Dried Tomatoes (uses dehydrator or oven) - xpost

[Guest guest]

xpost Veg-Recipes, MC-Recipes

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Dried Tomatoes (uses dehydrator or oven)

 

Recipe By :Printed in Oregonian FoodDay Newspaper - 09/03/02

Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Tomatoes

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

7 pounds firm ripe Roma (Italian) tomatoes -- (7 to 8 lbs.)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

- or mixture of dried basil, oregano and thyme --

(optional)

2 teaspoons salt -- (optional)

white or red wine vinegar -- (optional)

1 1/4 cups olive oil -- about (optional)

 

Makes about 1 pint.

 

Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Cut out the stem and the hard portion of

core lying under it. Halve the tomatoes if they are less than 2 inches long;

quarter them if they are larger. With the tip of a knife or your index finger,

scrape out most of the seeds without removing the pulp.

 

Depending on your method of drying (food dehydrator, oven or sun), arrange the

tomatoes, cut surface up, on the dehydrator's drying trays or on nonstick cookie

sheets. Combine the Italian seasoning with the salt, and sprinkle a small amount

over the surface of each tomato. (The Italian seasoning and salt are not used

for food safety reasons; they are strictly there for flavor, so if you want to

eliminate them or cut back the proportions, do so.)

 

TO DRY IN DEHYDRATOR: Dry the tomatoes according the manufacturer's

instructions, or as directed below for the oven method. For the most perfect,

beautifully shaped tomatoes, turn them every hour or two. They're done when

they're dry but still pliable -- similar to the texture of a dried apricot.

 

The tomatoes will not all dry at the same rate. As they reach the right degree

of dryness, remove them from the oven or dehydrator.

 

Place dried tomatoes in airtight containers and store in the cool, dark, portion

of the pantry, or freeze. To store in olive oil: Dip tomatoes in a saucer of

white or red wine vinegar, shake off the excess, and pack in the olive oil. Make

sure they are completely immersed. The vinegar dip may sound silly, but I've

tried several methods, and the vinegar treatment makes the difference between a

good dried tomato and a great one. When the jar is full, cap it tightly and

store at cool room temperature for at least a month before using.

 

To guard against your oil turning rancid, consider storing your jars in the

refrigerator. The oil will turn cloudy and become thick, but it will thin out

and clear up at room temperature. However, if you follow the vinegar-dip

guidelines, you may not have a problem with rancidity. I've stored unopened

oil-packed tomatoes in my pantry for up to two years without a problem. It's

your call.

 

As tomatoes are removed from a jar, add more oil as necessary to keep the

remaining tomatoes covered.

 

OVEN-DRYING METHOD: Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on jellyroll pans and bake

at 170 degrees for about 3 hours. Leave the oven door propped open about 3

inches to allow moisture to escape. After 3 hours, turn the tomatoes over, cut

side down, and press flat with a spatula. Continue to dry, turning every few

hours and gently pressing flatter and flatter, until the tomatoes are dried.

This procedure may take about 12 hours, but often takes a significantly shorter

time, depending on the moisture content of the tomatoes.

 

Avoid overdrying, which causes toughness. If not dried enough, tomatoes will

mold. (If you have any doubts, store them in the freezer to prevent molding.)

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standa\

rd.xsl?/base/living/1030622132318283.xml

 

S(Formatted and posted by:):

" BrendaAdams "

Yield:

" 1 pint "

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -