Homesteading Skills: Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Make your own sun-dried tomatoes to preserve the last pickings of the season!

Still got some late-season tomatoes from the garden hanging around? If you’re tired of canning (or don’t have enough tomatoes left to can), and the freezer is full, it’s time to pull out the dehydrator!

These delicious “sun-dried” tomatoes (well, they aren’t really dried in the sun, but they’re just as delicious) will keep well into the winter or even longer if you pop them in the freezer – plus they won’t take up nearly as much room as fresh-frozen tomatoes.

This preservation method is also a great way to add some extra flavor to late-season tomatoes that may have been picked green and ripened indoors so they aren’t quite as tasty fresh as the vine-ripened kind.

You can enjoy these homemade sun-dried tomatoes in sauces, pesto, tossed with pasta, chopped and soaked in olive oil and garlic as a salad dressing or dipping sauce for bread, or simply sprinkled with salt as a tasty snack!

Simple Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes

You Will Need: 

• Firm tomatoes (I prefer to use paste-type tomatoes for this (like Romas), but really, any tomato will work)
• Dried basil or oregano (optional)
• Dehydrator (like this one)

Instructions:

1. Wash the tomatoes, cut off the tops, and slice them into roughly ¼” slices.
2. Place the tomato slices on your dehydrator trays, and sprinkle with dried oregano or basil (if desired).
3. Dry the tomatoes at 140-150 degrees for 8-10, or until they are leathery, yet still pliable. (Don’t have a dehydrator? You can also dry them in your oven at 150 degrees for several hours–or until they are leathery.)
4. Remove the ‘”sun-dried” tomatoes from the trays and store in an air-tight container. Store in the freezer or fridge to maximize shelf life.
5. Depending on how much moisture you removed, your tomatoes should last quite a while–especially if you store them in the freezer or fridge.

Recipe courtesy of ThePrairieHomestead.com.

 

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