How to Dehydrate Tomatoes

If you relish the goodness of sun-dried tomatoes in your food but abhor the prices, try drying your own garden produce.

Supplies

• fresh tomatoes (preferably paste, roma, or other meaty tomatoes)
• a knife
• a food dehydrator (these can usually be bought at Target or Walmart and of course the internet is always a good resource)

Instructions

1. Thoroughly clean dehydrator according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Use a cooking spray or olive oil to lightly grease the trays (this will prevent the tomatoes from sticking to the tray).
3. Clean tomatoes in cool water. Remove stems and any blemishes.
4. Slice tomatoes between an 1/8” to a ¼” thick. (How thick you slice the tomato depends on your personal preference and the depth of your dehydrator’s trays.)
5. Arrange sliced tomatoes on the tray. Place them as close as possible to each other while not allowing the slices to touch.
6. Turn on your dehydrator. Depending on the style of your dehydrator and the amount of liquid in your produce, it will take 12-48 hours for the tomatoes to become properly dried (they should be about the texture and density of a raisin).
7. When the tomatoes are dried, turn off the dehydrator and allow them to cool on the trays.
8. Place the dehydrated tomatoes in a Ziploc bag or other suitable container to store in the freezer.

Helpful Hints and Suggestions

• Theoretically, dehydrated tomatoes could be stored in a cool, dry pantry. However, if there is too much moisture left in the tomatoes, you run the risk of mold growing on them. It is safer to store them in the freezer.
• Any type of tomato can be dehydrated. Even huge slicing tomatoes can be dehydrated. However, tomatoes with fewer seeds and less juice are more desirable. If the tomatoes you are working with are particularly juicy or seedy, remove the pulp so that you are left with just the meat of the fruit to dry.
• Dehydrating tomatoes intensifies the flavor of the tomato. As a result, small sweet cherry tomatoes are nice (although very seedy) as they created a very intense sweet tomato flavor in the product.
• The tomatoes you dehydrate at home can be used in the same recipes as those that call for sun-dried tomatoes. They can also be added to your favorite stews, soups, and red sauces to punch up the flavor.
• You can pack your dehydrated tomatoes in olive oil and use them in recipes that way.
• Some people feel that sun-dried tomatoes need to be reconstituted before use. While it is not necessary, it is easy to do.

Reconstituting in Water

1. Place the tomatoes in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water.
2. Let stand for thirty minutes.
3. Strain off the water and use tomatoes.

Reconstituting in Oil.

1. Place tomatoes in bowl and cover with oil
2. Let stand for twenty-four hours.
3. Strain away oil (oil can be saved for use in recipes and dressings), and use tomatoes as directed by recipe.

If your garden is going crazy and you need another way to preserve your abundance read the article Zucchini Soup.

tomatoes prepared for drying

dehydrated tomatoes

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