This summer I processed 50 pounds of tomatoes – 25 pounds a week over two weeks The first week I canned beautiful organic plum tomatoes and the second week I canned beefy organic romas, and chose to dehydrated five pounds of those. It was a breeze to do this in the dehydrator compared to the oven, which I’ve used in the past.
It’s a very simple recipe: I cut each tomato in half and tossed them all with organic extra virgin olive oil. I placed the tomatoes, cut side up, on the dehydrator racks and then sprinkled salt on them. They spent time in the dehydrator for about 12 hours at 195 degrees, mostly overnight.
They didn’t dry out totally, which is what I wanted; they are soft. I ended up freezing them individually, then bagging them. This means I can take them out and use them as I like. They will be great on top of goat cheese, or chopped up into tomato sauce. Their flavor is concentrated and sweet. The epitome of a summer tomato.
I’ve preserved a lot of food this summer. I will write about it, so stay tuned for that!
You make me want gadgets for my kitchen!
I bought some pastured butter this weekend and had it with my steamed broccoli. I wish I was still getting radishes for more butter sandwiches.
I did without a dehydrator and used the oven for a number of years. The dehydrator does make some things easier, I admit. I actually bought mine from a woman in the neighborhood for $60 – it hadn’t even been opened! Total score.
I love radish and butter sandwiches! I was just telling a fellow CSA member how to eat radishes that way. She’s never heard of them. I hope she enjoys them. And T now loooooves grass-fed/pasture butter. We buy Kerrygold and Organic Valley Pasture Butter, and we both enjoy it very much.