How to Make Sundried Tomatoes at Home
Have an abundance of tomatoes on hand? Make these easy, dehydrator preserved sundried tomatoes at home using this simple recipe.
I recently received heaping basket of plump Roma tomatoes from Domino Farms, Located in Accord, NY. These delectable little fruits were picked fresh off the field vines and ready for recipe making! With such a large amount and limited time in the kitchen, I decided to preserve the summery flavor and pulled out the dehydrator! Sundried tomatoes are a versatile addition to sauces, pasta and seafood. If you’ve been wondering: how to make sundried tomatoes at home? Look no further, this blog post has you covered!
The best oil to use for fridge preserving sundried tomatoes?
I used extra virgin olive oil to preserve my dehydrated sundried tomatoes. Olive oil is the best choice as the fruity flavor notes really compliment the sweetness of the tomatoes. Olive oil also has natural antioxidant properties also inhibits mold.
Make sure your tomatoes are completely dry before storing to reduce the risk of botulism, a dunk in white vinegar before adding the the oil cuts down on the risk of mold or contamination even more than just drying alone.
Make sure to use sterilized jars if you are storing the preserved tomatoes long term. And make sure the tomatoes are COMPLETELY dry before storing. I also bagged several cups in vacuum bags for shelf storage.
Creative Ways to Use Your Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Stir them into pasta dishes, fold into omelets, add to grain bowls, or spread over crostini. The tomato infused olive oil can also be drizzled over roasted vegetables, pizza, or salads for an instant flavor boost.
How Long Do Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil Last?
When stored in a sterilized jar and fully covered in olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes last about 2–3 months in the refrigerator. For the best flavor and safety, always keep them chilled and use a clean utensil to remove tomatoes from the jar.
Do the Sun-Dried Tomatoes Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, store the dehydrated tomatoes in the fridge continuously to keep botulism spores from forming.
Follow these Easy, Simple Steps Below to Make a Batch of Sun-dried Tomatoes you can enjoy long after Summer is Over…..
Layer the sliced tomatoes in your dehydrator tray, don’t overlap the tomatoes, but it’s ok to squeeze them in (they will shrink down in size as they dry).
Make sure the tomatoes are fully dried before starting any storage preparation. All dehydrators are slightly different ,so if the time allotment in my recipe doesn’t yield completely dry tomatoes, go ahead and try them for another hour (or 3!)
Add a little herbaceous flavor with the addition of fresh thyme. Make sure to put the herb sprigs in at the beginning of the dehydration process, so that they are also fully dry before canning.
Sundried Tomatoes with Thyme in Olive Oil
Equipment
- 1 dehydrator
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Roma Tomatoes
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ White Vinegar
- ½ cup Olive Oil extra if you plan to preserve all of your tomatoes in olive oil and not dried on the shelf.
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub tomatoes well, making sure to remove all traces of dirt.
- Slice tomatoes in half and layer on dehydrator racks. Fill the racks, but do not overlap the tomatoes on top of one another, they will shrink as they dry. so if the edges touch that is fine.
- Sprinkle the tomato halves with sea salt, and layer the thyme sprigs over the tomatoes.
- Turn your dehydrator to 150℉ and let dry for at least 24 hours, checking at the 8 hour point for dryness. Adjust you drying time accordingly.
- When you have ensured the tomatoes are completely dehydrated and "sun-dried" give them a quick dip in the white vinegar before laying into a sterilized glass jar.
- Once you have packed your sundried tomatoes into the jar, fill the jar with olive oil and close lid tightly.
- Store sundried tomatoes in refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Nutrition
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