Recipe Oven-Dried Tomatoes

[The Late Night Gourmet]

So, you say you like sun-dried tomatoes, but you don't feel like waiting 10 days for them to make them yourself? Here's how to make them in the oven instead.

NOTE: do not try using sliced tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes. I tried this, and most of the tomatoes burned to a crisp in less than 2 hours, while the few that survived weren't dried out much. This tells me that the drying process requires the skin on the underside of the tomato to hold the moisture while it gradually evaporates.

Ingredients

1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

1. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Before placing each tomato half on the sheet, touch the cut side onto the oil, then place the cut side facing up. This places olive oil on the top and the bottom of each tomato. Arrange them so they aren't touching.

2. Place tomatoes in oven and cook for 5 hours. Check after 3 hours, and then again every half an hour. Remove smaller tomatoes that have dried up as needed and place in a container with olive oil in it.

3. Continue checking and removing dried tomatoes until all have reached the desired consistency. Refrigerate in a sealed container with enough olive oil to keep the tomatoes somewhat soft.

Here's the progression:

Before Cooking:

After 1 Hour:

After 2 Hours:

After 3-1/2 Hours:

After 4-1/2 Hours:

 

[Morning Glory]

I've never tried to make these and I'm wondering if they work out cheaper than buying them?

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I've never tried to make these and I'm wondering if they work out cheaper than buying them?

The result was really good, and I'd consider these to be a good substitute for sun-dried tomatoes. But, to be sure that they taste the same, I'll have to buy some and try them side-by-side. Depending on how much cherry tomatoes cost (and I assume grape tomatoes or plum tomatoes would also work), I'd imagine making them would be a lot cheaper than buying them.

 

[Francesca]

@The Late Night Gourmet

Definitely shall give it a try ..

I love sun dried tomatoes marinated in Italian Green Evoo paired with fresh goat cheese .. Heaven on earth ..

I can tell you, it could be cheaper to prepare one´s own however, the question is the tasting profile .. And the Evoo used to marinate them in .. This is not cheap either .. and alot more costly than the tomatoes ..

Shall do. Need to do some research on Italian types of tomatoes that are the best for using in sun dried tomatoes and oven ..

Have a lovely evening ..

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I love sun dried tomatoes marinated in Italian Green Evoo paired with fresh goat cheese .. Heaven on earth ..

If I get really ambitious, I'll make my first cheese from goat's milk, too.

 

[Francesca]

If I get really ambitious, I'll make my first cheese from goat's milk, too.

@The Late Night Gourmet,

I have made Ricotta from raw goat´s milk with my mom and mom in law .. It is a Xmas preparation for a Catalan dessert called "Mato" which is honey, goat milk ricotta and rasberries ..

Historically, it dates back to the early 1920s from the birthplace of Salvador Dali, Figueras, very close to Cadaques where my parents, inlaws and twin sons all reside ( we have warehouses nearby ) ..

Ferràn Adrià renovated the dessert using Molecular techniques when he had the El Bulli Restaurant ..

Well, have a marvelous day and all my best ..

 

[Elawin]

If I get really ambitious, I'll make my first cheese from goat's milk, too.

I always make mine with cow's milk, but it has to be organic unhomogenised farm milk for the flavour. I have yet to try it with goat's milk - the supermarket stuff is expensive (and homogenised). Local (to me) farms selling goats milk seem to have disappeared off the map.

 

[Yorky]

It would be very unusual around here to see a goat. Or even a sheep for that matter.

 

[jennyb]

So, you say you like sun-dried tomatoes, but you don't feel like waiting 10 days for them to make them yourself? Here's how to make them in the oven instead

I am going to try making these. Do they have to be kept in oil I wondered? I buy dried tomatoes in a packet not in oil and they are expensive so this could be a money saving recipe.

 

[jennyb]

How much do they reduce in size? Would you say to a third of fresh size? I am trying to decide how many to do.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Local (to me) farms selling goats milk seem to have disappeared off the map.

Now that you mention it, I can't find anything with fresh goat's milk nearby, either, at least nowhere that I can find on the internet. But, I did find this:

I can say with certainty that my first foray into cheese making will NOT be with rehydrated powdered milk!

 

[epicuric]

So, you say you like sun-dried tomatoes, but you don't feel like waiting 10 days for them to make them yourself? Here's how to make them in the oven instead.

NOTE: do not try using sliced tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes. I tried this, and most of the tomatoes burned to a crisp in less than 2 hours, while the few that survived weren't dried out much. This tells me that the drying process requires the skin on the underside of the tomato to hold the moisture while it gradually evaporates.

Ingredients

1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

1. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Before placing each tomato half on the sheet, touch the cut side onto the oil, then place the cut side facing up. This places olive oil on the top and the bottom of each tomato. Arrange them so they aren't touching.

2. Place tomatoes in oven and cook for 5 hours. Check after 3 hours, and then again every half an hour. Remove smaller tomatoes that have dried up as needed and place in a container with olive oil in it.

3. Continue checking and removing dried tomatoes until all have reached the desired consistency. Refrigerate in a sealed container with enough olive oil to keep the tomatoes somewhat soft.

Here's the progression:

Before Cooking:

View attachment 10296

After 1 Hour:

View attachment 10298

After 2 Hours:

View attachment 10299

After 3-1/2 Hours:

View attachment 10300

After 4-1/2 Hours:

View attachment 10303

Great tip, particularly at this time of year when we (intheory) have a glut of tomatoes. I have not got a good crop this year - I planted them too late, and I have a modest quantity of still green tomatoes. I did try to dry some a couple of years ago, and whilst they were OK, they didn't last as long in the olive oil as shop bought ones. I may have done something wrong!

A favourite breakfast at this time of year (ripe tomatoes permitting) is to oven roast them as above (a bit faster though - 120 deg C for about on hour) sprinkled with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. Serve on hot, buttered toast with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Divine.

 

[Yorky]

A favourite breakfast at this time of year (ripe tomatoes permitting) is to oven roast them as above (a bit faster though - 120 deg C for about on hour) sprinkled with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. Serve on hot, buttered toast with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Divine.

It would be nice to accompany them with a few rashers of bacon.