It's time for the year when the price of fruit has reached its minimum, ideally suited for the preparation of dried tomatoes in large quantities. To make a workpiece with your own hand is elementary simply, although the process of removing excess moisture from the fruit takes a lot of time.
Sun-dried tomatoes in the oven
The simplest recipe for sun-dried tomatoes includes ripe tomatoes and a little salt, but we'll go ahead and savor the assortment of assorted dried herbs.
For a recipe, it is better to choose small tomatoes, cream, they do not contain too much moisture, and therefore much more quickly dried. Give preference to the fruits as much as possible in size so that all the pieces are ready at about the same time.
Ingredients:
- ripe tomatoes - 3.5 kg;
- salt - 2 teaspoons;
- Dried basil , oregano, thyme - 1 teaspoon.
Preparation
Before you can cook sun-dried tomatoes at home, make a simple mixture of spices by combining the salt with dried herbs.
Divide the tomatoes into four pieces and remove the core with the seeds from each quarter. Spread tomatoes on a parchment covered with a baking sheet and generously sprinkle with a mixture of salt and dried herbs.
The most accessible way of harvesting sun-dried tomatoes is their dehydrogenation in the oven at a temperature of about 75-80 degrees. Leave fruit for 3 hours, while slightly opening the oven door to ensure air circulation. After 3 hours, turn the pieces and lightly press them with the spatula. Leave it still for 3 hours or until the excess moisture comes out of the tomato completely. The exact time depends on the size of the pieces and the amount of moisture in the fruit.
Sun dried tomatoes in an electric dryer
Better than an electric dryer with drying tomatoes can not cope with anything. Prepare the amount of fruit that will fit in your device, given that the pieces do not need to touch each other. Divide each tomato in half and remove the core with the seeds. Season the tomatoes with salt and leave at a temperature of 70 degrees for approximately 8 hours. Note that small tomatoes and medium-sized tomatoes are suitable for drying. Given the size of the selected tomatoes, the preparation time for dried tomatoes can vary.
Sun dried tomatoes at home
If you harvest tomatoes in sunny weather, you can leave them to drift directly into the sun. This method will do, if you live in a not too humid climate.
Prepare small wooden boxes, covering them with nylon net. On top of the mesh layer, place the tomato peeled tomatoes with a cut down, season each of the pieces with salt, add dried herbs or garlic as desired. Cover the pieces with a layer of gauze and leave in the sunniest place for a day and a half. After a while turn over the tomatoes and leave them for another day and a half, also not forgetting about the condiments.
Make sure that between the boxes with tomatoes circulated air, and during a bad weather or at night, leave the boxes in a dry place.
Well dried tomatoes remain dry, but retain plasticity, like dried apricots.
How to store sun dried tomatoes?
For short storage, you can use paper or canvas bags, which are placed in a dry and well ventilated place. If you harvest fruits in large batches, then store tomatoes in cans of butter. To prepare tomatoes dried in oil for the winter, put them in clean and dry jars, you can add a plate of garlic or a sprig of rosemary, and then pour everything with olive oil , completely covering the contents of the container.