You know when the temperatures climb with one warm, sunny day after another you’re going to end up with a bounty of garden fresh tomatoes. Every home gardener runs into the same problem at one time or another; they all seem to ripen at the same time. As much as I love sun ripened tomatoes fresh from the vine, we can only eat so many at a time. So what do you do when you end up with a plethora of tomatoes? When you harvest too many to eat all at one time but there’s not quite enough to go to all the trouble of canning them? You make sun dried tomatoes. This easy oven drying method concentrates their sweet flavor and gives you plenty of time to use them in everything from salads, to pasta sauces, and more. Keep reading to find out just how easy it is to preserve those sweet vine ripened tomatoes so you can enjoy them long after summer is over.
How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes In Your Oven:
Preheat oven to 200℉. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Wash tomatoes and allow excess water to drain off.
The variety of tomato I used is called “Juliette”. They are a rather dry tomato, similar to a San Marzano only a bit smaller in size. They are larger than a grape tomato and smaller than a Roma tomato. They’re perfect for making sun dried tomatoes. Any smaller sized cherry tomato from your garden will work. Larger tomatoes can also be used but they will take much longer to dry in the oven.
Cut each tomato in half.
Using your fingers or a teaspoon scoop out and remove seeds and pulp from each tomato half.
Place tomato halves cut side up on the parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
Bake in the oven for 2½-3 hours until the moisture in the tomatoes has cooked off.
Tomatoes will look dry, shriveled and wrinkly, like the photo below when they are done.
The length of time it takes to cook will vary depending on the size of the tomatoes and the amount of pulp left in the tomato halves. Start checking for doneness after about 1½ hours and then checking them every 30 minutes until they are finished roasting.
Remove from the oven and allow tomatoes to cool on the baking sheet to room temperature.
Place the baking sheet of tomatoes in the freezer.
Once tomatoes are frozen solid, transfer them to a plastic baggie. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
OPTION: Instead of freezing tomatoes, once they have cooled to room temperature, place them in a glass jar and add enough olive oil to cover them completely. Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks.
Sun-dried tomatoes offer a sweet, concentrated, flavor that can enhance a wide variety of dishes. Slice them into small pieces and add them to your favorite pasta sauces or to pasta salads for a burst of flavor and texture. Try adding them to green salads along with feta cheese for a Mediterranean twist. Use them in spreads for crackers or on sandwiches. Blend them into hummus for a burst of concentrated tomato flavor. Add them to omelettes or scrambles. Stuff chicken breasts with sun-dried tomatoes, with your favorite cheese, and herbs for a flavorful meal. Include them in roasted vegetable dishes or sprinkle into casseroles. Use them as a topping for homemade pizza or your favorite quiche. Bake them into a loaf of bread or on Focaccia bread. Sun-dried tomatoes are such a versatile ingredient and adds a delicious dimension of flavor to so many dishes. Use your imagination…I bet you can think of even more ways to use them.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Equipment
- cooking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz ripe tomatoes, plum or cherry
- sea salt
- olive oil, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℉.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Wash tomatoes and allow excess water to drain off.
- Cut each tomato in half.
- Using your fingers or a teaspoon scoop out and remove seeds and pulp from each tomato half.
- Place tomato halves cut side up on the parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Sprinkle tomato halves lightly with sea salt.
- Bake in the oven for 2½-3 hours until the moisture in the tomatoes has cooked off. Tomatoes will look shriveled and wrinkly when they are done.
- The length of time it takes to cook will vary depending on the size of the tomatoes and the amount of pulp left in the tomato halves. Start checking for doneness after about 1½ hours and then checking them every 30 minutes until they are finished roasting.
- Remove from the oven and allow tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
- Place the baking sheet of tomatoes in the freezer.
- Once tomatoes are frozen solid, transfer them to a plastic baggie. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- OPTION: Instead of freezing tomatoes, once they have cooled to room temperature, place them in a glass jar and add enough olive oil to cover them completely. Seal jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks.
Did You Make This?
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