# Sun Dried Tomatoes...



## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

...actually I'm not gonna fool with 'sun drying', gonna use the dehydrator to dry halved 'Black Cherry' tomatoes when they come on. Never done tomatoes before, my intent is to make flavorful snacks by drying them.

Anyone ever made dried cherry tomato snacks before? What did you season them with?

Experienced tomato driers please come forward and share your knowledge.... 

[add]

Also, has anyone 'semi-dried' tomatoes and stored them away in olive oil?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I have tried both, I personally dont care for either but my mother dries the tomatoes and both her and my dad love them.

With the ones in olive oil, never figured out what to do with them but they do appear to keep wel, didn't seem to add much flavor to the oil though.

Not trying to be a wet blanket but I just focused my attention in other things after I "decided" I didn't much care for either. Its also quite possible that I there are better ways to do it than with how I tried, didn't follow anyones directions, just tried what seemed to me to be the way to do it.



kyredneck said:


> ...actually I'm not gonna fool with 'sun drying', gonna use the dehydrator to dry halved 'Black Cherry' tomatoes when they come on. Never done tomatoes before, my intent is to make flavorful snacks by drying them.
> 
> Anyone ever made dried cherry tomato snacks before? What did you season them with?
> 
> ...


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

I have dried cherry and grape tomatoes. Cut half or thirds if large. About 135 deg, Gonna take a while. I primarily use them for omelets. I saute them with the other veggies. they really add to it. Haven't used them for snacks. Pretty much one pan meals. They add a wonderful little zing. Like sausage, noodles and basil. Sometimes there are just so many, gotta do something with them; besides they are so tasteless in the winter.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

I have always thought that sun-dried tomatoes could be ground up and powdered for use in soups, stews and casseroles.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

We've dried tons of tomatoes on the dehydrator, just slice to the thinnest setting on our mandolin slicer (about 1/4 inch) & dry at 135* until crisp. We like them best on salads, adds a welcome flavor of summer in the winter & some crunch to boot! They are very tasty all by themselves, I ate so many once I ended up with sores in my mouth. . 

Cherry tomatoes are a lot of trouble to cut up, we usually dry a meatier tomato like Roma's. I will dry anything to keep it from ruining, though.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

Some of my tomatoes are coming out of the dehydrator BLACK. Not all of them, maybe about half. Anybody know why?


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

kyredneck said:


> Some of my tomatoes are coming out of the dehydrator BLACK. Not all of them, maybe about half. Anybody know why?


To prevent tomatoes from darkening or turning black, heat the fresh slices before drying. The enzymatic reaction that causes the blackening will be reduced by steaming, blanching or heating in a microwave oven until the slices are heated throughout, but not cooked.Hope it helps.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I have 8 trays of Bradley and Jet Star on the drier now.
I have 12 quarts of dried tomatoes from last year and have never had one turn black!

I used them last year (testing)for a vegetable soup with other dehydrated vegetables with beef bouillon and it was just like fresh vegetable soup.

I also learned if the vegetables/fruit stick to the mesh tray or fruit roll up tray, put in the freezer for a few minutes and they will pop right off! 

If only half are black, are you drying more than one type??? And that could be the difference?


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

readytogo said:


> To prevent tomatoes from darkening or turning black, heat the fresh slices before drying. The enzymatic reaction that causes the blackening will be reduced by steaming, blanching or heating in a microwave oven until the slices are heated throughout, but not cooked.Hope it helps.


Thank you! I had Googled and found this along with some other 'reasons' for them turning black. I was curious to see if anyone else had ran into this problem.

I'm of the curious minded 'do it & see' kind, so I'm gonna do some experimentation along the way (my intent is to dry a lot of tomatoes this season).

Incidentally, the trays from my old round Harvest Maid dryer will just barely fit into the microwave; so I'll nuke (30-45 secs?) some trays of tomatoes beforehand.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

JayJay said:


> I have 8 trays of Bradley and Jet Star on the drier now.
> I have 12 quarts of dried tomatoes from last year and have never had one turn black!
> 
> I used them last year (testing)for a vegetable soup with other dehydrated vegetables with beef bouillon and it was just like fresh vegetable soup.
> ...


Thanks JayJay. Yeah, I'm drying several varieties, and it's interesting what one of the sources  I come accross from my research had to say about her research into the problem which she attributes high moisture content being the cause of blackening tomatoes. She found that meatier less watery tomatoes did not turn black.

What temp do you dry tomatoes?


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

kyredneck said:


> Thanks JayJay. Yeah, I'm drying several varieties, and it's interesting what one of the sources  I come accross from my research had to say about her research into the problem which she attributes high moisture content being the cause of blackening tomatoes. She found that meatier less watery tomatoes did not turn black.
> 
> What temp do you dry tomatoes?


It took *13 hours *to dry the first set so I stopped using the fruit rollup trays, and today, cut back to 4 mesh trays.

Yep--first time ever I had a few darkened dry tomatoes. She's right, because these were so moist and the type had lots of sweetness(sugar) to them.

I have a $35 Presto cheap dehydrator--no temp. gauge and no timer. But, I was just practicing to see if I like dehydrating. When this one 'quits', I may get a good one. It's on the back covered porch now drying more tomatoes.
I may add a few green peppers needing picking to it.

