How to dry tomatoes in the oven. Dried tomatoes: recipe

Almost everything can be dried in a dryer: vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, fish and even meat. You can make pastille. Plus, when dried, you can “cook” recipes. I will try in the following posts to give out all the information I have. I understand that maybe someone knows more than me. There are those here who have been using electric dryers for up to 10 years. I really hope that someone else will write posts on this topic and share information. It will be good if someone complements and shares recipes. Thanks everybody!

The most important thing, probably, is that drying in an electric dryer differs from drying in the sun and oven. Firstly, not everything can be dried using the second methods I mentioned. Secondly, the operating principles are different. For example, there is a temperature in the sun, but it is not always the same. Some things need to be dried for at least 8 hours and sometimes 24 hours. The sun shines intermittently and the temperature changes. Drying in the sun takes longer and this allows the oxidation process to do its job with apples, for example. Further, the taste is completely different. Sun-dried apples have an interesting taste (no less my favorite), but the taste of electric-dried apples is similar to the taste of fresh ones, plus the color is much lighter. Oven drying occurs due to temperature. Drying in the oven requires more electricity or gas, plus it’s hot in the kitchen and you can’t leave it overnight, but you can leave it drying on the balcony overnight. Drying in an electric dryer - temperature (uniform everywhere and always) plus a fan. That is, FORCED DEHYDRATION occurs. Simply put - removing moisture from the product in a short time. The drying plates are lattice and it doesn’t stick to them as much as to a baking sheet in the oven. Further. Drying greens. For example, on a newspaper. The color, smell and taste of greens change. When dried, it dries faster, the color remains and so does the taste (parsley does not stink of rotten leaves). IMPORTANT: dried products should not be left open - they will absorb moisture back. Store in a dark place in airtight jars (regular glass jars with a nylon lid).

When drying, you don't waste time on canning (although you can do both).

First I want to talk about tomatoes.

They are still there and you can have time to dry them. I will say that tomatoes can be prepared for the winter in different ways: salting, pickling, making salads... Drying is one of the options. But the plus is that the tomatoes retain their vitamins, there is no heat treatment and no preservatives are used. And yet, they taste like fresh ones. And after cooking they are as fresh.

1 step. It is better to choose hard varieties and preferably the same size. Rlus are more meaty. Cut with a very sharp knife about 1 cm thick. I do not dry the edges.

Step 2. Immediately from the board we put it on drying plates.

3. Turn on the syringe to medium mode (for vegetables and fruits). Be sure to dry in a well-ventilated area. but it’s better on an unglazed balcony or terrace. Drying takes from 5 to 10 hours (depending on the type of tomatoes and drying). I will say this - you need to dry it so that liquid does not leak out when washing. These are dried tomatoes, not sun-dried. (But if you want dried, please do so. Dry until halfway, and then follow the recipe. Fill with oil, plus salt and seasonings.)

4. In general, interesting tomatoes look beautiful. Immediately after turning off the finished dried tomatoes, I put them in a glass jar and close them with a regular nylon lid. Store in a dark place. I'm just in the closet. It is a good habit to re-check the drying from time to time. Sometimes it can be seen after a week. that it still needs to be dried for an hour. Check every month.

5. You can also make tomato pastille :-). Twist the tomatoes into an auger juicer.

6. Grease the marshmallow plate well with vegetable oil.

7. Pour the juice onto a plate (it is better for the plate to stand on the base and the base to be level). Dry on medium setting. The marshmallow should be soft, not brittle - don’t overdry it!

8. Must bend. Roll and place in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator.

Dried tomatoes are an original preparation for the winter. Many housewives know that they can pamper their homemade tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes, but have not yet thought about drying ripe vegetables. Meanwhile, it is not difficult to get excellent results and homemade tomatoes for use in winter while preserving all minerals, fiber and vitamins.

How to dry tomatoes at home? There are several available methods: in the oven, dehydrator (electric dryer), in the sun. You can add spices and herbs - and your family will surely enjoy the unusual homemade preparation. Dried tomatoes are suitable for seasoning borscht, making pizza, casseroles, sauces, stews, and other popular dishes.

Dried tomatoes will be tasty and suitable for long-term storage in the following cases:

select tomatoes that are not very large, with a minimum amount of juice inside;
tomatoes should be elastic, dense, without rotten areas;
tomatoes with spots, crushed, spoiled are not suitable for drying, drying, or other types of processing;
first, the natural raw materials are sorted, washed, then the “tails” (stems) are removed, dried or wiped with napkins to remove all drops of moisture, cut into rings or slices of medium thickness (2-3 mm);
Experienced housewives advise leaving the skins of tomatoes and getting rid of the seeds;
It is advisable to buy vegetables for drying at the market or take tomatoes from your own garden: this way you are more confident that there are fewer chemicals in the pulp.

