Table of contents:
Delicate acidity, the intensely sweet flavor of tomato, and delicious herbs: sun-dried tomatoes are true flavor bombs. Great in a salad, with pasta, or simply on a piece of bread.
Making your own sun-dried tomatoes is fortunately not difficult at all. You don't even need an Italian sun for it: with ripe tomatoes, a few herbs, and your oven, you're already well on your way. In this recipe, we show you step by step how to make your own sun-dried tomatoes and the best way to store them afterward.
What are sun-dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have lost a large portion of their moisture during the drying process. This concentrates the natural sugars and acids, giving the tomatoes their intense flavor and typical soft, slightly chewy texture.
Traditionally, tomatoes are dried slowly in the sun. In our climate, that isn't always practical, but fortunately, you can also dry them perfectly well in the oven. A food dehydrator is a useful alternative and gives you more control over the temperature and the drying process.
In this recipe, we use the oven to turn fresh tomatoes into delicious oven-dried tomatoes. They are intense in flavor and incredibly versatile: from pasta and salads to pizza or simply on a piece of bread.
What do you need to make sun-dried tomatoes?
To make your own sun-dried tomatoes, you only need a few ingredients and materials:
Ripe tomatoes: preferably choose fleshy tomatoes with little moisture, such as Roma or plum tomatoes. Do you have a large tomato harvest from your own vegetable garden? Then you can naturally use other varieties as well (for example, cherry tomatoes)
Garlic: optional but delicious in combination with tomatoes and herbs
Fresh thyme or dried thyme
Italian herbs such as oregano and fresh herbs to taste
High-quality olive oil: for extra flavor and to store the dried tomatoes in afterward.
Salt and pepper
An oven or food dehydrator: to dry the tomatoes slowly at a low temperature.
Baking sheet and parchment paper: when drying the tomatoes in the oven.
Glass jar or container to store the tomatoes in
Making your own sun-dried tomatoes in the (drying) oven
Making sun-dried tomatoes in the oven is very simple. You halve the tomatoes, season them, and then let them dry for a few hours at a low temperature. How long exactly it takes depends on the size and moisture content of your tomatoes.
Step 1: Prepare the tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 90°C. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half, and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 2: Season the tomatoes
Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little salt and add herbs to taste, such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary.
Step 3: Let the tomatoes dry slowly
Place the baking sheet in the oven and let the tomatoes dry slowly for about 4–6 hours. Check them occasionally, especially towards the end of the drying time. Smaller tomatoes will be ready faster than large, juicy ones.
Step 4: Check if the tomatoes are ready
The tomatoes are ready when they have noticeably shrunk and are mostly dry, but still feel slightly supple. They should no longer be juicy, but they don't need to be hard or crispy.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool completely before processing or storing them further.
How to store homemade sun-dried tomatoes?
How best to store homemade sun-dried tomatoes depends on how much you have dried them. Soft, slightly moist oven-dried tomatoes cannot be stored the same way as fully dried ones.
When are sun-dried tomatoes fully dry?
Fully dried tomatoes don't necessarily have to be rock hard. They can feel leathery to crispy, but should no longer be moist, juicy, sticky, or soft on the inside anywhere. Let a tomato cool down first before checking, because warm tomatoes feel softer.
When in doubt, break or cut open one of the thickest pieces. Do you still see or feel moisture in the center? Then the tomatoes need to dry longer.
If you want to store the tomatoes dry at room temperature, it is better to dry them further than if you intend to use them immediately in a dish.
Storing fully dried tomatoes
First, let the fully dried tomatoes cool down completely. Then, place them in a clean, dry, and well-sealable glass jar and store it in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Check the jar regularly for the first few days. Do you see condensation on the inside of the glass? If so, there is still too much moisture in the tomatoes. Take them out of the jar and dry them further before storing them again.
Storing soft oven-dried tomatoes
Do you prefer soft, slightly chewy tomatoes? If so, stop the drying process earlier. Because these tomatoes still contain more moisture, they are not suitable for long-term storage in a glass jar at room temperature.
Let them cool down completely and then store them refrigerated or freeze them for longer-term storage.
Storing sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
You can also submerge fully dried tomatoes in olive oil. For home use, it is important to follow a reliable preservation method. Adding garlic or herbs requires extra attention: such mixtures should be stored refrigerated and consumed within a short time.
Do you mainly want to enjoy your tomato harvest for a long time? Then drying them completely and storing them dry, or freezing them, is the simplest choice.
Have you harvested more tomatoes than you can dry? There are, of course, other ways to preserve your tomato harvest for longer. For example, you can make your own passata: it is ideal for processing a large quantity of ripe tomatoes into a base for sauces, soups, and other dishes.
What can you make with sun-dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are true flavor enhancers. Because a large part of the moisture has disappeared, the tomato flavor is much more intense. You can use them both hot and cold, and often you only need a few pieces to give a dish extra flavor.
