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.
Amabwiriza
Choose and halve the tomatoes
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.
Materials for this step:
Roma Tomatoes2 kgSalt the cut sides
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.
Materials for this step:
Fine Sea Salt (500g)1 tbspDry cut-side up at 50–60 °C
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
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 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.
Materials for this step:
Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)1 igikombe
Garlic2 clove
Dried Oregano1 tsp
Glass Storage Jar Set1 ikirundoIbikoresho
6- 2 kgUmwanya
- 1 tbspUmwanya
- 1 igikombeUmwanya
- 1 tspUmwanya
- 1 ikirundoUmwanya
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