The benefits of dried tomatoes

Tomatoes retain the maximum amount of valuable substances when processed in a dehydrator. An electric dryer allows you to delicately process tomatoes without destroying beneficial substances. Lycopene, ascorbic acid, fiber, iron, organic acids are not a complete list of useful substances in tomato pulp.

Sun drying is the second suitable option. Simmering ripe vegetables in the oven for 12 hours or more leads to the loss of a significant portion of vitamins and microelements. Regardless of the drying method, tomatoes are suitable for preparing various dishes, but the benefits to the body differ significantly.

On the page, read the information about the features of caring for indoor calla lilies at home.

How to proceed:

Carefully place the dried tomatoes in a bag and place them on the top shelf of the refrigerator. With this storage method, the finished product is good for about two months. After placing in the freezer, dried tomatoes can be used for various dishes for six months;
in the oven, microwave, double boiler or over steam, place dried tomatoes inside, add herbs, pour in hot olive oil, roll up. Keep containers with tomatoes in a cool place. With this method of preparation, the useful product is good for about six months.

If the housewife has taken care of other fruits and berries, then tomatoes and various types of natural raw materials should be stored separately.

Drying tomatoes is easier than it might seem at first glance. Main: take your time, carefully prepare the ingredients, carefully arrange the chopped pulp on trays or flat surfaces in the electric dryer. In the freezer and with olive oil, nutritious, healthy tomatoes keep well. Tomatoes will be an excellent addition to first and second courses and sauces.

From the following video you can learn more useful information on how to dry tomatoes in the dryer:

Of course, you can buy sun-dried tomatoes at the store—everything can be bought these days. But a modest jar for a relatively high price is not suitable for any large-scale feast, and it’s also expensive for a simple family dinner. Meanwhile, the snack is so good that once you try it, you will waltz around the small tempting jar and persuade yourself not to stray from the path of “rational” purchases. Don't waltz! Let's make sun-dried tomatoes ourselves, in our kitchen, to our own taste and in our own way, but without going far from the cooking technology in their homeland.

Depending on the degree of drying, there are sun-dried and baked tomatoes. Baked tomatoes remain more meaty, their cooking time is 1-2 hours. The dried ones must be kept in the oven for at least 4-7 hours, during which time they will wither very well. Our ovens are, of course, not industrial ovens, as close as possible to the peasant “natural” method of cooking in fresh warm air, but it’s not bad to dry tomatoes at home.

Ingredients

To make sun-dried tomatoes you will need:

tomatoes - 2 kg
pepper
dried and fresh herbs
garlic
olive oil

Cooking time: 4-5 hours / Yield: 360-400 g sun-dried tomatoes

Preparation

Wash the tomatoes and cut them into halves if they are small, or quarters if they are large.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment and arrange the tomato halves quite tightly together, maybe even slightly overlapping. You need to lay it cut side up.

Prepare a mixture of salt, pepper and sugar in a separate container. Be sure to use sugar, no matter how sweet the tomatoes seem to you. When they dry out, they become more sour than when they were fresh. Take 3 parts salt and pepper and 5 parts sugar (for example, 1.5 teaspoons of salt and sugar and 2.5 teaspoons of sugar). If desired, the amount of pepper can be reduced to 2 parts (1 teaspoon).

Sprinkle the mixture over the tomatoes, making sure to cover each half or quarter. Sprinkle with dry herbs, place peeled garlic cloves (4-5-6 on a baking sheet) and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Place in a preheated oven. If you make baked tomatoes, set it to 100 degrees and keep it for about 2 hours. For dried ones, set 120 degrees and keep in the oven for about 4-5 hours. Be sure to use the convection mode, and if not, use a wooden stick, placing it between the door and the oven for ventilation.

If you are making sun-dried tomatoes for several jars, wash and dry them by the time the tomatoes are ready. Also prepare fresh herbs and garlic.

Pour some oil into the jar, add chopped garlic and chopped herbs.

Pour olive oil over the sun-dried tomatoes, filling any voids. For taste and longer preservation of the tomato, you can pour in a little (1-2 tablespoons per 0.5 liter jar) balsamic vinegar.

Place the finished jars in the refrigerator, where they can be stored for several weeks, and use as needed.

