Tomatoes - what can be dried?

[fitzsie]

Can any variety of tomatoes be dried? if so what is the best way of doing it. I have loads of Tumblers going red which are not going to be eaten, I've made a relish with courgettes but need to do something else with them.Will have some large toms soon as well and looking to find something new to do with them.

[fitzsie]

[goodlife]

Yes...but what ever is left after drying them is another matter..
If you have tomato with lots of 'juice'..and thin flesh..they might not dry out properly and after scooping the juice away little would be left to dry.
But trying tumblers would be good idea. I would just cut them half and dry them like that.
Have you got food dryer?..or is it going to be oven job?

[Ellen K]

I dried a load last year - it is getting the oven time right that is difficult, even 2 similar tomatoes may need different times so you have to keep an eye on them.

Slice any tomato in half, on to a baking tray cut side up then in to the oven at 50C for 12 to 18 hours.  That is from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian.  And it really does concentrate the tomato flavour, lovely.

[fitzsie]

The tumblers have been quite thick skinned for littl'uns so I might give them a go in the oven. I take it a warm airing cupboard is no good. Have dried chillies in there with great success.

How do you keep the tomatoes once they've been dried - if successful........ :)

[Gadget]

I do a lot of oven drying of tomatoes of all varieties, my method which works everytime is this:

Oven 120c/250f/gas mark 1/2

in a bowl mix (this can be stored in a jar and kept for up to a year or more)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of caster sugar
good ground of pepper
(dried thyme optional)

Cut tomatoes in half lengthways, place on oven tray, put a pinch of salt/sugar mix on each half, remember not too much as it does concentrate, then bake in the oven for about 2/3 hours and then they are perfectly done...I then keep mine in olive oil.

:)

[fitzsie]

Just used this recipe and only one word -  delish!!!

Have only used my little Tumblers but I followed the recipe, only difference was that it took a lot of hours to dry and had to play around with oven temp. End result though was brilliant. Now have a small jar of dried toms in olive oil ready to use.  Great way to use up extra tomatoes

thxs Gadget