Sun-dried tomatoes and how to prepare them easily but not quickly for sure, it takes many hours. Not having the possibility to lay the tomatoes in the sun to dry, I used my oven which, among the many functions that not only cook but also steam food, also has the drying mode, a real ally in the kitchen. From a recent trip to Puglia, I returned home with several pounds of tomatoes, they were so sweet and tasty that I immediately thought about how to preserve them for use in the coming months. Obviously, one way is to dry them as is done in the southern regions of Italy, and not having enough sun available in September, I used a very easy method with the help of my super oven with a dryer.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 92.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.00 (g) of which sugars 22.50 (g)
- Proteins 2.75 (g)
- Fat 1.00 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 2.50 (g)
- Sodium 3,888.30 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 2 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4.4 lbs cherry tomatoes
- 2.8 oz salt
- Oven
- Grill
- Parchment Paper
Guys, to prepare 12.7 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes, you need 4.4 lbs of fresh ones, scale in hand!
After washing and drying them well, I cut them in half and placed them on the grill with parchment paper, cut side up.
I sprinkled salt over each individual tomato.
In the meantime, I turned on the oven setting the temperature to 158°F drying mode for 10 hours. After that, I flipped them and continued drying for another 8 hours at 176°F.
Here they are ready to be stored for the winter as a tasty side dish and not only that. There are many recipes with sun-dried tomatoes and how to prepare them.
Storing Sun-Dried Tomatoes
To store sun-dried tomatoes, all you need is a jar with an airtight seal in the pantry, no need to keep them in the fridge. The important thing is to ensure that the tomatoes are completely dry and moisture-free, otherwise they could mold when sealed in jars or plastic bags.
FAQ
Can you use any type of tomatoes?
Yes, you can use any type of tomatoes, although San Marzano are always the most used because they are less watery.
What is the best time to prepare sun-dried tomatoes?
July and August remain the ideal months to prepare sun-dried tomatoes for two reasons: first, for seasonality, as tomatoes are in full production. The second reason, mainly concerning southern Italy, is the sun, which dries the tomatoes laid in the sun quickly during these months.
