Recipes Etc.

Sun dried tomatoes have become my new obsession. Every year I overestimate how many cherry tomato plants I need in my garden. I have more than enough cherry tomatoes to eat fresh and give away and yet I still have an abundance of cherry tomatoes to preserve. I have tried to freeze them fresh, but when they thaw their skins slide off and they are not good to put in anything or to eat plain.

Last year I finally found a solution to my (self-inflicted) problem. I dehydrated some of my extra tomatoes in the oven and was amazed with the results. The flavor of these little sun dried tomatoes becomes more concentrated as they dehydrate. Each tomato becomes a fresh burst of summertime flavor.

After that first batch, I made several more. I ate as many as I was able and froze the rest. After dehydrating and flash freezing, I vacuum sealed them so they would not get freezer burnt before returning them to the freezer. Throughout the wintertime it was so refreshing to pull some dehydrated cherry tomatoes out of the freezer and incorporate the taste of sweet summertime into my cooking. It made me miss my summertime garden and look forward to my garden for the next year.

I will caution you to not lose track of time while dehydrating these tomatoes. There is nothing worse than the delicious, concentrated flavor of summertime being tinted with the flavor of charcoal. I learned my lesson the hard way with a sad batch of overly baked cherry tomatoes. Talk about heart break.

Why you will love this recipe

• This recipe is simple to make and allows you to use up any excess cherry tomatoes that you have.
• This recipe is delicious. The dehydration process concentrates the natural sweetness and tangy flavor of the tomatoes.
• You can make as big or as small of a batch as you want.

How to use sun dried tomatoes

• Chop the tomatoes up and add them to a breakfast casserole or to your scrambled eggs.
• Toss the tomatoes to a pasta sauce.
• Add the tomatoes to soup or stew.

Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes – I have also used small tomatoes and quartered them with similar results.
• Salt (optional)

How to make sun dried tomatoes

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not use aluminum foil, it can react with the acidity in the cherry tomatoes.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lay them on the parchment paper cut side up.
• Sprinkle salt over top of the cherry tomatoes (optional).
• Put the cherry tomatoes in the oven for 2 hours then check them. Continue checking them every 30 minutes. I have had batches take a little as 3 hours and some that have taken as much as 4 hours. It depends on how juicy the cherry tomatoes are that you use.
• Once the cherry tomatoes are dehydrated to your liking, take them out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature.

Storage

• These dehydrated cherry tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for a week or frozen for longer storage. If you choose to freeze them, vacuum sealing will help them store longer and will prevent freezer burn.

More garden fresh recipes

• Stuffed pepper casserole
• Egg roll in a bowl
• Hidden veggie taco meat
• Refrigerator dill pickles
• Mashed potatoes

Sun Dried Tomato Recipe

Servings

variable

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

3

minutes

Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes

• Salt

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lay them on the parchment paper cut side up.
• Sprinkle salt over top of the cherry tomatoes (optional).
• Put the cherry tomatoes in the oven for 2 hours then check them. Continue checking them every 30 minutes.
• Once the cherry tomatoes are dehydrated to your liking, take them out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature.