Sun Dried Tomatoes

So I commented earlier that I had tomatoes I wanted to use.


Here's why...

$3.00 for all those over ripe tomatoes!

How could I pass that up?  I couldn't.

And I knew exactly what to do with them.

SUN DRIED TOMATOES OF COURSE!

I LOVE making my own.  Mostly because then I don't have to spend the $$ on buying them.  I'm a girl on a budget and while tasty, sun dried tomatoes can be a little pricey when they're not a necessary ingredient for a dish I'm preparing.  They tend to be something I use when I have them but not something I HAVE to have.  I hate that too, because I LOVE them.  Especially in humus.  I think know that sun dried tomato humus is my favorite!

But I'm also a city girl and I can't just set tomatoes out to dry in the sun and expect them to still be there in 10 minutes.  We have birds, squirrels, and a Beagle who can sniff out food miles away.  Not to mention does ANY ONE actually use the sun to dry tomatoes anymore.  This is 2011 after all.  We have technology to help us.

Step 1:  Find an insanely good deal on roma tomatoes.

Step 2:  Quarter & de-seed the tomatoes.  Cut a slit in the skin of each quarter.

Step 3:  Pull out your ANCIENT dehydrater,  remember that Christmas is only a few months away and start planing your wish list, bring your focus back to the tomatoes & load up that old, old, old dehydrater.

Turn it on & walk away.

Mine runs for about 12 hours but after 8 I start checking it.  Pull tomatoes off as they seem done.  Ideally they'll be dry but not crunchy.  

Keep on cooking

Let cool on a plate. Bag your finished tomatoes & throw in the fridge.

If you see condensation on the bag after a day then you'll want to dehydrate them some more. :)

Helpful Tip:

I've over done them in the past and

a few minutes soak in water will bring them back from crunchy.