Dehydrated tomatoes are delicious and are a fabulous way of making the best out of an abundance of tomatoes in your summer garden. Tomatoes are such a huge crop for me and they have so many uses. Even if you don’t grow your own, during the growing season they are sold for ridiculously low prices. Dehydrating tomatoes can be a great way to save them for later use. With a wonderfully concentrated sweet tomato flavor, dehydrated tomatoes are a flavorful ingredient for so many fantastic dishes. Some of my favorites are infusing the water of my pasta, soups, pizzas, stews, dips, sauces, meats, sandwiches, or salads.
Making dehydrated tomatoes is so easy to do. Although dehydrated tomatoes are traditionally dried under the sun, using a dehydrator or an oven is best as it allows you to control the temperature and humidity needed to achieve a perfectly pliable and chewy tomato without excess moisture.
Dehydrating Tomatoes Process
Dehydrated Tomatoes
The first thing you want to do is wash the tomatoes.
slice into 1/4 inch slices
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
Load the dehydrator trays with a layer of your sliced tomatoes leaving a small space between each. Sometimes, I like to add a little Italian seasoning.
Turn on the dehydrator at 145 degrees F. Your tomatoes are done when they are very dry to the touch. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on your dehydrator, how thick your tomatoes are, etc. Since tomatoes are 95% water they will shrink down quite a bit.
done when dry and crisp
Place the dried tomatoes in an airtight container and store them in a cool, dry place. Make sure you label what they are and the date you dehydrated them.
Dehydrated tomatoes can be eaten in soups, on pasta, plain as a healthy snack, or even in oil. You would use them in anything that you would use a sundried tomato in.
Dehydrated Tomatoes
If you have any questions about using a dehydrator look at our canning basics posts. We think this tutorial will answer any questions you may have.
