How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes With a Dehydrator

I don’t know about you, but I love a good tomato.

Vine ripened. Sun kissed. Fresh out of the garden. Now that’s my jam. But what do you do when summer’s over and the weather turns too cold for the tomato vines to produce any longer?

I’m ecstatic about the tomato sauces, the tomato juices, the canned salsas and the canned diced tomatoes that we put up every year as much as the next tomato enthusiast. But when you’re looking for that sweetly fresh tomato flavor these just don’t fix that need sometimes. And forget about finding anything fresh or tasty at the grocery store!

We won’t even go down that road.

That’s where sun-dried tomatoes fit in. Not quite freshly picked, and yet not canned, these little guys pack some serious flavor. Not only do they taste good, but they’re very versatile.

You can use sun-dried tomatoes to liven up any pasta or chicken dish, use them in salads, on sandwiches or spread them across your homemade pizza.

And the secret to this recipe? I make my sun-dried tomatoes in the dehydrator!

Let me show you how…

Ingredients & Supplies

• San Marzano tomatoes
• Fresh basil leaves
• Your favorite herb seasoning
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Glass jars
• Parchment paper

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Prepping, Seasoning & Dehydrating the Tomatoes

1. Wash your tomatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Slice them lengthwise and set aside.
2. Pour a little olive oil into a small bowl. Then line your dehydrator trays with parchment paper (this keeps your dehydrator clean and prevents your tomatoes from dripping).
3. Dip each tomato half into the olive oil, then place cut side up on the trays. No need to allow more than an inch of space between tomatoes, since they’ll shrink in the dehydrator.
4. Sprinkle the tomatoes with your favorite herb seasoning. I used a garlic pepper blend. You could use lemon peel, oregano, jalapeno salt. Really anything you prefer applies here!
5. Now its time to dehydrate those tomatoes! Set your dehydrator temp to 135. You should allow between 12-18 hours for tomatoes to dehydrate.
6. NOTE: you don’t want your tomatoes completely dehydrated. They should still be pliable and have the consistency of a raisin or prune.

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Storing Your Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1. After your tomatoes are done in the dehydrator, it’s time to put them in jars for storage.
2. Wash your jars and let them dry. Then line the bottom of each jar with fresh basil leaves. I like to alternate layers of tomatoes with basil leaves all the way to the top. Leave about an inch of space at the jar opening.
3. Fill the jars with olive oil so that the tomatoes are completely submerged. Then put your lid on and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Notes

• I used San Marzano tomatoes because we grew a bunch this year and their flavor is exceptional. But you can use Romas or any other medium sized tomatoes available.
• Instead of submerging your sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, you can also freeze them. This works well for large batches.
• When storing your tomatoes in the fridge, it’s normal for the olive oil to coagulate and turn yellowish. Simply pull them out when you’re ready to use and let sit at room temperature, and the oil will liquefy.
• If you want to add a little heat to your tomatoes, check out our Jalapeno Salt recipe.

Let us know how your sun-dried tomatoes turned out. Share pictures on our Facebook page, tag us on Instagram or leave us a comment below. We love to hear from you!

Enjoy!