How to make dried tomatoes and preserve them correctly

 

Dried tomatoes are a delicious garnish for meats and salads, they also lend themselves very well to dress pasta and for the preparation of focaccias and other types of bread, and preserved in oil they are perfect for snacking. We can buy them ready-made, but the taste of what we can make at home, perhaps with tomatoes picked from our own garden, has no comparison.

That is why today we bring you this proposal: how to make dried tomatoes at home, from the drying phase to the preparation of the preserve.

 

How to make dried tomatoes

 

Dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have undergone a drying process, either in the sun or in the oven, losing their natural moisture, and consequently the flavor of the tomato intensifies. They can be dried in the sun, which is the â € Ÿclassic ”way but it requires many days, or in the oven, and in just one day we will have the dried tomatoes. We will see the two options

 

 

First phase: clean and prepare the tomatoes

You can use any kind of tomatoes, but the most recommended are pear tomatoes, due to their lower water content. They should be washed very well under running water and dried with kitchen paper. Then they are cut in half or quarters, and the center is removed if it is very hard

 

Second phase: drying

In the sun: arrange the tomatoes on a platter, with the seeds facing up, separated from each other. Season with plenty of salt and if you want some aromatic herb, cover the source with a mosquito net to prevent insects from approaching, and put the tomatoes in the sun. The stronger the sun and the less humidity there is, the faster the tomatoes will dry, so it is advisable to prepare the dried tomatoes in summer. When the sun goes down, take the fountain indoors, and take it out again the next day. This operation must be repeated for several days, about a week, until the tomatoes are very dry.

Baked: This method is much faster, although drying is less effective, so tomatoes tend to keep for less time. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet in the same way as in the previous explanation, and take them to the oven at 65º for at least 6 hours, turning them from time to time. When the tomatoes have lost moisture and are tough and not sticky, it's time to remove them from the oven.

 

 

Third phase: preserves it

Once the tomatoes have cooled, put inside a previously sterilized glass jar, together with a clove of garlic, basil and a little pepper, squeezing them a little so that there is little air between tomato and tomato, but being careful not to not spoil them.

Cover completely with extra virgin olive oil and make sure that there are no air balls inside the bottle. If necessary after a few hours add oil again so that the tomatoes are completely submerged. If the drying process has been done correctly, the dried tomatoes will last for several months.

It is advisable to wait at least a week before consuming them so that the preserve takes on flavor.