Dry tomatoes in the oven

Dried tomatoes are delicious. Unfortunately, it is also very expensive. So here are instructions on how to dry tomatoes in the oven yourself.

Dried tomatoes are often used in Mediterranean cuisine. For example, to refine salads or to give sauces a very special taste. But dried tomatoes also taste delicious on sandwiches. It is therefore worth drying tomatoes yourself. The great thing is that you can preserve the tomatoes in this way. So this is perfect when the tomato harvest has been plentiful.

This is how tomatoes are traditionally dried

In the countries around the Mediterranean, such as Spain, Turkey, Italy or Greece, the tomatoes are simply dried in the blazing sun. After the harvest, the fruits are washed, cut in half or quarters and then spread out flat on sieves, cloths, foils, pallets or nets and dried in front of the house. The tomatoes then lie in the sun for between three and five days. The use of sea s alt not only extends the shelf life, the drying process is also much shorter.

Tomatoes have been dried and preserved in this way in the Mediterranean region for many centuries. Unfortunately, the sun does not shine as reliably and intensively here as around the Mediterranean. But we can still dry our tomatoes ourselves. We just make use of the oven. In midsummer, it would of course also be theoretically possible to dry the tomatoes outdoors for a few days if the weather stays dry. However, it is more reliable and faster in the oven. This is basically the same as drying tomatoes in the dehydrator.

❍ Step 1:

First, the tomatoes are thoroughly washed and carefully dried. Then they are cut in half to be able to remove the seeds and the juice with a teaspoon. The fruit is then dried on the inside with a kitchen towel.

❍ Step 2:

Place the tomatoes, open side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then season with coarseSea s alt so the tomatoes absorb water and dry faster. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 90 degrees with top and bottom heat. Once the temperature is reached, the tomatoes go in at medium height.

❍ Step 3:

While the tomatoes are drying in it, the oven door should remain slightly open, because the humidity in the oven must not be too high. This would hinder the drying process. If liquid collects in the tomatoes, you should remove it from time to time.

Allow five to ten hours for the tomatoes to cook. That always depends on the quantity and size of the tomatoes. They are good when they are as tough as apple rings and no more moisture escapes.

❍ Step 4:

Now let the sun-dried tomatoes cool down completely. You can then fill them in a screw-top jar. To prevent them from absorbing moisture or getting moldy, it is best to add some uncooked rice.

You can pickle the sun-dried tomatoes if you like. Just add some olive oil and herbs and put the jar in the fridge for a few days.