The $3.99 Trader Joe’s Summer Staple I Can’t Live Without

The dog days of summer are coming, and with them, peak tomato season. One of the best ways to preserve tomatoes’ juicy flavor is a genius slow-roasting trick that’s been circulating for years. Combining tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, then slow-roasting them intensifies their sweet, savory flavor. Once roasted, the versatile staple can be kept for weeks in the fridge and added to everything from salads to pizza. 

I love slow-roasted tomatoes, but the process ties up my oven for hours and heats up the kitchen (or whole house) during the hottest time of the year. That’s why when I saw jars of slow-roasted tomatoes at Trader Joe’s, I made a beeline for them. Finally, someone else did the work so I could have juicy, umami-packed roasted tomatoes anytime of year! 

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Slow-Roasted Tomatoes 

Get the idea of chewy, pruny sun-dried tomatoes out of your mind. Trader Joe’s Slow Roasted Tomatoes have a juicier, plumper texture than sundried tomatoes. They also taste like a burst of homegrown tomatoes, only sweeter and richer with a savory note that fills my palate with mouthwatering umami. 

According to their website, they’re slow-roasted for eight hours with sunflower oil, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. The garlic and oregano add a sunny Mediterranean flavor that nicely balances out the sweetness of the tomato flesh. And at $3.99 for an 8.5-ounce jar, they’re giving big gourmet energy without the price tag. 

How To Use Trader Joe’s Slow-Roasted Tomatoes 

Now that I’ve found them, I have a jar of these ruby red beauties in the fridge at all times because they’re such a good culinary team player. Because their texture straddles the line between fresh and sun-dried, they can be used in so many ways, from pasta salad to pizza to dips—basically anywhere you’d put a fresh or dried tomato, this product will be right at home. 

My favorite and simplest use is to chop them and mound them over fresh chevre with some of the oil in the jar. Served with fancy crackers, they’re an instant grazing board star. 

Since that first foray, I’ve gotten more creative, dropping the little umami bombs on frozen pizzas, a savory Dutch baby, summery Caprese corn salad, and folding them into a chunky guacamole served with garlic breadsticks for a Mexican-Italian appetizer mashup, all with delicious results.

This week, I’m going to add my new pantry favorite to melting zucchini for a veggie-based meal, because if there’s ever been a happier summer pairing than zucchini and intense slow-roasted tomatoes, I have yet to find it.  

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