Make your own "sun dried" tomatoes at home with a dehydrator and enjoy them any time of year in so many recipes.
Right next to our gorgeous chili peppers we grew in the garden this year, we also grew a SLEW of just-as-gorgeous tomatoes. We grow them every year, but this year we picked up some fabulous heirloom tomato plants during a visit to Asheville, NC, and gave them a try. Talk about flavor.
Heirlooms are BY FAR my favorite types of tomatoes, and luckily there is a large variety to choose from. Weirdly, they produced quite late in our season, so we had to pick a number of green tomatoes off the plants just before frost struck us. We had a large batch, but let them sit on the kitchen counter with apples to help them ripen. And ripen they did! Neat trick, the apples.
If you bury an apple in your tomato bowl, it will speed along the process. And you want to cut the tomatoes off the plant so you are not severing the stem from the tomato. This helps them last longer which is needed for the ripening process.
So, the question remains. What to do with all these tomatoes? We've made plenty of sauces and froze a lot, but another way to consider preserving your outstanding tomato harvest is to make sun dried tomatoes at home. But wait? It isn't very sunny! And it's cold outside! How can we do this?
You do this, my friends, with a dehydrator. I've posted information on how to dehydrate chili peppers, and the same principal works for tomatoes. The process is simple. First, you need a dehydrator.
Here is a link to the one I own - It's an affiliate link, FYI: Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A
. I LOVE this dehydrator. AND! You need some tomatoes, olive oil, and a few other ingredients. The recipe is listed below, but here are some photos to help you out.
How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes (in a Dehydrator)
First things first. Clean and dry your tomatoes, then slice them into fairly thin slices, about a quarter inch thick or less. Some recipes call for coring them out, even peeling them, blanching them first, but we don't think so. We're making it easy, and to be honest, the resulting tomatoes come out great this way. Try it. You'll see.
Lay out your tomatoes like so. Give them room to dry. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt, pepper, dried basil and/or dried oregano. Cover, and turn on the dehydrator. You'll want a temperature of 140 degrees, the same for dehydrating chili peppers.
A difference here, though, is that you don't necessarily want your tomatoes to dry out completely. You want them to be somewhat pliable, so keep your dehydrating time at about 6-8 hours. You'll need to check on them to make sure they are dried out enough, but not TOO dry.
Ours were done at the 6 hour mark, but again, be sure to keep an eye on them after about 6 hours or so. If you flip them half way through it will help prevent them from sticking to the dehydrator tray. Plus it allows you to season the other side if you'd like more seasoning.
Once dried, remove them and layer them in a jar with fresh basil leaves, rosemary sprigs, and a bit more salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano. Like so.
Once you've got your tomatoes nicely layered, cover them in olive oil. You can press down on the tomatoes and contents of the jar to compress them, making room for more tomatoes. Just be sure the ingredients are all submerged in oil.
Just like this...
Doesn't it look delicious? Oh yes! Cover tightly with a lid and refrigerate. They should last 4 days this way in the refrigerator, or several months in the freezer. Perfect for so many recipes!
How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes - with a Dehydrator - Recipe Steps
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds fresh tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basil leaves - 10-12 should do
- 2 cups olive oil - as needed
Instructions
- Clean and dry the tomatoes. Slice them into fairly thin slices, about a quarter inch thick or less.
- Lay out your tomatoes on dehydrator racks. Do not overlap.
- Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt, pepper, dried basil and/or dried oregano. Cover, and turn on the dehydrator at 140 degrees.
- Dry for 6-8 hours, but check them after 6 hours to ensure they do not over dry. You want them to be slightly pliable. Flip them once about half way through the process.
- Remove the tomatoes and layer them in a jar with fresh basil leaves, rosemary sprigs, and a bit more salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano.
- Cover them in oil and store in the refrigerator in tightly capped jars. Should last 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Here is a link to the one I own - It's an affiliate link, FYI: Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A
Jody says
I love the recipe, but you mentioned that this can also be frozen to last longer. Do you freeze them in the oil or without oil? I am interested to know. Thank you for publishing the recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Jody, you can freeze them without the oil. Enjoy!
Ellie says
Is it okay to freeze these in jars?
Mike Hultquist says
Ellie, I've never frozen these, but don't see why you couldn't. They're already dried out, though.
Vickie says
I made the recipe for the sun dried tomatoes and they are great. Since I did not eat them all so I put them in the refrigerator as suggested not a good idea by the next morning the oil had solidified. So in the trash they went.
Mike Hultquist says
Vickie, you just wasted good tomatoes. It is normal for the oil to congeal in the fridge. It goes back to normal consistency when you take them out. FYI.
Kay says
Happy Holidays Vickie! I co-sign with others responding to u...
Yes, u did waste all that effort u put in, to then throw it all out (because the olive oil solidified with the cold fridge temperature). Vickie, this is VERY normal--as with ANY food containing oil, that gets refrigerated.
After u reheat/cook ur refrigerated food containing oil, it all comes back together cooking nicely-- and it will taste awesome!
Pat says
You say "cover" and turn the dehydrator on. What do you cover them with, foil or parchment paper or what?
I am trying this with cherry tomatoes as we speak but I missed the "cover" before I started.
Charity says
Do you store them in the freezer just like you would in the fridge, submerged in oil?
Mike Hultquist says
Charity, you can freeze this. Also, the dehydrated tomatoes will keep indefinitely, so you can keep those in a baggie in the pantry, then make this recipe in small batches any time you want.
Erin says
Thanks! Gonna give this a try. I'm going to infuse my olive oil with fresh garlic and fresh basil before storing with the sun dried tomatoes. The oil shouldn't go bad if it's topped with cheesecloth to collect moisture and kept somewhere dark while infusing.
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Erin.
Jenn says
Can't I just use garlic powder with the dried herbs in olive oil so won't go bad quickly??
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can use dried seasonings. Enjoy.
Melanie says
Ok, I went through the other comments and your replies and I just wanted to clarify. I want to make batches of these to last a long time and have on hand so I am looking to freeze them. If I want to do that you said to omit the garlic the oil in the fresh herbs only put dried herbs in there? Is that the right way?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
You can omit the garlic and use only dried herbs, yes.
Andrew Moorehead says
It all went well until I opened it the next day to eat it and the oil was solidified. Is that normal? I used Tupperware instead of a glass jar, and I tossed it to be safe, since it hadn't turned out as well as I liked anyway due to not using firm enough tomatoes.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Andrew, yes, the oil hardens up in the fridge because of temperature. If you remove, it melts again at room temp. FYI.
Tyler says
mmmm got some mini san marzanos and decided to dry some, followed the recipe pretty much as written but just cut the minis in half. My dehydrator didn't have a temperature so I just kept an eye on them and checked and pulled individual tomatos as they were ready. The difference between the smaller ones being done and the larger ones was about two hours, total time start to finish dehydrating was about 7 hours. Each bite is like eating a little pizza, so savoury and flavourful. great recipe, thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Tyler. Glad you are enjoying them!
Kelli says
The sun dried tomatoes only last 4 days in the fridge? Shouldn't the tomatoes and other beautiful ingredients sit together for awhile and get happy? I would like to know how to keep them for a couple of months.
Thanks for your time
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kelli, if you omit the garlic, it should last longer for you. Garlic in oil can run a risk of botulism.
Mindy Hancq says
I am just wondering if I can freeze them in oil?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mindy, yes, you can freeze it. Be sure to freeze in airtight containers or baggies.
Karen Ludmerer Schultz says
Do I have to use Heirloom Tomatoes? It is the end of the season. I have green cherry tomatoes. Do I have to ripen them first?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Karen, you can use other tomatoes, no problem. I ripen my green ones on the windowsill in the sun, though paper bags work well most times.
Ashley says
Thank you for this recipe, may I ask what the best method for freezing would be? Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Ashley! You can easily store them in a sealed plastic bag or a container. Don't place them in oil first. Just freeze them as-is. Should last well over a year that way, or longer.
Michelle says
Can you use frozen tomatoes? I have lots in the freezer, but no fresh ones?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Michelle, yes, you can use frozen tomatoes. I would thaw them out first and blot out some of the extra moisture. I have dehydrated peppers that were previously frozen and it worked fine, though it might take longer. Let me know if you notice any flavor issues from being frozen.
Ann says
Just wondering if these would last longer with dried herbs as the fresh will have some moisture which could cause the oil to go rancid more quickly? Also for those mentioning canning these - can you pressure can these in oil? I've never used a pressure canner, so I'm quite curious.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Ann, you can definitely use dried herbs. And yes, I believe you should be able to pressure can this recipe. I would check with the instructions on your pressure canner.
Terry says
Have you ever tried to vacuum pack them.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Terry, I have not. I typically keep them in a sealable jar in the fridge.
Lisa Rearick says
When using heirlooms, there is usually enough acid in the tomatoes to water bath can. To be sure, add a little fruit fresh (Vit C or ascorbic acid) to your seasoning blend.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Lisa.
Patch says
I wish I could leave a picture. I made this per directions, even sanitized my jars. After a day or two in the fridge, the olive oil got murky, almost like micro bubbles. Is this normal? I'm apprehensive to try them. I wonder if it's because you say to refrigerate.?.. Which leads me to my next inquiry. Why refrigerate??? I have garlic infused olive oils in tall pouring jars, they are never refrigerated and last indefinitely as far as I know. I use them up within a few months so I don't know, but I imagine they sit on shelves for a while, especially the ones I buy since they are at a overstock shop.
REPLY: Patch, the tomatoes can affect the color of the oil, and the oil will harden a bit with the colder temperatures of refrigeration. I feel it is wise to refrigerate oils that have solids in them to avoid any chance of spoilage. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Kirsten says
Can you freeze them?
REPLY: Kirsten, yes, you can, though you really don't need to. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Heather says
Right now I only have dehydrated tomatoes which are dry and crisp. Have you tried it before when they are fully dehydrated and if so, did it work at all? Thanks
REPLY: Heather, yes. If using a dehydrator, check on the periodically and stop the process when they are dried to your liking. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Vicki Davis says
What size jars did you use?
REPLY: Vicki, I've done this with quart jars and smaller 8 ounce jars, though you can easily go larger. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Amy says
Is there a way to make this without having to put them in the refrigerator?
REPLY: Amy, not that I know of. I prefer to keep them in the fridge as oils can eventually spoil. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
David Garrison says
WOW, can not wait to try this. Will also try the Pressure canner method to have them year round. And with as much garlic as I have planted, I cam make a lot.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, David!
Dennis Hullinger says
I have dried tomatoes successfully, but not with the seasonings you've used. I've not had problems with sticking because I use the webbing, that came with my trays, over the trays. I just remove the webbing and flex and the tomatoes come off easily. I do have a hard time not having some of the tomatoes turn, black, but soaking them in a solution of water and citric acid helps. Any ideas to keep them from turning black would be appreciated.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Dennis, I've never had them turn black before. Strange! I wonder if there is a temperature issue of some sort.
Joanie says
My dehydrator only has off/on, no temperature settings-your recipe calls for 140 degrees-how do I know if that is what my dehydrator dries at?
REPLY: Joanie, I'm not sure. Every dehydrator I've owned has a temperature setting, which is pretty important to set based on the type of food you are dehydrating. Hmmm. --- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Hope says
If you still have your owners manual check in the owners manual and find out what temperature yours is set up my dehydrator only has an on off switch is well and it’s set at160° If I remember correctly
jim adams says
get one of the electronic oven meat thermometers. which has a needle on the end of a 3' or so oven-proof electric cord. Turn it on and you can read the temperature of almost anything you care to measure. Drill a hole thru the underside of your dehydrator trays --just slightly larger than the needle of your thermometer, and measure the temperature for each tray. By knowing the temperature of each level of trays, you can decide what you can and cannot dry in your dehydrator;
Peter says
Did you really ever do it this way? When you place them in the dehydrator as shown, the slices stick and you need to scrape them off the rack. Done that...
I tried applying some oil on the racks which turned out a little better.
Still, the best way is to cut them in half and place skin side down on the racks. Some people may want to scoop out the seeds before.
REPLY: Peter, yes, it works for me without issue, though yes, the tomatoes can stick a bit. You can always try to flip them part way through or dry them a bit longer. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
P bailey says
Could these be preserved longer by canning
REPLY: P, since they are tomatoes, you would need to investigate using a pressure canner. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.