Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Make them at Home!
While the scorching heat has been getting all of us down, there are some benefits to having hours of blazing sunlight😊😊
Everywhere, in India you will find that the sun-dried foods are all very enthusisatically prepared around this time of the year. The households stock up their favourite pickles, papads, fruits and veggies for the whole year. So, this time I planned to try the same. Had never done it before, so it became my little EXPERIMENT.
Let me start by saying, you need PATIENCE for this summer activity.
I got myself started with a small batch of tomatoes which I sun-dried for over 3 days. (last couple of days the weather was a bit dull). I TRIED BOTH TYPES – LARGE TOMATOES & CHERRY TOMATOES
WHY DO WE EVEN NEED SUN-DRIED TOMATOES ?
Well, the best thing about sun-dried tomatoes is that fresh tomatoes cannot replace the rich flavours they impart to a dish. Believe me, the flavours are DIFFERENT. After drying, the tomatoes get more densely flavoured, they turn much SWEETER and TANGIER than the fresh ones. So, it is definitely worth that effort. Infact, there is NO EFFORT. It is so easy. But yes, the weather does play a crucial role. They have to be drying under strong sun.
It’s so amazing that with just ONE simple step, the flavours intensify many times over. Also, it increases the shelf-life and they come handy as and when you want to use them. And don’t we know how expensive store-bought sundried tomatoes are ?
All the above are good reasons 👍👍
HOW TO BEGIN ?
- First things first. Make sure you buy FRESH firm red tomatoes. If they are overripe, soft and squishy they will tend to get fungus while drying and your batch will be ruined.
- Then wash and drain the tomatoes. I added a little coarse sea-salt to the water, to get rid of whatever germs are left. Then pat dry with a soft towel or tea cloth.
- Spread out to dry for half an hour or so. There should be no extra moisture on the surface of the tomatoes.
- Cut the tomatoes into halves (if using cherry tomatoes) or into four hemispheres (if big in size) and then lay them cut side up on the tray.
- Do not crowd them in the tray. If space is short just use another tray or plate. Sprinkle the tomatoes with very little salt and put the tomatoes in the sun to dry.
- Leave them in the sun for two to three days till they completely shrivel up.
- If you find that any of these have developed fungus simply discard them. Cover the tray with a thin cloth to protect them from dirt and insects. Do not use a thick cloth or paper for this. You need to ensure the air-circulates around them.
The dried tomatoes should feel leathery and bit soft to touch,(Just like dried apricots)
it means they have dried enough and can now be stored.
HOW TO STORE THEM ?
- You can store them DRY by simply putting them in an air-tight container and keeping the jar in the refrigerator.
OR - You can use olive oil to store these for an increased shelf-life. Once the tomatoes are dried completely. Put them into a pan of boiling water which has about 5 tbsps of vinegar. Boil them for 2 minutes. Remove them and put them onto paper towels and pat them dry. Then into a sterilised jar add some basil along with a few cloves of garlic, layer the dried tomatoes. Heat vegetable and olive oil in equal quanities and pour onto the tomatoes till they are submerged. Tap gently to release any trapped air bubbles. Shut the jar tight. The flavour will build up as they mature with time.
- When you want to add flavourings ensure you add DRIED HERBS (thyme, oreganon, basil). This will ensure longer shelf life.
I have made a mini-batch, so I have used garlic and fresh basil should last a week or so.
HOW TO USE THEM ?
Sun dried tomatoes are a fabulous ingredient to have at hand. If you are going to use them dry, first you will need to soak them in warm water for around 15-20 minutes. For eg. in salads. You can also add them to your bread dough, top on pizza, make alfredo pasta sauce, use them in quiches and many more …..
Sundried tomatoes (Recipe)
Ingredients :
- Tomatoes 1 kg
- ½ tsp salt
- Vegetable oil & olive oil ¼ cup
- Few garlic cloves
- Basil leaves
Method :
- Wash the tomatoes, then pat dry with a clean cloth and cut them into halves.
- Arrange them in a single layer in trays or plates with the cut side up.
- Sprinkle salt on top.
- Cover the tray with a light muslin cloth.
- Keep the trays in the sun for 2 to 3 days till the tomatoes are dried completely.
- Alternately, keep flipping them to ensure they dry out on either sides.
- Keep the trays inside during the night and then again put them in the sun the next day.
- Once they feel leathery but still a bit soft (like dried apricots) they are ready to store. (DO NOT OVER DRY THEM)
- Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
- You can also store a few in a glass jar covered with olive oil. (These can last many months)
- Add few basil leaves and garlic cloves for a nice herby flavour.
- The ones stored in olive oil can be kept at room temperature in a dry area away from sunlight.
Before storing in Olive oil boil them for 2 mins in vinegar water and ensure to pat dry the moisture with help of a clean cloth.
Sundried Tomatoes on Toast