Fermented tomatoes take only minutes to make and are a great way to consume more gut healthy probiotics. With only a couple of ingredients you’ll be enjoying fresh summery flavours all year round.
Fermenting veggies – tomatoes, cabbage, garlic, onions, and more – is a great way to preserve fresh summer foods for enjoying in the cooler months. More than that, it’s a simple and fast way to consume more gut healthy probiotics. Probiotics help to heal the lining of our gut, which in turn boosts your immune system and can alleviate uncomfortable digestive issues.
(For other ideas to boost your probiotics, try making bone broth from chicken feet or kefir smoothies!)
All you need to ferment veggies is salt, water, and glass jars. And the process takes only a few minutes to complete.
You might think you need to harvest your own veggies from a backyard garden to get started with fermenting but that’s not the case! My family and I live in a small urban apartment with minimal outdoor space. I buy my veggies from the supermarket and farmer’s market, and just ferment those!
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Ingredients
Unadulterated Salt – such as pink himalayan sea salt
Tomatoes
Filtered Or Distilled Water
For complete measurements, see the printable recipe card below.
Supplies
Glass Mason Jars
Fermenting Weight – anything heavy will work.
Sauce Pan
Spoon
Instructions
Add water and salt to your sauce pan and heat until salt is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Wash your tomatoes.
Pack your glass jar as full as you can without crushing the tomatoes. It’s best to leave the tomatoes whole.
Once the water is cool to the touch, pour it over the tomatoes. You don’t want to pour boiling or very hot water over the tomatoes, so make sure the water has cooled.
Set a fermenting weight on top of the tomatoes. All the tomatoes should be completely submerged in the water and salt mixture (“brine”). It’s important that the tomatoes remain below the brine throughout the entire fermentation process to prevent mould and spoilage. If the brine becomes low, simply top off the water.
Add a loose lid to the top of the jar. Place the jar on a plate or towel to catch any brine that spills over.
How long the fermentation process will take depends on the size of your jar and the temperature in your home. For example, one gallon jar will take about 3-4 weeks, but small jars can be quicker, between 6-8 days.
You will know fermentation is happening when you see bubbles form in the brine, and it becomes foggy. This is completely normal and part of the fermentation process.
After 3-4 weeks, or however long it takes your jar, you can remove the weight and screw the lid on completely. If you’re not consuming them immediately, make sure to move the fermented tomatoes to a cool dark place like the fridge or cellar.
What Are The Benefits Of Fermented Tomatoes?
The fermentation process facilitates the growth of good bacteria (probiotics). Consuming fermented food, such as fermented tomatoes, saurkraut, and kefir, is a great way to get a big dose of probiotics. Probiotics are crucial in healthy the lining of our gut, supporting our immune system, reducing inflammation, and much more.
How To Use Fermented Tomatoes
Pizza or Pasta Sauce – blend the tomatoes and add garlic, onion, and herbs to make a fermented pizza sauce.
Raw – add the tomatoes to salads or as a side dish
In Sandwiches – layer them on bread with cheese for a delicious fermented tomato sandwich.
Expert Tips
Make sure to use unadulterated salt. You want to stay away from iodized salts and instead opt for pink himalayan sea salt or another all natural salt.
Make sure to use glass to ferment your veggies in. Stay away from metal and plastic.
Instead of buying a fermenting weight, you could use a ziploc bag with water, a rock, or something else that’ll hold the tomatoes under the brine.
FAQ
They have a tangy tomato taste. You can add herbs like basil to your jar if you would like to have a more blended flavour. Simply add basil leaves into the jar as you add the tomatoes.
They should last up to 12 months in the fridge.
You will see bubbles begin to form in the saltwater brine and the brine will become cloudy. Once this happens you will know that fermentation has started. You can always open the jar and taste one to see if you like the taste. If it’s becoming too sour, you can remove the weight, tighten the lid, and put into the fridge for consumption.
If you want to munch on them immediately, you can store them in the fridge. Otherwise, it’s best to store them somewhere dark and cooler to slow down further fermentation.
What to read next
Two-Ingredient Simple Garlic Fermented Honey
7 Bee Bread Benefits (With Recipe Ideas)
Healthy Probiotic Lacto-Fermented Onions
10 Simple Lacto-Fermentation Recipes
3 Simple Milk Kefir Smoothie Recipes
Strawberry Kefir Smoothie Recipe
Simple Lacto-Fermented Carrots
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please consider giving it 5 stars. Find me on Instagram @documentingsimpleliving and show me what you’ve made!
Simple Fermented Tomatoes
Fermented tomatoes take only minutes to make and are a great way to consume more gut healthy probiotics. With only a couple of ingredients you’ll be enjoying fresh summery flavours all year round.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Unadulterated Salt – such as pink himalayan sea salt
- Tomatoes - enough to fill a quart jar
- 2 Cups Filtered Or Distilled Water
Instructions
- Add 2 cups water and 4 tablespoons of salt to your sauce pan and heat until salt is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Wash your tomatoes.
- Pack your glass jar as full as you can without destroying the tomatoes. It’s best to leave the tomatoes whole.
- Once the water is cool to the touch, pour it over the tomatoes.
- Set a fermenting weight on top of the tomatoes. All the tomatoes should be completely submerged in the water and salt mixture (“brine”).
- Add a loose lid to the top of the jar. Place the jar on a plate or towel to catch any brine that spills over.
- How long the fermentation process will take depends on the size of your jar and the temperature in your home. For example, one gallon jar will take about 3-4 weeks, but small jars can be quicker, between 6-8 days.
- You will know fermentation is happening when you see bubbles form in the brine, and it becomes foggy. This is completely normal and part of the fermentation process.
- After 3-4 weeks, or however long it takes your jar, you can remove the weight and screw the lid on completely. If you’re not consuming them immediately, make sure to move the fermented tomatoes to a cool dark place like the fridge or cellar.
- Enjoy!
Notes
These tomatoes should last up to 12 months in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 12Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1313mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
I ferment cherry tomatoes grown in garden. They are delicious. I now prick the toms before I put into jar. It prevents pressure building up in the tomato & juice squirting off plate when you cut into them.
That’s a great idea. Pricking them would also be a simple way to prevent them from becoming too squishy while fermenting
Normally the brine, or level of salt used in fermenting is expressed as a percentage of total weight of the item being fermented and any water added. I normally use 3% for peppers and such. Have done lots of peppers and hot sauces.
I think I am going to stick with 3% as my target and give the tomatoes a shot. Thanks for the information!!
They sound like they will be utterly delicious.
That’s a great tip – thank you! Your fermented hot sauces sound delicious
I fermented them in a large jar. I want to move them to smaller jars now. Do I keep them covered in the brine? Or do I add other liquid?
Keep them covered in the brine.