Sun-dried tomatoes are one of the specialties of Italian cuisine. They are added to sauces, put in pizza or pasta, served as an independent snack or as a side dish for meat. Sun-dried tomatoes are extremely tasty in traditional round closed pies, where they are side by side with unleavened sheep's cheese and fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, basil.
It is necessary
-
- tomatoes;
- salt;
- olive oil;
- sieve;
- knife;
- cutting board;
- Bowl;
- trays for drying.
Instructions
Step 1
Buy tomatoes. Choose fruits of medium size, uniform shape and color. They should be fleshy, grown outdoors, and ripe. Tomatoes that have been cut green or brown and then brought to condition afterwards are not suitable for drying. After bringing home, never put vegetables in the refrigerator. Spread a natural fabric and lay them on a table or floor in one row so that the fruits do not come into contact with each other. Avoid places with direct sunlight. In this case, it is necessary to curtain the window. Leave the tomatoes on for a couple of days.
Step 2
Prepare the salt, bowl, strainer, sharp knife, and cutting board. It is recommended not to wash vegetables, but to wipe them with a slightly damp cloth to remove possible dirt. Cut clean tomatoes across, sprinkle the cut with salt and place the fruits on a sieve over a bowl. We don't need juice now. But this is a biologically valuable product and it is unforgivable to pour it out. It is more correct to collect, and then drink.
Step 3
Spread the tomatoes cut up on baking sheets, then transfer to a shaded, ventilated place to dry. A country attic would be ideal, but in the absence of an attic, a table in one of the rooms, moved away from the window, will do. To ensure a constant flow of air, the window should be constantly kept open, and to protect it from dust, insects and plant debris, it is necessary to pull gauze or a mesh with small cells on it. Italians dry tomatoes exclusively in the sun. But in the conditions of our not quite Italian summer, it is difficult to do this. Therefore, in Russia, this technology has undergone changes.
Step 4
Flip the fruit every two days. If this is not done, the risk of mold formation increases, which is unacceptable. The readiness of sun-dried tomatoes can be assessed by squeezing one of the fruits in your hand: juice should not stand out from it. If so, remove the tomatoes, brush them with olive oil and put them in a jar with a tightly lapped lid. If desired, you can add a sprig of fresh oregano or rosemary to it.
