Topic: Oven drying tomatoes

[BarriedaleNick]

My tomato glut is coming to and end and after making loads of pasata and a couple of litres of chilli sauce the best thing I can think of is trying to oven dry and preserve in oil maybe..

Never tried it before and although there are plenty of receips out on the web I was just wondering if anyone had anytips.. For example are plum toms better for this or can I use my cherries and salad toms in the same way.
Cheers!

[qahtan]

by the time you have skinned and seeded them you are not going to get much left from your cherries. Plums are they what we call Roma's.
 they are better as they don't have 20 million seeds inside and are not so juicy. at least here they are not. qahtan

 Do you use a lot of dried tomatoes,. qahtan

[Tin Shed]

I made some last year and they were delicious.....until one bit of tomato popped up out of the oil and went mouldy - so that was that.
Lesson was learned and this year I will cover with more olive oil :D

[.]

         
 Started here

 http://www.gastronomydomine.com/2006/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes.html

Have done a tray most days for the last fortnight and don't have enough left to preserve .... yet.

    Next year.....
 
 .
   

[BarriedaleNick]

Cheers everyone  ;D

qahtan - I didnt realise you had to skin and deseed - I was going for a slice and roast approach!

[Jayb]

I don't deseed cherry toms, (I do for some of the larger toms) its the slice and roast/dry approach for me. I love them this way, such intense flavour. Making my mouth water at the thought of them!

[thifasmom]

i did this last year and used just my regular salad and cherry tomatoes i didn't de-seed or skin any.

i can't find the recipe at the moment but it called to marinade in a little of olive oil with some choice herbs, ground black pepper and a little sea salt stuck  them in the oven at a low temp overnight and stored in jars of olive oil in a cupboard keeping the toms covered at all times to prevent spoilage. I used the last of them about a month ago.

the oil that was left behind when i used the last of the sundried tomatoes is beautifully infused with the tomatoes and herbs so it is still in the cupboard and is used from time to time in salads or stir frys, waste not want not.

[chriscross1966]

So they'll preserve for a decent time?..... very interesting.... the freezer is full of pasta sauce already (blended courgettes, lots of San Marzanos and Black Krims plus a couple of Kelsaes, the major picking of the basil and some chives and oregano.....)... but there's another glut of San Marzano ripening through now (sadly the last of the Black Krims have just been picked but they've been good enough this summer to go  from experiment to firm favourite)..... I'll have to find out if the domestic authority will let me make the house smell of tomato (possibly) in exchange for delicious tomato stuff (decent chance)....  I managed not to make the house smell like a bio-warfare experiment with my picallilli session (did it outside on a camping stove :D)..... indeed... that gives me a plan B.... do it in  a dutch oven on a bbq outside.... cunning plan!

[1066]

to be honest when I've made them in the past they've never lasted that long cos they've been gobbled up so fast  ;D

[BarriedaleNick]

Well I got a couple of trays in the oven - Mostly Roma and Aviro, Ill let you know how I go. 

[chriscross1966]

Domestic authority nixed the indoor plan... apparently the gas bill is "too high already"..... so I'll have to dutch it on the BBQ... prolly next weekend.... will save some San Marzano's up.....

[jennym]

I dry tomatoes mostly in a food dryer, it takes 4 kg at a time - you just slice them in half lengthways, I only normally do plum tomatoes, they take about 10 hours. No de-seeding with Romas as qahtan says. Have done them in a fan oven too, at about 70 degrees, but not for so long I think. You have to put them on wire racks if you do them in an oven, as the air cirulation isn't so good, and I open the door a few times too.
If you want to preserve them in oil for a long time, first you soak them in vinegar along with whatever herbs, garlic etc you are using for 24 hours, then drain off and put them in sterilised jars and cover with oil and screw down the lids tightly. You must soak them in vinegar first, as the acid stops them going off.