When you're eating your weight in tomatoes this time of year, it's hard to even fathom the idea that the season will eventually come to a close and you'll only be left with memories of the juicy tomato salads, sandwiches, and pastas you ate. Don't let the fear of an upcoming six months of mealy, grocery-store tomatoes get you down just yet, however. If you take a little time on a lazy summer Saturday to preserve a big bunch of sweet tomatoes now, you'll no doubt be thanking yourself come winter. Churn out jars of homemade tomato sauce and logs of aromatic compound butter and you'll have a taste of summer waiting for you in your pantry throughout the rest of the year.

Unique Ways to Preserve Tomatoes

Some of the best ways to preserve tomatoes are a little less conventional than simply canning them. Something more unique like a creamy compound butter — to be tucked in the freezer and swiped on toast or stirred into risotto — or a Mason jar full of tangy pickles — to be piled onto salads and simply snacked on — is sure to be an item you'll eagerly reach for once the season is over.

Pantry Essentials

That doesn't mean you shouldn't overlook the essentials, however. The most tried-and-true ways to preserve tomatoes are things every pantry should be fully stocked with. Things like tomato sauce, purée, and paste are guaranteed to be used in pastas, soups, and stews all winter long.