Don’t worry kids, health food and specialty stores are making a buck and they’re going to rush you in the store selling sun dried tomatoes! You may already know that sun-dried tomatoes are high in antioxidants, namely Vitamin A & C that can lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes; and they contain lycopene, which has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. But did you know that you can do it for a fraction of the cost that you would pay on health food? That’s right, you can make sun-dried tomatoes right in your own kitchen. It’s easy to make and you’ll soon have a cheap and easy supply of just the delicious sun-dried tomatoes for all your recipe needs.
Granted, you can’t sun-dry your tomatoes unless you live on the equator, but you can make these delicious tomatoes at home with a food dehydrator or in a conventional oven.
Choose the right tomatoes: Make small meaty the best sun-dried fruit tomatoes. Plum and Pomegranate are ideal. The larger varieties of beefsteak contain too much moisture to hold the good sun-dried tomato.
Chop and drain: Wash and dry the tomatoes. Chop them into 1⁄2 inch slices and place them on paper towels on Food Dehydrator Method: If you have a food dehydrator, try to cover the tomato slices. Depending on the number of guns you want to use at once, they may take up to 12 hours to dry. Check them every few hours and move the guns around if needed.
Oven Method: If you have an oven, you’re in luck. Layered slices on wire racks or lined with foil in pans. A pilot light in the oven will provide enough heat to dry your tomatoes in 12 to 20 hours.
If you have an electric oven, set a heating timer. The opener should be slightly overheated.
Doneness Test: Your skinned tomatoes are ready. The texture should be similar to a cut with some flexibility. Care must be taken not to remove them if they are still soft and squishy, or to dry them until they become brittle.
Storage: Once the sun-dried tomatoes are cooled; can be stored in plastic bags storage for up to 6 months or in the freezer for up to a year
Seasoned in oil: If you like, sun-dried tomatoes can be seasoned with seasoned oil. Simply re-hydrate them slightly until they are chewy, dip them in white vinegar and replace them in olive oil with the desired amount of herbs and garlic. These should be refrigerated to preserve flavor and color, and to prevent spoilage.
To Re-Hydrate Tomatoes: Just soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water, sauce or oil for 10 to 15 minutes until they are plump and soft.
You will have a cheap and easy supply of sun-dried tomatoes to make a small fortune in health food or your own. treasures. Use these tomatoes as you would any commercial sun dried tomatoes.
Sources: Health Benefits of Sun Dried Tomatoes.ValleySun.com