What tomatoes are suitable for drying at home? In Italy, certain varieties are used to make sun-dried tomatoes. We won’t look for exactly these, but when choosing, we’ll take into account that the fruits should be fleshy and not watery, otherwise all that will remain is the skin. Cream tomatoes, or small round “grape” tomatoes, and, of course, cherry tomatoes are good in this regard.
How and when to add spices? This is an important nuance of drying tomatoes. You can sprinkle the tomatoes with all the spices immediately during heat treatment, or you can put the spices directly in a jar, where the sun-dried tomatoes will go to pick up aromas.
Which spices are best? If the recipe includes fresh herbs, then you should not dry the tomatoes with them - it is better to flavor the oil and then use it. But with dried herbs, so that they open better, the tomatoes can be safely sent to the oven.
What spices do Italians use and how much? Basil, thyme, rosemary - classic. You can also take a full set of Provencal seasonings: thyme, marjoram, basil, rosemary, oregano, savory. Herbs and spices are added to taste, there are no strict recommendations.
As for the oil (extra virgin olive oil, used by the Italians, or domestic refined sunflower), decide for yourself.
Store tomatoes at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on the recipe. Keep the opened jar in the refrigerator. You can only remove tomatoes from the jar with a dry fork or spoon, otherwise they will become moldy.

Sun-dried tomatoes, recipe for the winter

Cream tomato 2 kg
Refined olive oil 250 g
Dried basil 1 tsp.
Dried rosemary 0.5 tsp.
Dried thyme 0.5 tsp.
Allspice 1 pc.
Bay leaf 1 pc.
Pinch of sea salt
Dried garlic pinch
Several black peppers
Clove optional 1 pc.

Cooking time: 4-5 hours / Yield: 500 ml

Wash ripe and whole tomatoes and cut in half.
Scoop out the core of the tomatoes along with the seeds using a teaspoon.
Place the tomato halves on a baking sheet lined with foil, cut side down, after lightly salting each half - this will help them dry better.
Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C. Let the tomatoes dry for 2 hours in convection mode. If your oven does not have this mode, use a wooden stick soaked in cold water to create a gap between the oven and the door. Tomatoes must be ventilated to avoid drying out.
After a couple of hours, change the drying temperature, lowering it to 100 degrees and leave the tomatoes to dry for another 2-3 hours. Drying time depends on the nature of the fruit: juicier ones will take longer to dry. So check back and, if you find that some of the halves have wilted enough, take them out of the oven. Let the rest get to the point.
Prepare the jar. Wash it and dry it with a towel. Place all the spices on the bottom.
Keep an eye on the oven; the finished tomatoes will now need to be removed every 10-20 minutes. Place them in a jar.
When the jar is full, heat the oil, but do not bring it to a boil. Fill the tomatoes with hot oil to the middle, lightly hit the jar on the surface of the table so that the air comes out from below, then fill it with oil to the top, just under the lid. It is important that the oil covers all the tomatoes without leaving any “dry”. Screw on the lid and shake the jar a couple of times so that the oil gets onto the lid and condensation does not form.
Then cover with a towel and leave to cool under it until the morning.
Store sun-dried tomatoes at room temperature, but keep the opened jar in the refrigerator.

Sun-dried tomatoes in a vegetable dehydrator

If you are lucky and have an electric vegetable dryer in your kitchen, the process of drying tomatoes will be simple, although longer, because you will have to wait from 9 to 17 hours for the tomatoes to dry. The larger, meatier and juicier the pieces of fruit, the longer it takes. The advantage of this method is a uniform and precisely set temperature, which is not achievable in the oven.

Prepare the tomatoes according to the instructions described above, it is better if you remove the middle with the seeds. Place on trays, cut side up (otherwise juice will drip onto the dryer motor). Approximately 1 kg of tomatoes fits on one pallet; you need to calculate the quantity based on this. Drying temperature 70 degrees C. Swap the trays from time to time. This is all.

When using a dehydrator, it is important not to dry out the tomatoes, so just like with the oven, make sure they remain soft and flexible. No juice coming out? Great, the tomatoes are ready.

Sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave

The fastest way to dry tomatoes when you urgently need to prepare them for inclusion in some dish, for example. These tomatoes are not for long-term storage. Cooking algorithm:

Place the tomato slices on a flat microwave plate. Turn on maximum power for 5 minutes. Turn off, but do not remove the dish with tomatoes, but let it stand in the closed microwave for 10 minutes.
Remove the dish with tomatoes, drain the juice and place again. Dry on full power for another 3 minutes. And keep it in the closed chamber of the device for another 3 minutes.
Next - a sterile jar, spices, oil - everything according to the instructions (see above).