So far, no problems with this cheap one.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

JayJay said:


> It took *13 hours *to dry the first set so I stopped using the fruit rollup trays, and today, cut back to 4 mesh trays. Yep--first time ever I had a few darkened dry tomatoes. She's right, because these were so moist and the type had lots of sweetness(sugar) to them.


I believe what you've just hit upon concerning drying time as it relates to the load imposed upon the dryer is the key to solving the problem of blackening tomatoes.

Simply put, the bigger the load on the dryer the longer the drying time, which in turn increases the likelihood of enzymatic action turning the tomatoes black.

What RTG posted concerning blanching probably does apply to larger loads. To blanch or not to blanch, that is the determination to be made.

My first load was 5 trays with 4 varieties of tomatoes that all dried perfectly in about 15 hrs. The next load was 12 trays with the same varieties plus one, drying time extended over 36 hrs, with about half turning black or very dark.

Fruit rollup trays do increase drying time. By arranging the tomato slices/chunks in the dryer with the skins down the trays aren't neccessary; cherry tomatoes are easy to do this way, simply butterfly and lay them cut side up; larger tomatoes require a little more carving.



> I have a $35 Presto cheap dehydrator--no temp. gauge and no timer. But, I was just practicing to see if I like dehydrating. When this one 'quits', I may get a good one. It's on the back covered porch now drying more tomatoes.
> I may add a few green peppers needing picking to it.
> 
> So far, no problems with this cheap one.


I'm sure your Presto is equipped with a built-in t-stat, I just wonder what the factory set point is. Doesn't matter how 'cheap' it is as long as it is serving your purpose.

I have two >30 yrs old Harvest Maid dryers, a round and a cabinet type; oddly I'd never dried tomatoes till last year, only apples, some misc. veggies & fruits, and tons of jerky.

Pic 1: Butterflied Black Cherry tomatoes cut side up.

Pics 2 & 3: Two oxheart varieties, Anna Russian & Orange Oxheart, that many are choosing over paste tomatoes for processing because of their excellent flavor along with drier and meatier textures.

Pics 4 & 5: Anna Russian going in the dryer, and 10 hrs later (still ongoing). Looking good so far.

Pic 6: Matina tomatoes 10 hrs in (still ongoing), my first year growing this nice little early very flavorful tomato that so far has dried nicely.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

Lol, I snapped Pic 5 this morning in the dark by camera flash and noticed displaced tomato from rear right corner after posting the photo online. The situation has been 'corrected'.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

kyredneck--I also discovered the same tomatoes dried as usual not placing on the fruit roll up trays.
Those trays prevent circulation which is one crucial component in dehydrating.
thanks for the tutorial!!

I also have learned that the tomatoes on the outside dry much faster on my cheap dehydrator so I move them around after a few hours and place the thicker, larger on outside. Seems to work out about right.


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## razorback (Jul 17, 2012)

Looking at the photos, it seems like I am adding a bunch of work to myself. I'm pealing and deseeding mine before I put them on.

I'd love to not have to do this =D


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

razorback said:


> Looking at the photos, it seems like I am adding a bunch of work to myself. I'm pealing and deseeding mine before I put them on.
> 
> I'd love to not have to do this =D


Tomatoes???

That's the beauty for me in not canning--no steaming, no peeling, just slice and dry.


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## razorback (Jul 17, 2012)

JayJay said:


> Tomatoes???
> 
> That's the beauty for me in not canning--no steaming, no peeling, just slice and dry.


COOL!!!

I'm trying to make tomato powder the end product with the dried ones.

Last night I was trying my hand at Salsa and guess what step NO. 1 was, peel the tomato LOL!!!

I have about 6 dozen San Marzano tomatoes on my counter, tonight I will just slice and see how it goes =D


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

razorback said:


> COOL!!!
> 
> I'm trying to make tomato powder the end product with the dried ones.
> 
> ...


I made salsa last night--tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, touch of cumin and cayenne, green pepper, cilantro, lime juice, salt/pepper, garlic.
I will make more and water bath it; it is good.

I have so many dried tomatoes, I plan on making tomato powder too. Will come in handy for meatloaf, spag. sauce, chili, soups.

Gene's friend sent a jar of homemade salsa here last summer--we both took a bite and spit it out at the same time.
How can you fail with Salsa??


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

JayJay said:


> kyredneck--I also discovered the same tomatoes dried as usual not placing on the fruit roll up trays.
> Those trays prevent circulation which is one crucial component in dehydrating.
> thanks for the tutorial!!
> 
> I also have learned that the tomatoes on the outside dry much faster on my cheap dehydrator so I move them around after a few hours and place the thicker, larger on outside. Seems to work out about right.


Both my driers have spots that dry quicker than others; I try to rearrange the trays during the drying process to get a more even finish.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

razorback said:


> Looking at the photos, it seems like I am adding a bunch of work to myself. I'm pealing and deseeding mine before I put them on.
> 
> I'd love to not have to do this =D


I've learned that the bigger tomatoes are more apt to blacken, smaller ones, like 2" dia and down, work perfect and need no blanching. I microwave blanched another entire load of large tomatoes and still ended up with about 25% blackened product.

These are two of my three favorites for drying this year, Black Prince and Moravski Div. The other is Matina, a very flavorful dried tomato.


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