Sunday, September 21, 2008

"Sun-Dried" Tomatoes

This is the time of year when cherry or cocktail tomatoes are falling off the bushes and you can barely eat them all. So what I do is to "sun-dry" them, but not in the sun, in the oven. It's simple to do and you can do a lot with the tomatoes.

Here's how to do it:
  • Cut the tomatoes in half length-wise and flatten them on a cookie sheet.
  • Brush or spray with good-quality olive oil
  • Sprinkle with sea salt or other salt.
  • You can also add sprigs of rosemary or slivers of garlic.
  • Set the oven to its lowest possible temperature. If you've got a gas oven, set to warm
  • Check the tomatoes every hour or so until they're leathery.

Depending on the temperature of your oven and the size of the tomatoes, this will take anywhere from three to twelve hours. Don't over-cook them or they will become bitter and brittle. The house will smell amazing and you'll be tempted to pop some dried tomatoes into your mouth the minute they're done.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you remove the seeds they will keep longer. The seeds retain moisture after the tomatoes are dry. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They last for as long as 2 weeks!!!!!

Katie said...

thanks for this post - I am definitely going to do this...wow, I am salivating at the thought :)

Pigtown*Design said...

Anon... thanks for that tip. Next time, I will have to make an effort to get rid of the seeds. But since they usually only stay around for a few days before I eat them, I don't worry!

Lucky said...

oh yeahhhhh!