Here's the process I followed, in case you'd like to try them on your own.
1. Start with a BUNCH of tomatoes. (Once dried, the tomatoes shrink to about 1/4 their original size.) Home-grown Roma tomatoes are best. This was very convenient for us, since Dave and I had a surplus of Roma tomatoes from our garden.
2. Slice the tomatoes into whatever size pieces you prefer. Some sources suggest just slicing them in half. I did fourths because I prefer smaller sun-dried tomato pieces in my dishes. Place the tomatoes on some cookie sheets or another flat movable surface.
3. Place the sheets of tomatoes on your car dashboard or in another place in your car that gets a lot of hot sunlight shining through. Leave them there for about two days. (You can also use the oven or your back porch while it's hot and sunny. The oven will take about 8 hours at 200 degrees, using your back porch will take about two weeks(!). There are quite a few sources online that provide instructions if you'd rather use one of those methods.)
4. Continue to check on the tomatoes until they are done. You will know they're ready when they are flexible, sort of like a gummy bear. You don't want them to have any moisture left in them (this will lead to mold), and you also don't want them to be crispy.
5. Store them however you think is best. Again, I did a lot of research online. I decided to put them in an airtight Ziploc freezer bag and put them in our freezer. They are supposed to last several months that way.
And there you have it. Homemade sun-dried tomatoes, and lots of money saved. Yay!!
perfect! hubby loves sun dried tomatoes. and our tomatoes are growing a-plenty over here.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that looks delicious! I'm impressed. :-)
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