Bumper Tomato Crop? A Sun-Dried Solution

Someone once told me that if you had to buy zucchini in the summer time, you did not have friends. Anyone can grow an abundance of zucchinis, but this year we are seeing another vegetable (or technically a fruit) overtake our home. We did not even plant tomatoes this year, and we still have an abundance on the kitchen counter and piling up in the laundry room. A produce stand down the road was offering them for fifty cents a pound and I could not resist.

After using all the fresh ones I can manage in salsa and soup and on BLTs, I start drying the extras. One of the greatest advantages to dried tomatoes is they add flavor to even the poorest quality; no tomato goes to waste. Home dried tomatoes are very easy and require little more than hours in the oven. The intense flavor that is created makes even the most pithy or overripe tomato a treasure.

Line baking dishes with parchment paper (available next to the foil and plastic wrap in the grocery store) and brush the paper with olive oil. Slice the tomatoes as evenly as possible, about a quarter on an inch thick. You can vary the thickness, once you determine whether you like them thick or thin, but slicing evenly ensures they will all be done about the same time. Do not remove the skin, but do cut away any blemishes.

Place the baking dishes in a preheated 200 degree oven and allow six to ten hours for drying. When the moisture is gone but the tomatoes are not browned, they are done. Peel them off the paper and place them in a container for the freezer. They keep in the freezer for months or in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

A food dehydrator can also be used, but should be oiled to keep the tomatoes from sticking. The nuances of roasting achieved by drying them in the oven keep me from using my dehydrator for tomatoes. Dried tomatoes can be placed in the blender and crushed into a powder for easy freezer storage. This powder can be mixed with water to make a rich tomato sauce or paste or to thicken sauces or soups.

Dried tomatoes make beautiful gifts, either placed in decorative bags or in jars with olive oil and peppercorns. The robust flavor compliments salad, pasta, or pizza, if you have any left over from snacking. You may find, after trying this easy, delicious drying method that you are searching out more tomatoes, even though you thought you had too many!