How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Traditionally sun dried tomatoes were made by laying out freshly cut pieces of tomatoes in the sun to bake in the natural heat for days (the tomato pieces were first covered in cheesecloth). Nowadays, we use the oven. In just a few hours, you can have bags to freeze or jars of homemade sun dried tomatoes covered in olive oil. Use in pastas, on top of pizzas, in sauces, etc. If you have a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes from the garden, drying them in the oven is a great way to preserve them for future use.

Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes

• Preheat oven to 200° F.
• Gently wash & dry the tomatoes, cut into pieces then scoop out the seeds.
• Oval Tomatoes (Plum): Cut lengthwise; Round Tomatoes: Cut into quarters.
• Place the tomato pieces cut side up on a rack or cookie sheet, do not allow the tomato pieces to touch each other, drizzle or brush a bit of olive oil over them then lightly sprinkle with salt.
• Place in oven and cook 6 to 8 hours or when done–they will be shrunken, leathery looking yet still flexible.

Storage Tips:

• Pack the dried tomato pieces in sterilized jars, cover with extra virgin olive oil (make sure each piece of tomato is fully covered in oil) and seal. For extra flavor, add herbs such as basil. The flavored oil can be used in cooking and on vegetables or salad. Keep the jars of tomatoes refrigerated bringing them to room temperature before using.
• Pack tomato pieces in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, then freeze.

Video: How To Make Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Here’s a good video showing you how to make sun dried/oven dried tomatoes, steps and ingredients are slightly different than above.

For those of you who can’t watch the video, here are the instructions:

• Cut the tomatoes in half and scrape out the seeds and as much of the liquid as you can (this will help the tomatoes dry faster).
• Cover a cookie sheet with several layers of tinfoil.
• Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on the cookie sheet.
• Season the tomatoes with garlic pepper or fresh slices of garlic.
• Next sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, fresh thyme (including stems) and coarse sea salt and black pepper.
• Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil (be generous).
• Place the tomatoes in the oven at 200° for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until done. The texture will be leathery and the tomatoes will have shrunk at least 50%.
• When the tomatoes are at room temperature, store in a clean mason jar, with fresh thyme layered between the tomatoes. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes down to get rid of the air.
• Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring the tomatoes to room temperature before using.

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