Sun-Dried Tomatoes Dried in the Sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While cleaning out my storage this Summer, I stumbled on a bamboo tray I bought 3 years ago. Talk about impulse buying! What attracted me to this tray when I bought it was the net cover which was sure to keep insects and other unwanted visitors away from whatever it will be used for. Fast forward 3 years later, I used it to make sun-dried tomatoes the old fashioned way:  in the sun! OK, I’m gonna come clean: I found tomatoes on sale in my local grocery store and decided it was too good a deal to pass by and that was when I thought about sun-dried tomatoes. There you have it! Traditionally, tomatoes were dried as a means of preservation. Now, most foodies do it because of the intense flavor and rich taste sun-dried tomatoes give to dishes. I will most likely be using these to make stews and other tomato-based sauces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this day and age, there are quicker ways of making “sun-dried” tomatoes in the oven. I have a post here on how to do this. Is one method better than the other? I can’t say for sure. For one, you save gas/electricity by drying in the sun. On the flip side, you do not have to wait for a couple of weeks to arrive at the end product by using an oven. I however suspect there might be some nutritional benefits of drying them in the sun. I’d carry out that research some other time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOOLS:

(1) Drying Mat/Rack/Tray (Preferably with an aerated cover like a net)

(2) A Knife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PROCESS:

(1) Wash your tomatoes and slice them into halves. If you want them to dry quicker, seed them. I did not want to lose out on any flavor and chose to leave the seeds in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Place the tomatoes on your drying medium and leave them to dry in the sun. Its that easy! Of course, you have to make arrangement for someone to bring them in at night or when its about to rain. The drying process could take anywhere from 10 to 15 days depending on a lot of factors such as amount of sun exposure, how juicy or large the tomatoes are, et cetera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) When they are dry enough, give them a quick rinse in water to remove any dust or particles which might have gotten to the tomatoes. Dry them for 12 to 24 hours more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Pack the dried tomatoes into air tight bags and place them in the fridge or freezer. Why fridge or freezer? Well, I did not dry the tomatoes until they were devoid of any moisture. A little bit of moisture is good just in case you want to use them in salads, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

END NOTE:

To use sun-dried tomatoes in stews, sauces and soups, simply re-hydrate them in hot or cold water and blend with other ingredients.