Dehydrating tomatoes is an excellent way to preserve them for the long term without losing nutrients and flavor. You can use a dryer, oven, or sunlight. The following instructions will describe how to dehydrate tomatoes.
Ingrediants
For 340 grams of dried tomatoes
- 1-1, 5 kg of sliced tomatoes
- Coarse salt to taste (optional)
- Olive oil to taste (optional)
- Garlic or onion powder to taste (optional)
- Black peppercorns to taste (optional)
- Chopped aromatic herbs such as oregano, thyme, parsley to taste (optional)
Steps
Method 1 of 3: With a Dryer
Step 1. Preheat the dryer if necessary
Some models have a thermostat, while others have a simple “On / Off” switch. If yours has a thermostat, set it between 57 ° C and 60 ° C and let it warm up.
- If your dryer has only the switch, there is no need to preheat it. Simply light it after preparing the tomatoes.
- If your model does not have a thermostat, it may be a good idea to place a cooking thermometer in the bottom tray to check the temperature during the drying process.
Step 2. Prepare the tomatoes
They should be washed, dried, peeled, cored and seeded, and sliced.
- Wash them under running water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Peel them if you wish. Make an "X" cross on the bottom of the tomato deep enough to cut only the skin. Blanch the tomato for 25-30 seconds and then immediately put it in ice water. Peel the tomato with your hands.
- Use a curved knife to remove the core. If necessary, remove the top of the fruit.
- Cut the tomato according to its size. The pachino tomatoes should only be cut in half, the roma into quarters, and the larger ones in 3.5 cm slices.
- You can remove the seeds if you wish, but it is optional. You can use a spoon or leave them in the pulp. Absorb the juice that comes out with a paper towel.
Step 3. Grease the trays of the dryer
Rub a small amount of olive oil with the help of a paper towel.
This prevents the tomatoes from sticking to the trays. The oil will also give it a good flavor
Step 4. Place the tomatoes on the trays
Arrange them with the sliced part facing up and so that they are spaced about 1.5 cm apart.
Do not overlap them and make sure that they do not touch each other, otherwise they will dehydrate unevenly
Step 5. Season them if you want
The simplest thing to do is salt them, following your taste.
You can also add a light sprinkle of black pepper, onion or garlic powder, herbs such as oregano, thyme or parsley. You can use fresh or dried herbs
Step 6. Dry the tomatoes
Put the trays in the dryer for 8-12 hours, or until they become small, shriveled and non-sticky.
- Leave a space of 2.5-5 cm between one tray and another to ensure the passage of air.
- Check the situation every hour and turn the trays if it seems to you that in some places the tomatoes are struggling to dry out.
- If some pieces dehydrate faster than others, remove them to prevent them from burning.
Step 7. Keep them
When the tomatoes are ready, remove them from the dryer and let them cool to room temperature. Place them in freezer bags, airtight, vacuum-sealed containers, or jars and store them in a dark, cold place until ready to use.
Dried tomatoes usually keep for 6-9 months
Method 2 of 3: With the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven
In the first step of the process you need to blanch the tomatoes at 220 ° C. So make sure that the oven reaches this temperature.
- In the meantime, prepare the trays with baking paper or non-stick aluminum. You can also use oil, but the other solutions allow you to get less dirty.
- Use pans with raised edges, so the juices produced during drying will not leak and dirty the oven.
Step 2. Prepare the tomatoes
They must be washed, dried, cored and cut. If you want, you can also remove the seeds.
- Note that you don't have to peel off.
- Rinse the tomatoes under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Remove the stem and core with a curved knife.
- Cut the tomatoes according to their size. The pachino tomatoes should only be cut in half, the roma into quarters and the larger ones in 3.5 cm slices.
- You can also remove the seeds if you wish but, together with the pulp, they are the richest part of flavor, so it would be better to leave them. If you still decide to remove them, use a spoon or your fingers trying not to waste the pulp.
Step 3. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheets
Arrange them in such a way that the cut part faces upwards and that they are 1.5 cm apart.
Do not overlap them and do not let them touch each other, otherwise they will dry unevenly or burn
Step 4. Season them if you want
It is usually preferred to use salt, pepper, herbs, garlic or onion. Use the aromas according to your personal taste.
- If you decide for herbs, you can evaluate oregano, parsley and thyme, you can use them fresh or dried.
- You can also use fresh, chopped garlic instead of powdered garlic.
Step 5. Sprinkle them with olive oil
Cover them evenly.
- The oil increases the flavor and prevents them from cooking.
- Place your finger over the bottle of olive oil to measure out the amount.
Step 6. Turn the tomatoes
With your hands or with pliers, make sure that the part with the peel is facing upwards.
This is important as you need to blanch the tomatoes before they are completely dehydrated. By exposing the peel to direct heat, you protect the pulp that would otherwise burn quickly
Step 7. Blow up the tomatoes
Put them in the hot oven for about 30 minutes.
When they are ready, the peel will be wrinkled and dark
Step 8. Drain and peel them
Remove the tomatoes from the oven by eliminating the juices that have collected in the pan. Also remove the peels with the help of kitchen tongs.
- You can drain the juices by tilting the pan and letting the liquid fall into a bowl, or by vacuuming them with a blower.
- As soon as you take the tomatoes out of the oven, lower the temperature to 150 ° C or you will end up roasting them.
Step 9. Dry the tomatoes
Put them back in the oven for 3-4 hours, when they are ready they should be visibly dry and with dark edges.
- Turn the tomato pieces and cook them for another hour.
- Drain or vacuum excess fluids every 30 minutes.
Step 10. Keep them
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. When ready, place them in airtight containers or plastic bags and store them in the freezer for 3 months.
Alternatively, put them in a bowl and cover them with extra virgin olive oil. Close the bowl with cling film and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 months
Method 3 of 3: With the Sun
Step 1. Prepare the tomatoes
They must be clean, dry, without cores and seeds, and cut.
- Before starting it is important to know that tomatoes should only be dried in the sun in the very hot season and with a low humidity rate. It will take about 3 days to complete the process, so wait for the weather forecast to be favorable.
- You don't have to remove the peels.
- Wash the tomatoes under running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Remove the core and stem of each tomato using a curved knife.
- Cut them in half or in several pieces. The pachino tomatoes should only be cut in half, the roma into quarters and the larger ones in 3.5 cm slices.
- You should remove the seeds if you decide to use this method. Use your fingers or a spoon trying not to waste the pulp.
Step 2. Place the tomatoes on the trays
Arrange them so that the cut side is facing down and spaced about 1.5 cm apart.
- Do not allow them to touch and do not overlap them, otherwise the dehydration will not be uniform.
- Use a tray with wooden edges and not very deep. The bottom should consist of a nylon net. Do not use a tray with a solid material bottom because it would prevent air circulation and facilitate the formation of mold.
Step 3. Cover the trays
Put on a soft protective net or cheesecloth.
- This way you prevent insects and other dangers from destroying your tomatoes.
- Make sure that the protective net is very porous so that it does not block air or heat.
Step 4. Place the trays in direct sun
Choose an area with many hours of sunshine, you should place them on concrete or wooden blocks and not on the ground.
You must arrange them so that the air can also circulate under the trays, as it is an essential element of this process
Step 5. Turn the tomatoes
As previously mentioned, it will take about 3 days to completely dehydrate them, so after a day and a half, turn them with the cut side up.
Trays should be stored indoors after dark, or if weather conditions worsen
Step 6. Keep them
When ready, the tomatoes will be dry and pliable. Put them in airtight containers, in plastic bags or vacuum-sealed and store them in a cool, dry and dark place for 2-4 months maximum.
