Last time, we took a look at our first method of tomato preservation, hot pack canning whole tomatoes.
Today, I am going to share with you another method of preserving your tomato harvest to enjoy year round.
Our cherry tomatoes are always the first variety to ripen and the last to finish producing. As Summer begins to make its transition in to Fall, we find ourselves with an overabundance of these tiny tomatoes packed full of flavor.
Sun dried tomatoes host a great deal of nutrients in a tiny package – they are a good source of the antioxidant lycopene, vitamins C and K, and iron. Their tangy flavor make a great addition to soups, stews, salads, pasta and pizza. I personally enjoy eating them alone as a snack. For these sun dried tomatoes, all you’ll need is an oven! Follow these steps below to enjoy a taste of summer throughout the year.
1. Wash and dry your cherry tomatoes.
2. Position your oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
4. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and line them on the parchment paper, cut side up.
5. Season the tomatoes however you’d like. For this batch, I used a pinch of each of the following: salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, and oregano. Feel free to experiment with other dried herbs.
6. Place the sheet of cherry tomatoes in the oven and bake for two hours. Once you hit the two hour mark, you’ll want to check the tomatoes every ten minutes or so. Oven temperatures and tomato moisture content varies, so it can take up to three hours for your tomatoes to dry.
7. Allow them to cool completely before enjoying!
TIP: The texture you should aim for should be chewy and not crispy or crunchy.
Storage Tips:
- Sun dried tomatoes will keep in the fridge or freezer in a sealed plastic bag for approximately six months.
- You can also store them in a jar with oil for up to two weeks.
- One of my favorite storage methods is to store them in a vacuum sealed storage bag, using our Seal-a-Meal Vacuum Sealer System. This one touch sealer removes all of the air in the bag, ensuring your sun dried tomatoes don’t lose any of that flavor. We use the Seal-a-Meal Vacuum Sealer System to preserve many of the vegetables we freeze from the garden, as well. Below is a link of the sealer itself, as well as the smaller bags that are perfect for storing these little snacks.
Seal-a-Meal Manual Vacuum Sealer System & Starter Bags
Sun Dried Cherry Tomatoes in the Oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes (or as many as you'd like to dry)
- salt and pepper to taste
- herbs and seasonings to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry your cherry tomatoes.
- Position your oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half and line them on the parchment paper, cut side up.
- Season the tomatoes however you'd like.
- Place the sheet of cherry tomatoes in the oven and bake for two hours. Once you hit the two hour mark, you'll want to check the tomatoes every ten minutes or so. Oven temperatures and tomato moisture content varies, so it can take up to three hours for your tomatoes to dry.
- Allow them to cool completely before enjoying.