Sun-dried Tomatoes

For those of you who may have a glut of tomatoes this summer and still have some warm sunshine about, here is a good way of enjoying them later in the year.

Sun-dried Tomatoes

"This is the best way of preserving tomatoes, not only enabling you to eat them right through the winter but actually enhancing the flavour.

The tomatoes should be picked when still quite firm and sliced very thinly.* They should be lightly sprinkled with salt and laid out on a clean surface, where they will be in full sunlight all day. A piece of netting can be arranged over the top to stop flies and other creepy crawlies landing on them.

If the weather appears to cool off at night, the tomatoes should be brought inside until the following morning. They will be dried within a couple of days. You can store them in an airtight container or put them in a jar of olive oil – the flavour becomes incredibly intense. Simply cram the jar full, then cover completely in olive oil.

Take tomatoes out as you need them throughout the winter, as you can use them in pasta dishes, stir-fries, casseroles and so on. As you work your way through the jar, you can start dipping into the olive oil too – it develops a deliciously rich tomato taste."

The above is quoted from an article by Paul MacKay who writes a Virtual Vegetable column in an English paper here.

* The picture in the article showed the tomatoes being sliced into sections (like an orange) rather than slices.

... and the oven method ...

Preheat to 200F / 100C / Gas 1, basically the lowest setting possible.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters or eighths and arrange on a cake rack cut side up. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (and ground mixed peppercorns and herbs if desired).

Place in the oven and bake until they are shrivelled and dry ... but this could take between 6 and 12 hours depending on the size of the tomatoes.

You can then keep them in zip-locked bags or plastic containers where they keep indefinitely or put them in jars and cover with olive oil to intensify the flavour for use at a later date in sauces or other recipes.

[ 01. September 2006, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]

 

Thanks for that L o' L.
We might manage if the sun returns :(

 

Hi LOL, I love these dried tomatos. I usually start them off in the sun and then if it clouds over finish them off in my dehydrator. Trouble is I eat too many!
I do wedges as you say.

 

No probs with eating too many toms, Liz! All that red goodness (Lycopene) for you and no cals! Just had a tomato sandwich on handmade bread for lunch, yummy!

Guess you know that processed tomatoes, ketchup, sauces, soup,etc, have 3-5 times more "potency" than a fresh tomato? I'm not sure where the sun-dried fits in, though!

I also make my own tomato juice from puree as the juice is hard to find here. Much prefer my own anyway and now my sister makes her own all the time! :rolleyes:

 

I have got a little very cheap juicer which I find useless- what kind do you use? I would really like an efficient one!

 

Are wind dried tomatoes similar, its blowing a gale here, looks like rain and is cool,...... and by that I mean not very warm. :D

 

Liz, a blender would be better than a juicer. I'm a lazy sort of person so buy puree in a litre bottle (Lidl at 69c / 49p)! This will make up 2,5 - 3 litres juice, depending on how thick one likes it.

Pete, what do you expect in the UK in August, I ask? :confused: You could dry them in a low-temp oven, but I think that takes 10-12 hours; too time-consuming, me'thinks! :rolleyes: