Long-term storage of sun-dried tomatoes

What to do with dried tomatoes?

It is worth immediately noting for those who buy finished products that in our country the name of the product is translated incorrectly.
In the store, on the cans you may see the inscription: “Dried tomatoes,” but in fact we are talking about dried ones. Thus, all the recipes that you find on the Internet or in books, and those that we list, are suitable for the first and second types of vegetables. But it’s better to make the preparations yourself. Moreover, it’s easier than preserving it in jars:

1. Buy 3 kg of vegetables. “Cream” or “cherry” varieties are better suited, but any can be used. The main thing is that they are ripe;
2. Wash them, dry them and cut them in half;
3. Then remove the pulp with a teaspoon. You can’t dry it, but you can use it to prepare other dishes, don’t throw it away;
4. Sprinkle the resulting halves with salt (you need to use 2 dessert spoons for the indicated amount) and herbs (basil, rosemary or other favorite seasonings will do);
5. Next, we send the workpieces to the dryer for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 70 degrees;
6. Or in the oven for 6-7 hours, preheated to 80 degrees. And don't forget to turn the slices over.

You can store the finished product in a fabric bag in a dry place or in the freezer. The last option is the most suitable, since in this case the beneficial substances are better preserved. But, if this is not possible, the first option will do. The main thing is that the fabric allows air to pass through.

They can be used in any dishes. But before you start preparing them, you need to soak them, then the taste will be sweeter and more like the taste of fresh vegetables.

You can do this as follows:

• Fill with warm water and leave for a while (2-3 hours), they will absorb the liquid and become soft. In this case, the excess salt will go away, but the taste of the seasonings will remain;
• If you need to “revive” them quickly, use vinegar. Boil a liter of water and add a spoonful of acid. Then place the desired amount of dried tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. They will soften and become tastier. If you cook them without vinegar, then you need to keep the vegetables in water for 3-5 minutes;

You don’t have to soften them, but chop them finely and use them as a seasoning.

Dried tomatoes are also pickled. To do this, put them in a jar, add a few peppercorns, sprinkle with herbs and pour heated olive oil to the top.

On the first day, the jars should be put in the refrigerator. Then you can move it to any dark place.

How to dry tomatoes at home

Housewives will find several simple ways. You can try each method and choose the best one. If you have a dehydrator, the process practically does not require the participation of the housewife, and there is no heat in the apartment from the oven being turned on. Residents of private farms and upper floors, if there is no shade from tall trees nearby, can dry tomatoes in the sun: in the yard or on the balcony.

Electric dryer

How to dry tomatoes in an electric dryer? Procedure:

• Sort the tomatoes, prepare according to the recommendations, cut into pieces of medium thickness;
• place the nutritious product in one layer on trays, sprinkle with thyme, basil, and black pepper for aroma and pleasant taste;
• You can place basil on one tray: the greens will dry out much earlier than the tomatoes, you need to take this point into account;
• set the temperature to no more than 80 C, preferably lower, and start the drying process;
• periodically you need to rearrange the trays with tomatoes to ensure uniform drying of juicy raw materials;
• most models of electric dryers have a timer and a sound signal about the readiness of food;
• During the drying process, it is important to ensure that the tomatoes do not become too hard. Preventing this drawback is quite simple: cut ripe vegetables into medium pieces. By placing thin plates of natural raw materials in an electric dryer, you can get vegetable chips, but this method is not suitable for tomatoes;
• how to check drying quality? Ready tomatoes do not break when pressed;
• put the workpiece for storage in cardboard boxes or containers from which air can be pumped out and placed in the freezer or refrigerator;
• The duration of the drying process depends on many factors, it takes about a day, sometimes more. The dehydrator operates almost silently and does not consume a very large amount of electricity. The process of drying tomatoes does not cause trouble for the housewife and household members.

Sun

The process takes longer than using an electric household appliance, but the quality of the finished product is no worse. Some of the vitamins are lost, but if the rules are followed, you get healthy and tasty raw materials for pizza, borscht, casseroles, and sauces. Housewives in a private courtyard and those with balconies on the sunny side can experiment and prepare a couple of kilograms of tomatoes for the winter in an original way.

How to proceed:

• Place not very thick tomato slices on plastic racks or wooden boards. You should not use a metal base;
• sprinkle the chopped tomatoes with coarse salt, be sure to cover with gauze to protect against flies, mosquitoes, bugs, and harmful insects;
• Place trays with tomatoes in the sun. Turn the natural raw materials three to four times throughout the day;
• In the evening, be sure to bring the tomatoes into your apartment or house: at night, moisture may be absorbed into the pulp, which will disrupt the drying process;
• In the morning, take the tomato slices out into the sun again. Depending on the variety, thickness of the pieces, air temperature, the process of drying tomatoes in the sun lasts from 5 to 10 days. Before you start harvesting, you need to check the forecast for the next ten days so as not to encounter rain and cool weather;
• It is important to check that almost all the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes, otherwise the natural raw materials may become moldy.

Oven

Tomato chips can be prepared at a temperature of about 80 C: this mode does not allow ripe, juicy raw materials to dry out and burn. You need to set up in advance that the drying process in the oven lasts about 15 hours. From time to time you need to check the natural raw materials and turn the slices over. It is important to ensure that the tomato pieces do not break due to excessive dryness.

Baking trays with chopped tomatoes are placed in the oven, preheated to 80 degrees. You should not place too many tomatoes on one sheet: you need to carefully arrange the natural raw materials so that each slice does not touch the neighboring one.

A little history

Dishes with sun-dried tomatoes, and the process of drying this vegetable itself, came to us from Italy. There, at the height of the season, tomatoes are prepared for future use in this way. They are then used in baking, pizza, salads and hot dishes such as risotto. The hot sun of these latitudes allows you to dry pieces of vegetables simply in the fresh air without an oven.

The fruits are cut into halves or quarters, then salted and dried spices are added. In this form, they are laid out on baking sheets, and covered with gauze on top to protect them from dust and insects. The entire process takes about 10 days in good weather conditions. This is how tomatoes retain the maximum amount of beneficial microelements. Due to the rather long drying technology, such tomato products are expensive, but the taste is worth it.

Are there any benefits from sun-dried tomatoes?

Tomatoes are rich in nutrients. They contain:

• Vitamins A, B, K, PP;
• Iodine, magnesium, glucose and manganese;
• Carotene;
• Folic and ascorbic acids;
• Fiber and pectin substances.

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The drying process allows you to preserve most of the listed elements for quite a long time.

Some more beneficial properties of these vegetables:

• Tomatoes help cope with vitamin deficiency;
• Thanks to the fiber they contain, they normalize intestinal function and treat constipation;
• It has been scientifically proven that tomatoes reduce cholesterol levels, thereby preventing the clogging of blood vessels and the formation of cholesterol plaques;
• Their regular use improves memory due to their high lycopene content. It is also the most powerful antioxidant found in food, which can protect DNA and prevent tumorigenesis.

They also have disadvantages. The consumption of tomatoes should be limited to people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

In addition, if you eat them in uncontrolled quantities, over time, salt deposits in the joints and kidney stones are possible. But it’s easy to protect yourself from such side effects. You just need to know when to stop.

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.

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Why should you buy a vegetable and fruit dryer? In a dehydrator, food is dehydrated quite quickly and moisture evaporates. Temperature – no higher than 40 degrees. With this processing mode, dried tomatoes will not only be tasty, but also healthy, without lengthy heat treatment or the addition of preservatives.

Inexpensive models of home dehydrators cost about 2,000 rubles. Service life – 5 years or more. In an electric dryer you can cook not only tomatoes, but also apples, raisins, mushrooms, cereal breads, and vegetable chips.

What you need to know before you start drying tomatoes yourself

• When choosing tomatoes for drying, rely on the fleshiness and size of the fruit. The best choice in our latitudes would be the “cream” and “cherry” varieties. Yellow varieties and green fruits can also be dried. The taste will not be as rich as red ones, but you can try it for color variety.
• You can dry whole tomatoes, but they will dry worse. In this case, choose small fruits.
• It is not advisable to remove the skins and cores of tomatoes. Tomato seeds and peels in dishes give a richer taste. But if for some reason you want to shorten the drying period, then removing these parts is possible.

• The Italian Herbs spice set is great for drying tomatoes. Rosemary, marjoram, thyme (thyme), oregano (oregano), basil serve as natural preservatives and help extend the shelf life of this dish.
• It is imperative to salt the chopped pieces of fruit before drying. Don't skip this step, even if you're a low-salt eater. First, salt draws out water and speeds up drying. And secondly, it kills putrefactive bacteria, which is especially important when cooking in the fresh air.
• Cooking time directly depends on the drying temperature. And the lower the temperature, the better the final product. Otherwise, you may end up with baked rather than sun-dried tomatoes. And this is a completely different taste.
• Remember to turn the tomato slices regularly. Towards the end of the process, you need to start selecting well-cured pieces. After all, the size rarely turns out to be the same, and if you dry everything for the same amount of time, some fruits may dry out and become oaky.
• When pouring oil into sun-dried tomato slices for storage, do not overheat it. High temperatures will kill the taste of the original product.

Proven recipes for sun-dried tomatoes at home

The preparation proportions are approximately the following: for 1 kilogram of tomatoes, you need a tablespoon of coarse salt and a tablespoon of herbs. The finished dried product is greatly reduced in volume. So, from a kilogram of fleshy tomatoes, you can end up with 90 grams of dried vegetables.

Some recipes recommend adding garlic at the drying stage. We do not recommend doing this, since the garlic will have a minimal effect on the taste here, but will permeate the entire room with a pungent odor.

Wash the tomatoes thoroughly, dry them and cut them into equal pieces. You can use halves or quarters. Lay them on the plane on which they will dry, quite tightly and even overlapping. Sprinkle salt and herbs on top.

It is necessary to start drying with greater power so that the beneficial properties are “sealed” in the fruits. But never increase the temperature above 80 degrees. Below we will give an approximate drying time plan for different household appliances. It is approximate because a lot depends on the power of a particular device. The timing reference will be the tomatoes themselves. They should not be dry and brittle, but should bend well and not release juice.

In an electric dryer

Typically, manufacturers themselves provide recommendations for drying. If nothing is said about tomatoes, then focus on drying apples. On average, drying at maximum speed lasts about 7-8 hours.

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In the oven

Preheat the oven to 80 degrees and only then place the baking sheets with tomatoes. The oven door must be left ajar to allow evaporation to escape. If your appliance has a convection function, turn it on. After 2-3 hours, reduce the temperature to 50 degrees and continue drying in this mode.

In the microwave

It will not be possible to wilt tomatoes in the microwave, since even at minimum power you will end up with a baked product. But if you really want to get a dish that tastes close to you, but you don’t have any other equipment at hand, then do it this way. Bake the prepared pieces in the microwave at full power for 5 minutes and leave them there, without opening the lid, for 10 minutes. Then remove and drain all the resulting juice. Then repeat this technology 1-2 times until the vegetables dry out.

In a slow cooker

The multicooker is also not suitable for drying. In addition, there is not enough space for a good distribution of vegetable pieces. For drying, the “Baking” mode is suitable; set it for 5-6 hours. Next, switch to the “Heating” mode for another couple of hours. At the same time, do not forget to leave the valve open so that excess moisture can easily escape

You can also dry tomatoes in a frying pan. But a gas stove is not suitable for this, only an electric one with a heat maintenance mode. To do this, you need to install a net on the bottom of the pan or cover it with thick fabric, and place the fruit on top. The process will also be long - about 8-9 hours. An electric grill will not be able to dry the product, but will simply bake it. Tasty too, but not the same. And such a product will not be stored for long.

A simple recipe for dried tomatoes in the dryer

Sun-dried tomatoes can often be found in stores, but the price is exorbitant. It is much easier to prepare them during the season, because the canning recipe is not at all complicated. I have a Veterok dryer at home, and that’s what I use, but this method is suitable for any similar unit. We will cook in olive oil.

• 4 kilograms of fleshy tomatoes;
• one and a half teaspoons of sea salt;
• a couple of teaspoons of Italian herbs spices;
• one and a half heads of garlic;
• 250 milliliters of olive oil.

How to cook tomatoes in the dehydrator:

1. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the stem.
2. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and juice. This mass can be used to prepare other preparations.
3. Place the tomatoes on a paper towel and leave for 20 minutes. This will get rid of excess liquid.
4. Preheat the dryer without a tray, with the lid on, for five minutes. Place vegetables cut side up on trays and sprinkle evenly with salt and spices.
5. Place the trays in the dryer, one on top of the other. Cover with a lid. Set the temperature to 70 degrees. If you have a timer, set the time - it will take about 9 hours.
6. It is necessary to periodically change the trays, preferably every couple of hours.
7. After nine hours, remove the vegetables from the dryer.
8. Peel the garlic and cut into small rings. Pour the oil into the pan, put the slices in there and heat thoroughly (but not to a boil).
9. Pour oil into the bottom of a sterile container, place a layer of tomatoes, then garlic, cover with oil. Repeat layers until the jar is full. Then roll up the jars and put them away for storage.

Sun-dried tomato sauces and salads

A huge number of delicious and simple dishes can be prepared:

• Pesto sauce. For it you will need 150 g of dried vegetables, 50 g of cheese and nuts, basil and ground paprika (a pinch of this and that), a clove of garlic, 5 tbsp. spoons of olive oil. All ingredients, except cheese and butter, must be crushed to a puree, and then gradually add butter and cheese (ground on a fine grater). The sauce is ready. You can serve it with anything. Some fans simply spread it on bread;
• Salad for dinner. Cut Mozzarella cheese (40 g) into cubes, tomatoes (4 pieces) into strips. Cut green olives (10 pieces) into 4 parts, arrange red onion (half a head) into rings. We tear the leaves of Chinese lettuce with our hands and place the ingredients on them one by one, placing cheese cubes on top. The dish is filled with a dressing made from oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

And you can even make hot sandwiches:

1. Vegetables marinated in oil are mixed with chopped garlic, basil and cheese.
2. The resulting mass is spread on baguettes and placed in the oven or microwave for 5 minutes.

During this time, the cheese will melt and the sandwiches will turn out very tasty. No one has ever refused such a treat.

How to cook “Oven Dried Tomatoes”

Wash the tomatoes, cut out the tough stem.

Then cut each tomato into 4 parts.

Place the tomato quarters on a baking sheet lightly greased with olive oil.

Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with olive oil on top.

Sprinkle with salt, black and red pepper.

Place garlic cloves on tomatoes.

Place the baking sheet with the tomatoes in the oven, preheated to 80 degrees. Dry the tomatoes for 10 hours.

After 10 hours the tomatoes will look something like this.

Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of the jar in which we will store the tomatoes.

Fill the jar with dried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil.

We also pour the oil with tomato juices from the baking sheet into a jar. Fill the remaining space in the jar with olive oil.

Close the jar and that’s it! Oven dried tomatoes should be stored in the refrigerator.

How to store sun-dried tomatoes

There are three ways to store sun-dried tomatoes:

• like dried fruits in a dry, well-ventilated place;
• in oil with spices;
• in the freezer.

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The classic method is storage in a dry place. But if you are afraid that mold may attack the product, it is better to store it in the freezer. Before use, the fruits should be soaked for a day in lightly salted water. This way you will get more tender pulp.

Another option for long-term storage is pouring oil with spices and garlic. Seasonings here are added at your discretion according to personal taste, and in combination with oil they become an excellent preservative. For proper storage, each piece must be well wrapped in oil without access to oxygen. In this case, you need to preheat the oil so that it is more mobile. Pieces should be placed in jars in layers, starting with the first oil layer. For flavor, all layers need to be sprinkled with garlic and herbs.

You can do this: put part of the resulting product in a jar and fill it with oil, and freeze part. As the tomatoes from the jar are eaten, you will add new pieces from the freezer.

Which of these methods is better is a controversial issue. After all, some people like the taste as close as possible to fresh tomatoes, while others like the piquantness of the pieces in oil. It's better to try all the options and decide which side you're on.

Storage of the finished product

If you dry tomatoes correctly, they retain maximum nutrients, but it is also important to provide storage conditions. There are several ways :

1. In a fabric bag at room temperature. Take a bag made of natural fabric to ensure good air circulation. If you don't do this, the vegetables will simply become moldy. For the same reason, it is important to store the bag in a dry and dark room.
2. Store them in a ziplock bag. Once your tomatoes have dried well, store them in a Ziploc bag on a shelf or in the refrigerator for several months. Fill the bag halfway and squeeze out as much of the remaining air as possible to extend the product's shelf life. You can also store tomatoes in an airtight container or jar in the same way. They will be good for 6 months to a year.
3. In the freezer. Indeed, frozen foods retain all their beneficial properties and do not rot or become moldy. Another thing is that no one is protected from a power outage and defrosting of the refrigerator, and food cannot be re-frozen.
4. Conservation. You can pour olive oil over sun-dried tomatoes, add a few cloves of garlic, aromatic herbs and roll up the jars.

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Now you know several ways to dry tomatoes, and you can give your favorite dishes a piquant and unusual taste.

Important! When storing, do not allow tomatoes to spoil or become moldy. If you see mold, don't eat them.

Dried tomatoes: what do they eat with, where can they be added?

Put them in first courses, and soups will no longer be bland. Or make the famous pasta:

• To do this, you will need to cut 500 g of chicken fillet into small cubes, sprinkle it with chopped garlic (4 cloves) and fry in a frying pan;
• Separately, bake sweet peppers (2 pieces) cut into strips in the oven;
• Grind tomatoes (500 g) in a blender to a paste;
• Then mix the meat with baked peppers and tomato paste;
• Sprinkle everything with basil, pour cream (1 cup) and fry a little more.

Pasta (it’s better to use “peri” or “penne”) is cooked until tender, placed on plates and topped with hot sauce before serving. The dish turns out incredibly tasty and satisfying. It is good to serve to guests and for family dinners. It will definitely become one of your favorites.

Sun-dried tomatoes are a real hit among winter preparations. They can be added to porridges, made into marmalade, or simply eaten with potatoes in winter. Now you know how to make dried tomatoes, how to use them and where to put them.

And it becomes clear that this is a universal food. Wherever you use them, they will delight you and your friends with a good feast.

Source: znay.co

Storage methods at home

Today there are several ways to store workpieces. This allows each person to choose the best option.

In a refrigerator

First of all, you should choose the appropriate container. It must be thoroughly washed and sterilized. You need to pour a small amount of salt on the bottom. It will absorb excess moisture and help avoid spoilage of tomatoes.

Then you should put the tomatoes in the container. This is done quite tightly. Garlic is placed on top. It is also recommended to use basil, then sprinkle with salt again. The container should be rolled up and stored in the refrigerator. After opening it can be closed with a nylon lid. In this case, the shelf life of the product is reduced to 1 month.

At home in the closet

It is best to keep sun-dried tomatoes in oil. To do this, you need to put them in a jar, sprinkle with herbs and hot pepper. It is recommended to fill the container with oil on top, close it and place it in a dark place. Allow excess oil to drain before use. Then the tomatoes should be blotted with a napkin.

Where to use in cooking

Sun-dried tomatoes are good in many dishes. They can be added to sauces and when stewing vegetable stews, so they will enhance the tomato flavor. In traditional spiced breads, sun-dried tomatoes add a new twist of flavor. The same goes for pizza. In side dishes, such as pasta or risotto, these tomatoes look beautiful and refresh the taste.

The oil in which the slices are stored will also be useful for you in cooking. During storage, it will absorb the aromas of herbs, garlic and tomatoes, and will become an excellent seasoning, for example, for pasta.

Italian-style tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes are a delicious dish worth trying. It will preserve the taste of summer for the long winter months. And if you followed the technique and patiently dried the product for the allotted time, then such tomatoes will also delight you with a rich set of microelements and vitamins.