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These instructions are for economical dehydration of plum tomatoes done in your own oven and perfect for when you have an abundance of tomatoes and it's summertime!
Why Use Sundried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are made by placing tomatoes to dehydrate in the sun, a dehydrator, or an oven. When they're dried, tomatoes shrink up, losing 90% of their weight from the loss of their water content.
We use our sundried tomatoes that have a consistency of chewiness several different ways in the notes, remember a little goes a long way they are much more potent, tangy in flavor and sweet!
Use a little in salads and in a pasta recipe, these instructions are done in an oven and you can simple jar them or freeze them later to use always use plum tomatoes.
How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- Fresh Plum Tomatoes washed and cut in halves
Instructions
- First, wash them.
- Fill your sink with warm soapy water and wash tomatoes thoroughly. (You want them nice and clean because the skins are staying on).
- Cut plum Rosa tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them skin side down on a cooling rack with a baking sheet lined with parchment paper underneath it to catch drippings.
- Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked pepper.
- Set oven to 140 to 170 degrees and place tomatoes on a cooling rack.
- Bake for 8-18 hours, depending on whether you remove the seeds or not.
- Removing the seeds makes dehydration much faster.
- .Store in a freezer container or glass jar if using up within 3 months or with an airtight lid adding more olive oil to the jar to covering the tomatoes.
- Sundried tomatoes can also be store frozen for up to one year in freezer containers or bags.
Notes:
Ideas to use tomatoes
Serve leftover grilled tomatoes and make a crostini or use your favorite bread toasted brushing with olive oil, add some shreds of fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella for a quick appetizer.
Top your favorite sandwiches with a thick slice of tomato, grilled burgers, and any kind of grilled white fish like Mahi Mahi, Tilapia or Haddock!.
Slice tomatoes thick and top with kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and a warm, crunchy baguette to soak up the extra olive oil.
Slice tomatoes for a BLT on sourdough toast using extra-thick bacon, fried crispy with arugula and cayenne added to your mayo.
Make tomato salsa using chopped onions, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeños, kosher salt, limes, and olive oil. You can add black beans and some roasted leftover corn is an awesome addition!
Make a tomato and grilled mozzarella cheese on thick-crusted bread adding some fresh basil. Drizzle a little olive oil in the pan while grilling it for extra flavor.
Toss tomatoes with white navy beans in a salad with sliced celery, cucumbers, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, fresh chopped parsley, oregano, basil, and fresh lemon juice. Canned tuna is a great addition to this in our Italian household.
Grilling tomatoes are another delicious way to bring out the best flavors in this amazing vegetable/fruit.
Cut the tomato in half, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and grill for at least five to six minutes face down until grill marks can be seen. Only grill one side.
These are all great tips. I didn't realize it took so long for sundried tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm....these look fabulous, Claudia!!! Love how slow cooking concentrates the flavor~
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this post!!! My garden is full of tomatoes that are crying to be used up. Thank you for the tips, my friend! ♥
ReplyDeleteI wish my garden was full of tomatoes. For some reason this has been a bad year. Thanks for all of the ideas, I am going to try some of them.
ReplyDeleteMy garden is filled with - green tomatoes. As soon as one turns read, the chipmunks feast. But if I can manage some good red tomatoes this summer, I will be drying them as you did! Three months of sun-dried tomatoes in my fridge sounds like heaven.
ReplyDeleteLove love fresh red juicy tomatoes. Love this.
ReplyDeleteI love tomatoes and this looks so healthy and delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe :)
ReplyDeleteI could'n live without tomatoes, I like them too much! Very interesting suggestions dear, thanks for sharing. Bye, have a great day
ReplyDeleteGreat uses for tomatoes! For sure one of my favorite summer ingredients :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! Grilling is one good way to bring out the taste of a tomato. I like grilled tomato it served onside of a grilled pork with white sour garlic cream on side. You just have to make sure that the meat has enough flavor so that the combined sourness of tomato and cream doesn't over power the flavor of the meat.
ReplyDeleteGreat recommendations. I love tomatoes and when we traveled to Italy they had the best.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me hungry. I think I'll roast those tomatoes I have tonight for dinner. YUM!
Such a good way to use tomatoes in abundance. I love the crostini, and make it quite often just like you do.
ReplyDeleteThe easiest thing is to make them in your toaster oven, and it is easier to clean up!
Love your great tips...as always!
Very helpful tips and delicious recipes.
ReplyDeleteYour ideas and photos make me want to go pick some maters. I especially appreciate the drying and storing instructions and will give some a try on tomato day next week.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas for use of the good old tomatoes.Can't wait for mine to show themselves again:)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had an aboundance of tomatoes. I love the tomato tips and recipes touse the homemade sundried tomatoes! It looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips here for an abundance of tomatoes, Thanks for the dried tomato recipe. We had so many tomatoes twice thjis season, I just trimmed them cut them into quarters and put them in the dutch oven and turned the stove on. Put a little olive oil and white wine in, a helping of dried basil, a touch of sugar and stirred. After 10 minutes or so, electric blended them and the sauce was literally lauded by all who tasted it.
ReplyDeleteI make pizza a lot, but instead of using tomato sauce, put my sliced tomatoes on the dough. Sprinkled olive oil and salt and basil on it and it too was popular.
Wow Claudia an impressive collection of tomato facts and tips. Your sun dried tomato recipe is wonderful. That's one I'll be trying out for sure.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
With all these tips, no wonder u look so good, Claudia! Well done :)
ReplyDeleteI have never thought about making these!! Great idea, especially when I have a garden FULL of tomatoes and running out of uses for them! Thanks Claudia!
ReplyDeleteOh MY! This looks so good!!! I would just love a piece right now!! Wish we lived close so we could share. Blessings, Catherine xo
ReplyDeleteThey look simply delish1 I love making my tomatoes this way as well.
ReplyDeleteKristy
Great ideas!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to use and preserve garden tomatoes...I have an over abundance this year. Thanks for the inspirations :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks SCRUMPTIOUS!
ReplyDelete