Sun-dried tomatoes are an ingredient in many traditional recipes for unsurpassed Italian cuisine, which can also be used as a stand-alone snack.
In tomatoes preserved using the drying technology, the vitamins and mineral salts contained in the fresh product are preserved to the maximum extent. Italians use sun-dried tomatoes in the preparation of bread dough, pizza, salads, pies, sauces. They make pasta with them, add them to rice when making risotto, add them to many dishes from meat, poultry and fish.
Thanks to this method of canning, tomatoes acquire a brighter taste and pronounced aroma. They are further accentuated by the garlic and aromatic herbs that are added to these tomatoes. To preserve the flavor of summer with which ripe fleshy tomatoes are associated, try wilting them at home, even if not in the sun, but in the oven on an electric stove. You will need:
- 1.5 kg of small tomatoes;
- 50 g of salt;
- 2 tsp granulated sugar;
- 4-5 cloves of garlic;
- a bunch of purple or green basil;
- a mixture of dry herbs: oregano, thyme, rosemary;
- black peppercorns;
- 200 g of olive oil.
The olive oil left over from sun-dried tomatoes is an excellent dressing for vegetable salads.
The tomatoes you are going to dry must be the same size so that they are cooked to the same degree. You can use a popular variety of "cream", but even better - one of those that are pink. Such tomatoes are distinguished by their special meatiness and rich taste. Wash the tomatoes and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Line a baking sheet with foil, brush it with vegetable oil and place the tomatoes, cut in half, on it, cut up. Combine sugar and salt and sprinkle each tomato half with this mixture. Place the baking sheet in an electric stove oven preheated to a temperature of 100 ° C. The drying process is not quick, in general it will take you about 7-8 hours, depending on the size of the tomatoes. During this time, each half of the tomatoes will need to be turned over to the other side 2-3 times.
When the fruits have reduced in size by 2-3 times and the liquid from them has almost evaporated, remove the baking sheet from the oven. From the original amount of tomatoes, you will have very little finished product. To store it, you need small jars with a capacity of about 200 g with screw caps. Jars and lids must be sterilized.
It is not possible to sterilize jars and lids by steam. Wash them with dishwashing detergent, rinse and place in an oven preheated to 150 ° C for 10-15 minutes.
Tear off the leaves from the basil sprigs and chop them finely. First crush the garlic with the flat side of a kitchen knife, then chop as fine as possible. Put a layer of garlic and basil on the bottom of each jar, throw in 2-3 black peppercorns. Put the tomatoes in layers in jars, between the layers of tomatoes put chopped basil leaves, sprinkled with a mixture of dried herbs, and a little chopped garlic. Do not compact the tomatoes too much. Fill the jar with olive oil as you fill it. Close the jar tightly with a lid and store in a cool, dark place.
You can make dry tomatoes using a dehydrator or vegetable dryer. These tomato chips can then be added to ketchup or tomato paste. Wash ripe fruits of any size and cut into circles 5-7 mm thick. Place them on the sheets of a vegetable dryer and dry at 32-45 ° C for 7-8 hours.
