This Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil recipe is the perfect answer for those times when you have a large tomato crop and want to preserve them for later use. Sun-dried tomatoes go great in most pasta dishes, but I especially love them in my Easy Marry Me Chicken recipe and in lasagna.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 | Pick Tomatoes
Pick tomatoes, then wash and dry them.
Step 2 | Prepare Tomatoes
Slice the tomatoes in half. Carefully remove the seeds without removing the pulp in-between the seeds. Arrange the tomatoes on a cookie sheet.
Step 3 | Season Tomatoes
Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt, basil, and oregano.
Step 4 | Dehydrate Tomatoes
Place the tomatoes on the dehydrator trays, allowing some room between the tomatoes for air circulation. Follow the temperature and times suggested by your dehydrator. It took my dehydrator eight hours to dehydrate the tomatoes to the right consistency.
Step 5 | Place Tomatoes in Jars
Divide the tomatoes between two sterilized jars. Peel the garlic and cut in half, then divide between the jars.
Step 6 | Cover Tomatoes with Oil
Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, making sure they are completely submerged. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes Without A Dehydrator
First, if you don't have a dehydrator, may I ask why not? It's easily one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!
Dehydrators come in a variety of styles and prices. Besides making sun-dried tomatoes, you can use the dehydrator to make many other things like pineapple chips, jerky, dried herbs, and fruit leather!
But if you don't want to purchase a dehydrator, or don't want to wait until it arrives in the mail, there are other options, just not as cool.
So, you want to make sun-dried tomatoes, but don't own a dehydrator? No problem, you can simply roast the tomatoes in the oven (200 degrees for 6-8 hours) depending on the size of the tomatoes.
Or you can do as the name suggests, and dry them out in the sun. This is how my mom dried her tomatoes back in Iraq.
Just be sure to cover them with cheesecloth, to keep the flies off. This method will take two to three days until the tomatoes are ready.
Expert Tips
- Try sprinkling the tomatoes with other herbs that you may prefer, such as rosemary or thyme.
- Be careful not to over-dry the tomatoes. They should still be somewhat pliable.
- For longer storage, be sure to sterilize your jar and use a water bath to seal them. You might also consider adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar prior to sealing them. The acid helps to preserve them even further.
- To avoid spoilage for longer storage, don't add garlic.
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Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Roma tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic
- olive oil
Instructions
- Pick tomatoes, then wash and dry them.
- Slice the tomatoes in half. Carefully remove the seeds without removing the pulp in-between the seeds. Arrange the tomatoes on a cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt, basil, and oregano.
- Place the tomatoes on the dehydrator trays, allowing some room between the tomatoes for air circulation.
- Follow the temperature and times suggested by your dehydrator. It took my dehydrator eight hours to dehydrate the tomatoes to the right consistency.
- Divide the tomatoes between two sterilized jars. Peel the garlic and cut in half, then divide between the jars.
- Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, making sure they are completely submerged. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Try sprinkling the tomatoes with other herbs that you may prefer, such as rosemary or thyme.
- Be careful not to over-dry the tomatoes. They should still be somewhat pliable.
- For longer storage, be sure to sterilize your jar and use a water bath to seal them. You might also consider adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar prior to sealing them. The acid helps to preserve them even further.
- To avoid spoilage for longer storage, don't add garlic.
Karla L Cole says
When you say vacuum seal, are you talking about canning them in water like with pasta sauce?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Karla,
I would absolutely recommend canning them in water for longer storage.