If you have planted a garden in the past, you know tomatoes are often prolific. Before you know it, you have an overabundance of tomatoes. You don’t want to can them. Freezing isn’t such a good idea. And you can only eat so much spaghetti. If you’re looking for unique ways to use extra tomatoes look no further.

How to Use Up Excess Tomatoes

1. Slice them up – Use slices for hamburgers and sandwiches. In the South, people have tomato slices as a side dish. If you’ve never tried that, now would be a perfect time.
2. Make salsa – There are so many different salsa recipes available in cookbooks, magazines and on the internet. Try different recipes with your extra tomatoes. If you’re tired of store-bought salsa, can some for the colder months. An unusual salsa recipe you can enjoy with fresh from the garden tomatoes also has mangos, onion, jalapenos and avocado.
3. Eat them while they’re green – Many Southerners love fried green tomatoes, some people from other areas of the country do, too. Slice the tomatoes, bread them and then fry them up for a tasty treat.
4. Stuff them – Slice the top of the tomato off, scoop out the seeds and fill with your favorite egg, tuna or chicken salad. Not only will this be a great way to avoid having to wash an extra dish, it will look wonderful and you can eat it when you’re finished with the salad.
5. Make tomato soup – Canned soup from the store might be good in a pinch but homemade tomato soup is super! Use your family’s favorite tomato soup recipe and can it for the winter months.
6. Break out the dehydrator – Tomatoes are easy to dehydrate. Cut off any bruises, slice them up, put them on the dehydrator rack and turn it on. Before long you’ll have dried tomatoes which can be used in various recipes throughout the year.
7. Add them to salads – Cut the tomatoes into cubes along with onions and cucumbers. Add a nice vinaigrette dressing and you’ll have a different salad. Of course, you can also cut them up and add them to typical tossed salad, as well.
8. Make homemade ketchup – Ripe tomatoes, garlic, cider vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves make awesome ketchup your family will love.
9. Shish kabob them – The next time you get a nice cut of meat that is the perfect size for a shish kabob, skewer the meat along with tomatoes, red onion, and mushrooms. Brush them with olive oil and grill them.

Give Them Away to Friends and Family

The above are a few of the many unique ways to use extra tomatoes from your garden. If all else fails and you still have too many after trying these ways, give them away to friends, family, local food banks or nursing homes. They’re sure to be appreciated.