Sun-dried tomatoes: what do you eat with and where to add them?

How to use sun-dried tomatoes? They are also good on their own as a snack. Sun-dried tomatoes are a great addition to fish, meat, and cheeses. Salads, bruschettas, and pasta are made with tomatoes.

Try sun-dried tomatoes and you will definitely find what and where to use them! Unless, of course, they disappear first. In the most mysterious way.

Dried meats can be found on the menu of many Italian restaurants. They are an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. Buying a product from Italy in stores is not profitable for financial reasons, but you always want to try the taste of the perfection of Italian cuisine. Therefore, you need to learn how to cook such a dish yourself. In this article we will talk about how to dry tomatoes, what you eat sun-dried tomatoes with and where you can add them.

Sun-dried tomatoes in the oven for the winter

Before you start cooking, you need to choose the right one. At the market, give preference to southern varieties of red tomatoes, which have a dense and fleshy interior. Experts recommend buying the “Grape” or “Lady’s Finger” varieties.

A variety that has a minimal amount of juice is also good.

Kitchen appliances and utensils

To prepare sun-dried tomatoes in the oven we will need:

cloth or paper towel;
wire rack or baking sheet (lined with parchment);
kitchen spray or silicone brush;
glass jars.

Ingredients

One of the most popular oven-dried recipes is Provençal dried tomatoes. This dish got its name due to the addition of Provençal herbs, which give the tomatoes an extraordinary aroma and taste.

To prepare Provencal sun-dried tomatoes, you need to have the following ingredients:

tomatoes - 5 kg;
Provençal herbs (dried, crushed) -, ;
ground black pepper (preferably your own grind for better aroma);
oil - 0.6 liters (preferably to preserve the traditions of Italian cuisine, but vegetable oil is also suitable for the first time; 0.5 liters of oil is needed for preservation, and another 100 grams for drying);
salt - 2-3 tsp. (add according to your own taste);
fresh basil leaves;

Important!It is better to grind the spices used immediately before use. Otherwise they will lose a significant part of their aroma.

Provencal herbs can be combined and other types can be added. Focus on satisfying your own taste buds. If you like spicy dishes, then instead of black pepper you can add ground red pepper.

Step by step recipe

The cooking process for this savory dish is as follows:

Wash and wipe the tomatoes thoroughly. After this, cut into halves and remove the inside (seeds along with juice). If this is not done, increased steam generation will form, and the process may take several hours.
Place tomatoes on prepared rack or baking sheet, center side up. Mix the herbs with pepper and salt to taste, then sprinkle them over the tomatoes. Treat the future snack with oil using a brush or spray bottle.
At this stage, the baking sheet with tomatoes can be pushed into the oven. The drying process can take about 4-6 hours (depending on size and juiciness). Drying should take place at a temperature of 80 °C. In such conditions, the tomatoes will be dried and not baked. But you should take into account the fact that during the drying process a lot of steam will be released, so you need an oven with a built-in function for convection of vaporous masses. If you have a regular oven, then about an hour after the start of cooking you need to open the door slightly and do not close it until the drying process is complete.

During drying, tomatoes will lose approximately 60-70% of their own weight. From 5 kg of fresh tomatoes you will get about 1-1.2 kg of sun-dried tomatoes. After drying is complete, you need to prepare for winter snacks. To do this, prepare the jars, wash the leaves under running water and peel the garlic.
Now the sun-dried tomatoes are placed in jars in layers. Between each layer you need to put a little basil and garlic.

Did you know?Archaeological evidence suggests that tomatoes began to be used for culinary purposes by the ancient Aztecs and Incas. But this vegetable came to Europe only in the XYI century.

When the jar is completely filled, you need to add oil. Separately, I would like to say about the heat treatment of oil. Here everything will depend on how long you are going to store the dried snack. If it will stand in your refrigerator for 6-8 months, then the oil does not need to be thermally treated. For a longer shelf life, the oil must be calcined.
When the oil fills all the voids in the jar, close it and take it to a cool place for storage.

Sun-dried tomatoes in an electric dryer

Many chefs believe that it is best to cook sun-dried tomatoes in an electric dryer.
This is due to many factors: saving money on the drying procedure, gentle and gradual drying (no need to have a convection oven, constantly open the door), setting an accurate temperature regime.

If we talk about the taste of the resulting dish, then there will not be much difference from cooking in the oven.