A few tasty ideas:
Pasta: cut the sun-dried tomatoes into strips and mix them into a pasta dish with, for example, garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese.
Salads: combine them with arugula, mozzarella or feta, roasted vegetables, and a simple vinaigrette.
Pizza and focaccia: sun-dried tomatoes are delicious as a topping when you make your own pizza and they also fit perfectly in or on homemade focaccia.
Pesto and tapenade: mix the dried tomatoes with, for example, nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and herbs into a powerful red pesto or spread.
Bread and toppings: delicious on a piece of toasted bread, in a sandwich, or on a cheese board.
Soups and sauces: add a few sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense tomato flavor.
Savory dishes: incorporate them into quiche, savory tart, couscous, or roasted vegetables.
Did you store the tomatoes in oil? Don't just throw away that flavorful oil. You can use it in a dressing, through pasta, or to sauté vegetables.
Tips for the tastiest oven-dried tomatoes
Making sun-dried tomatoes is not difficult, but with a few small adjustments, you will get a better result:
- Choose meaty tomatoes: Roma and plum tomatoes contain relatively much flesh and less moisture, making them very suitable for drying. Do you have other tomatoes from the vegetable garden? You can use those too, but juicy ones usually need more time.
- Use tomatoes of about the same size: this way they dry more evenly. Cut larger ones into smaller pieces if necessary.
- Place the tomatoes cut-side up: this allows the moisture to evaporate easily during drying.
- Give them time: do not try to speed up the drying process too much with a high oven temperature. Slow drying at a low temperature gives you more control over the result.
- Check regularly towards the end: not every tomato is ready at the same time. Remove smaller or drier pieces from the oven earlier if necessary.
- Decide in advance how you want to store them: do you want soft tomatoes to use quickly? Then they can still be somewhat supple. Do you want to dry them completely for dry storage? Then let them dry longer until there is no perceptible moisture left.
- Experiment with herbs: oregano, thyme, and rosemary go well with dried tomatoes. I would be a bit more cautious with salt: during drying, not only the tomato flavors but also the added flavors become more concentrated.
Conclusion
Making sun-dried tomatoes yourself is a simple and tasty way to process a large tomato harvest. With an oven or food dehydrator, you slowly remove the moisture from the tomatoes, making their flavor much more intense.
Do you want to use the tomatoes immediately? Then let them remain a bit supple. Do you want to store them dry for longer? Then dry them further until no moisture remains and then store them in a well-closed glass jar in a cool, dark, and dry place.
This way, you can enjoy the taste of your own tomatoes long after the tomato harvest.
Frequently asked questions about sun-dried tomatoes
How long should sun-dried tomatoes stay in the oven?
Count on about 4 to 6 hours at 90 to 100 °C. The exact drying time depends on the size, type, and moisture content of the tomatoes. Small, meaty tomatoes are usually ready faster than large, juicy ones.
At what temperature do you dry tomatoes in the oven?
It is best to dry tomatoes slowly at a low oven temperature of about 90 to 100 °C. This allows the moisture to evaporate gradually without the tomatoes baking or burning.
Which tomatoes are best for making sun-dried tomatoes?
Roma and plum tomatoes are very suitable for making sun-dried tomatoes. They have a lot of flesh and contain relatively little moisture. You can also dry other tomatoes from the vegetable garden, but very juicy types usually need more time.
Can you make sun-dried tomatoes without the sun?
Yes. You can simply make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven or with a food dehydrator. Strictly speaking, these are then oven-dried or food-dehydrated tomatoes, but by slowly removing moisture, you get the same concentrated tomato flavor.
Can you make sun-dried tomatoes in a food dehydrator?
Yes, a food dehydrator is very suitable for drying tomatoes. You can precisely set the temperature and let the tomatoes dry evenly for several hours. The required time depends on the thickness and moisture content of the tomatoes.
How do you know when sun-dried tomatoes are ready?
That depends on what you want to do with them. If you want to use the tomatoes immediately, they can still be soft and somewhat supple. If you want to dry them completely for dry storage, there should be no perceptible moisture left. Let a tomato cool down and, if in doubt, cut a thick piece open to check the center.
How do you store homemade sun-dried tomatoes?
Fully dried tomatoes can be stored in a clean, dry, and well-sealed glass jar in a cool, dry, and dark place. If the tomatoes are still soft or contain moisture, store them refrigerated or freeze them.
Can you store sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil?
That is possible, but be careful with homemade vegetables and herbs in oil. Oil creates a low-oxygen environment in which certain bacteria can develop under the wrong circumstances. Therefore, store homemade sun-dried tomatoes in oil in the refrigerator and use a reliable preservation method if you want to store them longer.
Can you store sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil?
That is possible, but for homemade tomatoes in oil, a correct preservation method is important. Store homemade tomatoes in oil refrigerated and be extra careful when adding fresh garlic or herbs. For long-term storage, drying completely and storing them dry or freezing them is easier.
