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Cherry tomatoes

Also called grape tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes have more skin and less loose pulp than large tomatoes, which is why they travel well and roast without collapsing immediately.

94.5 g water 4 recipes here use it

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Red and yellow cherry tomatoes with one split open in a bowl
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The numbers

Nutrition per 100 g, raw; tomato reference
NutrientAmount% RI
Calories 18 kcal —
Water 94.5 g —
Carbs 3.9 g —
Fibre 1.2 g 5%
Protein 0.9 g 2%
Vitamin C 13.7 mg 17%

Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 170457 (raw red tomato reference; variety and pack size vary) · FDC ID 170457 · % RI against EU adult reference intakes.

Buying and keeping

What to look for at the shop, and how to make it last once it is home.

How to pick

  • Look for taut, shiny skin and green stems that have not dried into brittle wire.
  • Pick a box with fruit of similar firmness. One leaking tomato will soften its neighbours quickly.
  • Choose mixed colours for a salad only when each tomato smells fresh; colour alone is not sweetness.
  • For roasting, slightly firm tomatoes are easier to keep whole on the tray.

How to store

  • Keep cherry tomatoes in a shallow bowl on the counter, not sealed in a damp plastic bag.
  • Remove any split fruit as soon as you see it. One leaking tomato can make the rest mouldy.
  • Wash only what you are about to eat, then dry well. Water sitting around the stem encourages spoilage.
  • Roast a box that is getting soft and refrigerate the cooked tomatoes for up to four days.

Best months

If you have none

Swaps that hold up, with what changes when you use them.

For a salad Use firm plum tomatoes cut into small wedges. They give more flesh but less of the sweet pop.
For a traybake Use halved regular tomatoes, cut side up, and add them for the final ten minutes so they do not flood the tray.
For a cooked sauce Use tinned tomatoes or passata. Cherry tomatoes bring sweetness, not the concentrated body of a sauce tomato.

Small does not mean interchangeable

Cherry tomatoes are built for different jobs from large slicing tomatoes. Their skin holds a higher share of the fruit together, the seed chambers are smaller, and the pieces keep their shape after being halved. That makes them useful in lunch boxes and on a roasting tray where a large tomato might slump into a puddle.

They are not all sweet. Greenhouse fruit picked early can be firm and sharp, while a ripe vine cherry tomato may taste almost jammy. Taste one before dressing a whole salad. If it is bland, salt will expose the problem rather than hide it. Add lemon, herbs or a hot pan instead.

Hands drying washed cherry tomatoes on a clean tea towel
Dry fruit keeps longer and browns better in the oven.

The best way to roast them

Dry them first, toss with oil and salt, then give them room on a metal tray. At 220°C, halved cherry tomatoes soften and colour in about twenty minutes. Whole ones take longer and may split, which is useful when you want bursts of juice over fish or beans. If the tray is crowded, they steam. A little space around each piece is what gives the skin a browned edge.

Do not add delicate herbs at the beginning. Basil goes dark and parsley dries out. Roast the tomatoes with garlic, oregano or chilli, then finish with soft herbs after the heat is off. The difference is small but visible in the bowl.

Storing a punnet that is already soft

Do not put a damp punnet straight into the fridge. Pick out split fruit, dry the rest and roast them the same day. Once cooked, they are more forgiving. Keep them in a covered container with their oil and use them on toast, folded through grains or spooned over a sheet-pan salmon dinner.

For raw storage, the counter is usually better. A sealed container traps condensation, and condensation is what turns a firm cherry tomato into a soft one. A shallow bowl lets air move around the fruit. Stem side up or down matters less than keeping the tomatoes dry and not piling a heavy layer on top.

A useful shortcut for packed food

Cherry tomatoes are good in a packed lunch because they can be kept whole until you eat. If you halve them early, their cut surfaces leak into bread and salad leaves. Add them whole to a container, or keep the halves beside the dressing rather than underneath it. The same rule applies to a zucchini ribbon salad: toss at the last possible moment.

Questions

Do cherry tomatoes need to be refrigerated?
Whole, firm cherry tomatoes keep better at room temperature in a shallow dry bowl. Refrigerate them once cut or once they are very ripe.
Should I wash cherry tomatoes before storing them?
It is better to wash and dry only what you need. Water left around the stem speeds spoilage.
Why do cherry tomatoes split in the oven?
Steam builds inside the skin. Splitting is normal for whole tomatoes; halve them first if you want controlled roasting and browned cut edges.
Can I use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes?
Yes in salads, traybakes and short sauces. Expect firmer skins, sweeter pieces and less loose juice.
Can I freeze cherry tomatoes?
Yes, but thawing makes them soft. Freeze them for sauces, soups and roasting rather than for a fresh salad.

Recipes using cherry tomatoes

4 on the site so far.

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Guides about cherry tomatoes

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