Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Drying turns a glut of ripe tomatoes into intense, chewy flavour bombs that keep for months without a fridge — the water leaves, the sweetness and umami stay. Meaty paste tomatoes dry best in a solar dehydrator, then store dry or packed in oil. A staple of every Mediterranean summer.

初学者

8-24 hours

说明

Choose and halve the tomatoes

Use meaty paste tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano), or halve cherry tomatoes — less water and fewer seeds than salad types. Wash, halve lengthwise, and scoop out the watery seed gel to speed drying.

此步骤所需材料：

Roma Tomatoes2 公斤

Salt the cut sides

Lay the halves cut-side up and sprinkle lightly with fine sea salt. Salt draws out moisture, deepens the flavour, and mildly protects against spoilage.

此步骤所需材料：

Fine Sea Salt (500g)1 tbsp

Dry cut-side up at 50–60 °C

Place the halves cut-side up in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Dry at 50–60 °C (125–140 °F). Tomatoes are about 95 % water, so this is slow — roughly 8–12 hours for halves, longer for large ones. Bring the trays in at night so they don't re-absorb moisture.

Check for doneness

Ready when leathery and dry to the touch with no moisture when pressed — still slightly pliable, never brittle or wet. Under-dried tomatoes grow mould in storage.

Store dry, or pack in oil

Store fully-dried tomatoes in an airtight jar for 6–9 months; rehydrate in warm water before use. To pack in olive oil with garlic and herbs, the tomatoes MUST be completely dry — moisture trapped in oil risks mould and botulism. Keep oil-packed jars refrigerated and use within 1–2 weeks.

此步骤所需材料：