How to Home-Dry Tomatoes; For Longer Storage Period.

Dried tomatoes are such a wonderful ingredient in their own right that it’s worth trying some just for the unique flavour.

Home-dried tomatoes taste just as great as the ones you buy at the store but without the high cost.

And tomatoes do not need to be blanched first, which makes them one of the easiest foods to dehydrate.

Any kind of tomato may be dried, but for the best results choose small paste tomatoes such as the Principe Borghese variety.

Cut the tomatoes into halves, strips, or slices, depending on how large they are.

The pieces should ideally be no thicker than ¼ inch.

Squish out and discard the seedy gel; this step is optional, but results in a vastly briefer drying time and a tastier end product.

Arrange the prepared tomato pieces skin-side down on dehydrator trays or baking sheets lined with racks or parchment paper.

Make sure that none of the pieces are touching.

Set the dehydrator to 135°F and dry the tomatoes for 8 to 14 hours, depending on the thickness of the pieces on the thickness of the pieces.

Set your oven to its lowest temperature, which will typically be between 140 and 150°F.
Place the baking sheets of tomatoes in the oven and dry for 6 to 12 hours, depending on the thickness of the tomatoes.
If your oven heats unevenly, turn the baking sheets around at least once during the drying time.

Note that;

The tomatoes will be either leathery or brittle when they are fully dried.
A piece cut in half should show no moisture along the break line.
If in doubt, you’ll be reconstituting them to a softer texture in hot water eventually, so don’t worry if they seem crunchier than their store-bought counterparts.
When they come out of the dehydrator or oven, let the tomatoes cool at room temperature before transferring them to tightly sealed jars or containers.
Or grind them into powdered form and pour them into a tightly sealed container.