How to Dry Tomatoes

How to Dry Tomatoes How to Dry Tomatoes When the season is perfect for ripe tomatoes, you will suddenly find a host of recipes using tomato in some form or the other. Salads are of course a universal favorite followed by capreses, sauces and sandwiches. There are a variety of delicious dishes you can cook up with tomatoes as a key ingredient. It seems a shame to run out of tomatoes when the season is over. Although the market will offer you dried tomatoes which you can use in your dishes, it is always better to make your own and store them hygienically to last you till the tomato season arrives again. In fact, it is fairly easy to dry tomatoes and you can choose to sun-dry it or if you don’t have the patience, then you can use the oven or the food dehydrator. But let us help nature take its own course and dry tomatoes in the sun.

Picking the right kind of tomatoes is extremely important. You need to pick the fleshy kind which is not too large in size. The best varieties are the Principe Borghese and the Roma or plum tomatoes. They are quite readily available in the market too. Choosing tomatoes of the same size will ensure that they all dry in the same time.
Slice the tomatoes in half and place over a raised screen so that there is enough ventilation for the pieces. Sprinkle some salt over the tomatoes to act as a preservative.
You can also use some herbs like marjoram, basil and also pepper. This will add extra flavor to the dried tomatoes and will also keep them fresh for a longer period of time.
Finally, you can place them in the hot sun to dry. Depending on the intensity of sunlight, it may take about 2 weeks at the most to dry. If the sun is really fierce, then you will get the dried tomatoes ready in 4 days.
In order to keep away the critters and yet provide proper ventilation to the tomatoes, you can cover with cheesecloth at a raised height. Make sure to bring the arrangement indoors in the evening because the dew will certainly not help in drying.

This is the traditional way of drying and will take a long time and also you have to be careful to keep it hygienic. Oven drying is an option you must consider if you are in a hurry. In any case, you will have tomatoes to last you for several days. You can even refrigerate and keep for months together. Make sure you put them in ziplock bags or airtight jars first. You just have to plan a recipe and take out the exact amount you want. The dishes will taste even more delicious than ever before.