Recipe for making sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in a vegetable dehydrator

You can prepare sun-dried tomatoes in the dryer for use during the winter yourself. They are dried in the summer, when vegetables are relatively cheap. The cost of such a Mediterranean preparation for the winter will be several times cheaper than dried tomatoes in store-bought jars. If desired, you can change the ingredients according to your preference.


To add piquancy to them during processing, recipes allow you to add the following spices:

  • oregano;
  • thyme;
  • basil;
  • hot peppers;
  • lemon zest and others.

You can dry it for the winter in several ways: under the sun, in the oven or in a specially purchased dryer. According to users, sun-dried tomatoes in an electric dryer compare favorably with dried vegetables in two other ways. The sun is not always active, there are also rainy days, and a convection oven draws a lot of electricity and heats up the already high temperature of the kitchen too much.

The oven of a gas stove is definitely not suitable for drying vegetables, since it is impossible to create a fire of the required intensity to maintain the required temperature. In addition, it heats unevenly: some tomato slices may burn, while others remain undried.

Cooking process in a special dryer

This is a very simple and affordable way to dry tomatoes. To prepare you will need:

  • 5 kg of tomatoes;
  • balsamic vinegar - 3 tsp;
  • sunflower oil - 150 g;
  • spices, salt and sugar;
  • garlic.

Sun-dried tomatoes

To make sun-dried tomatoes at home, you should buy vegetables with a dense middle. Usually plum tomato varieties have this property. They have a suitably small size and oblong shape. In addition, they are easy to grow in your garden.

Preparing vegetables

Before preparing sun-dried tomatoes for the winter, they should be thoroughly washed and dried with a towel.

Ripe specimens without visible damage in the form of dents or rot are selected. It is advisable to select small fruits of the same size so that their cooking time is the same.

If the tomatoes are too juicy, then use a small spoon to remove the seeds and juice without disturbing the partitions. The selected center can be frozen and then used as an additive when preparing dishes where fresh tomatoes are added (stews, soups, sauces).

Recipe for making sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in a vegetable dehydrator

In plum-shaped varieties there is no need to remove the seeds - they are the ones who give the original taste of sun-dried tomatoes. Then the halves prepared in this way are placed cut side down on a paper towel for 10–15 minutes to allow the juice to drain. This will speed up the drying process.

Spices

The spices used for tomatoes to be dried must be dry. These seasonings have a richer aroma. In a small container, mix seasonings with salt and sugar. There is no need to maintain any proportions. Provençal herbs and basil are considered a good addition to this preparation, but not everyone likes them. You can use seasonings of your choice, such as ground black pepper, dried dill and parsley.

tomatoes on the dryer

For drying, it is better to use coarse salt, as fine salt will quickly melt and can drain from the fruit. In this process, sugar is added not only as a preservative - it adds a unique taste to the finished tomatoes. But if you categorically do not welcome spices, then some recipes allow you to dry without them, just adding a little salt to the tomatoes.

Placing vegetables in the dryer and drying

Immediately before placing vegetables in the dryer, they are sprinkled with spices and lightly sprayed with sunflower or olive oil. Then the tomatoes are laid out on the dryer in an even layer, cut side up. Recipes for drying tomatoes do not recommend using garlic as a seasoning at this stage: it can adversely affect the aroma of the finished product.

After turning on the dryer, 10 to 16 hours should pass. The time varies depending on the size of the fruit, its juiciness, the power of the device and the selected temperature. The optimal setting is 50 degrees.

It is recommended to swap trays during the drying process. The moisture should completely evaporate. If during the drying process a puddle appears under some tomatoes, it must be blotted with a napkin. The main thing is that the vegetables do not dry out: the tomatoes must retain their elasticity. This can be checked by pressing on them: if no liquid comes out of the tomatoes, then the vegetables are ready. You need to check them periodically and remove the finished pieces from the dryer.

Let it dry during the daytime. You can put the dryer on early in the morning so that everything is ready by evening. It's easier to tinker with rearranging trays during the day.

After cooking, the dryer turns off, but the vegetables remain in it until they cool completely, and at this time the filling is prepared.

Preparing the filling and placing it in a jar

Olive oil is traditionally used to fill tomatoes. But you can treat them with refined sunflower, which has no odor. Imbued with the aroma of spices and herbs, sunflower will be similar to olive. So, combine vegetable oil with vinegar and chopped garlic cloves. Then pour a little prepared filling into the bottom of a sterilized jar and lay out a layer of tomatoes. Then pour the prepared mixture again.

sun-dried tomatoes recipe

During the laying process, you need to make sure that no air bubbles remain. There should be a fill at the top of the jar, about 1 cm higher than the sun-dried tomatoes. After this, the prepared canned food can be rolled up with a sterile lid. Store in a refrigerator. After a week, the finished tomatoes can be used.

If dried vegetables will be stored for a short time, you can fill them with cold pouring, just adding a little balsamic vinegar. But when preparing for the winter, you should heat the oil with spices until it boils.

Storage and use

You can simply store sun-dried tomatoes in a dry container with a lid or in a paper bag, but in the refrigerator, and steam in warm water before use. The recipes for their preparation differ only in the presence of filling.

This portion of tomatoes will make just two 400 gram jars. Tomatoes dried in a vegetable dehydrator can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6 months. For a small family, it is enough to prepare 4–5 jars for the winter.

Numerous recipes call for dried vegetables to be added to entrees or baked goods. They have an original aroma and incredible taste. They are added to salads, sauces for spaghetti or meat. Very tasty when added to pizza.

They are served to the table as an independent snack along with bruschetta or cheese. Used as an ingredient for sandwiches. For example, it will be delicious if you put a basil leaf, a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes and a circle of mozzarella on toast.

mygarden-en.decorexpro.com
Add a comment

;-) :| :x :twisted: :smile: :shock: :sad: :roll: :razz: :oops: :o :mrgreen: :lol: :idea: :green: :evil: :cry: :cool: :arrow: :???: :?: :!:

Fertilizers

Flowers

Rosemary