Unfortunately, fresh tomatoes from your own cultivation only have a very limited shelf life. Summer enjoyment can be extended by months by drying. There are three easy ways to do this at home.

If it has to be done quickly - tomatoes dry in the dehydrator

The harvest of tomatoes can be preserved wonderfully in a dehydrator. Such a device consists of a small heater with a circulating air function and several sieve trays. Ideally, the machine also has a timer and a temperature controller. Use only fully ripe tomatoes with no green spots. To prepare the fruit for drying in the dehydrator:

  • Score the tomato skin in a cross shape with a sharp knife
  • Immerse the fruit in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove and shock in ice water
  • carefully peel off the peel with your fingers
  • cut out the green end of the stem
  • Cut the beefsteak tomatoes into 5 mm thin slices
  • Quarter medium-sized fruit
  • Halve the cocktail tomatoes
  • optionally scoop out the tomato seeds

We recommend brushing the sieve grids with olive oil. Spread the tomatoes out 1cm apart and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, onion or garlic powder. In the next 8 to 12 hours, the tomatoes dry at a temperature between 60 and 75 degrees. Check the progress every hour. If the tomato pieces take on a rubbery consistency, the process is complete.

This is how the oven turns fresh tomatoes into dried fruit

No dehydrator handy? No problem. Then use your oven to dry tomatoes. First, preheat the oven to 220 degrees, because the fruit should be roasted briefly. In preparation, the tomatoes are treated in the same way as for drying in the dehydrator - except for the peeling. The next steps are as follows:

  • On a greased baking sheet, place the tomato pieces 1 centimeter apart
  • Season to taste with salt, pepper or fresh herbs
  • Optionally brush each tomato with olive oil
  • Roast for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 degrees
  • Remove the fruit from the oven and peel using tongs and a knife

Then reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees. Surrounded by this warmth, the tomatoes now dry for another 3 to 4 hours. During this phase, the pieces are turned every 30 minutes. At the same time pour the accumulated water from the baking sheet. If the dried tomatoes present themselves with a wrinkled, leathery look, they are taken out of the oven.

Sun-dried tomatoes - how it's done

In order to be able to enjoy dried tomatoes without much effort, the sun provides valuable protection. First, prepare the home-grown tomatoes by washing and slicing the gems. In this case, the fruit is not peeled. They should be fully ripe, with no rotten or moldy spots.

  • Place the tomatoes cut-side down on a wire rack
  • spread a close-meshed net over it to protect against pecking birds and voracious pests
  • place the grating in a sunny, slightly elevated place with good air circulation
  • rotate the future dried tomatoes repeatedly over the next three days
  • bring them into the house overnight or when it rains

The drying process is complete when no more liquid escapes when you press lightly. You should also be able to bend the tomatoes back and forth like rubber. By the way, whole fruits cannot be dried, neither in the dehydrator nor in the oven or in the sun. Even small-fruited varieties are not suitable. There is no way to control them for the degree of drainage inside.

Store dried tomatoes correctly - the best recipes

Of course, the dried tomatoes can be bagged or vacuum sealed for storage. The dried tomatoes can be kept for several months in a cool, dark cellar. Freezing is an efficient alternative, in which case the tomatoes are only suitable for use in sauces after thawing. Of course, it can be a little more decorative and at the same time more delicate.

  • a shapely mason jar serves as a vessel
  • Layer the sun-dried tomatoes alternately in the garlic slices
  • Season each layer with sea salt
  • Finally, fill the jar with olive oil and close tightly
  • this recipe can be expanded with parsley, herbs de Provence or spring onions

You can add a culinary twist to the dried tomatoes if they are wrapped in basil leaves before pickling. If you can resist this delicious temptation for a month, the herbal and tomato aromas have combined to create a unique taste experience.

tips and tricks

Seeds that are removed from the tomatoes before they are dried are far too valuable to be thrown away. If the grains come from a seed-resistant tomato variety, they are ideal as seeds for propagation. Simply separate the pulp from the pulp in water for two days, let it dry and store in the screw-top jar until sowing.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden