Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tomato dehydrating and roasting
My tomatoes have been producing like crazy. There’s one thing good about this heat.
I have started dehydrating my ‘Grape Juliet’ grape tomatoes and my ‘Supersweet 100’s’. They are fantastic this way.
The heating process intensifies the already delicious flavor. I then freeze them. I use them on my salads, in egg dishes, on pizza, in sauces and just about anything else! I just slice them in half. Spray some olive oil cooking spray on the trays.
My dehydrator was a garage sale find. You can also dehydrate tomatoes in the oven. Grape and cherry tomatoes work best.
UPDATE for oven drying: My neighbor, Earl, perfected the technique and shared it with me to share with YOU!
He set the oven at 170 degrees (checking every 3 hours) and set his batch took about 10 hours. HOWEVER, ovens vary so continue to check, don’t just set it and forget it!
This recipe I got a long time ago from another friend: Slow roast them at 250 degrees for about 3 hours. Yes, it takes time. No need to flip them and do keep an eye out. Ovens vary. You can put a little salt on them if you want too, but it’s really not necessary. USE PARCHMENT paper if you’re using the oven method.
If you don’t want to freeze them but also won’t be eating them right away, you can store them in a jar with olive oil. You can add seasonings too. Maybe some oregano or basil, some garlic… seriously, though, they are so dang good, they don’t need any herbs.
Roma tomatoes can also be used but you need to remove the pulp. I prefer to oven roast them. This is different. The oven is hotter. Many recipes just slice the romas in half. I prefer smaller slices, about a ? inch. Set your oven at 425 degrees. Toss the slices with olive oil and your favorite herbs. I use dried basil or oregano and garlic. Also a little salt and pepper to taste. Roast them for about 30 to 45 minutes, keep checking on them. And don’t forget the parchment paper.
