:                

1. Boil the water with salt, then allow it to cool.
2. Chop the onion into slices and dice the celery stalks.
3. Pierce each cherry tomato with a toothpick to better absorb the flavours.
4. Place tomatoes, onion, celery, peppercorns, and bay leaf at the bottom of a sterilised jar.
5. Pour the prepared, cooled brine over everything.

Seal the jar and set it aside for at least half an hour. The longer the tomatoes marinate, the more intense their flavour will be. They taste best after a few hours in the fridge.

If you want to give your tomatoes a new life, try our brine and marinade recipes. Thanks to these, even winter tomatoes will become a true treat for the palate.