Sun dried tomatoes

[zigs]

Looks like we might need to resort to the oven though Claudine, don't know about Poland but there's not a lot of sun here at the moment. They say we might get some at the weekend so i'll put mine in the car if we do.

 

[claudine]

Yup, today it was cloudy and rather cold, around 15c. And it was raining for a while. But I really want to try dried tomatoes, so I won't give up, even if I have to use the oven. I hope that they still will be tasty.

 

[gata montes]

I have heard of it but not tried it, don't like rice much so don't have it in the house.

There are lots of plans for building solar dryers on line, unfortunately most of them are on other forums.

Many thanks, shall have a look on how to build a solar dryer, and if its relatively easy shall have a go at building one, as it sounds just the thing for drying fruits and vegetables here.

Now that I realize the salt and rice are for taking the excess juice out of the tomatoes, shall be trying some done in both plus one lot without, and see which turns out the best.

Gata montes, Zigs, thank you for your responses it's decided then, I'm going to make some dried tomatoes! Tomato heaven sounds like something perfect for me.
Some time ago I ate dried strawberries and I loved them! I hope that tomatoes will be as delicious

Haven't tried dried strawberries, but as you loved them, think that its something I'm going to try, will be looking out for some on my next shopping trip




To both Zigs and Claudine - from both your weather reports it certainly sounds like you'll both be resorting to the oven, or in Zigs's case putting them in the car, will be interested to hear how yours progress.
I feel awful in telling you that mine will be basking in the warmth of the sun, unless of course we get one of those freak thunderstorms that come out of nowhere.

 

[zigs]

We could put them in the car & just drive round to your place Gata

Second salting has taken nearly all the water out, control is still fleshy and wet.

 

[gata montes]

Zigs and Claudine

You could and you'd be very welcome, and we could snack on your tomatoes when you arrived, that is if you hadn't already eaten them, as I think with all that time sitting on the dashboard Zigs, they would definitely have completed the drying process.

Have some hot news for you both since mentioning to my neighbor, that I was planning to have a go at sun drying my own tomatoes, I've been inundated with all kinds of useful tips and various ways of doing this, which I thought both of you might also find useful.
Here are some of their tried and tested traditional methods, that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Only a few of them use salt or rice to absorb the excess juice.
Most of them say, because the drying process of all fruit and vegetables requires air circulation, they just cut up and deseed the tomatoes, place them on a wire rack, similar to that of a grill rack, and place them outside and let the sun dry the juices up.
Alternatively, like you Zigs they place the rack in the oven, on a very low heat for between 6 to 12 hours, turning occasionally to make sure the tomatoes are evenly dried.
Flavoring - is at the rack stage, some like to sprinkle the tomatoes with their favorite herbs or lace them with garlic, and some prefer to spice up the olive oil instead.
Some store their sun dried tomatoes in olive or sunflower oil, while others prefer to store them without, in air tight containers.
They did give me a very important tip, in that, the tomatoes improve with age and are therefore left to mature for at least six months, and preferably up to a year before indulging in them.

There is also a vague mention of microwave method that someone, with a less traditional view suggested if it was raining could try and find out more if needed on this one, its basically the same as the oven method but is a bit more time consuming, as you need to turn the tomatoes often and of course you need a microwave rack rather than a standard grill rack. They say just place them on the lowest possible setting and keep checking and turning them until the tomatoes have completed the drying process, by which time they are ready to store

After all these things we're finding out about sun dried tomatoes, we will all hopefully have some tucked away, ready for eating in six months time

 

[zigs]

Might have eaten em by the time I get there

That's some useful info there I was going to suggest adding some truffle oil to the olive oil.

Didn't know about the flavour improving, i've only got a few this year so they probably won't last that long.

I'd be nervous about using the microwave, mine seems to take things from frozen to burnt in 20 seconds

 

[gata montes]

Might have eaten em by the time I get there

That's some useful info there I was going to suggest adding some truffle oil to the olive oil.

Didn't know about the flavour improving, i've only got a few this year so they probably won't last that long.

I'd be nervous about using the microwave, mine seems to take things from frozen to burnt in 20 seconds

Thought you would have, they'd have been irresistible wouldn't they

Truffle oil sounds interesting, is not something I'm familiar with, what does it taste like, is it delicious ?

Don't think mine will get chance to mature either, as I only have a few tomatoes left for sun drying, but now that we have all this information on how to do it, can be better prepared for next year

Agree the microwave method is not one that I'd be too keen on using, as I also have a temperamental microwave, which instead of burning things tends to make things explode, clearing up the mess after a tomato explosion is probably one of my worst nightmares, had it happen with gooseberries once and that was horrendous

 

[zigs]

Yup.

Truffle oil is lovely, really earthy. Not cheap, but you don't need much.

We tried an egg in the microwave when they first came out, messy

Stop press ### The salted tomatoes look almost dry, the unsalted are completely moldy

 

[gata montes]

Yup.

Truffle oil is lovely, really earthy. Not cheap, but you don't need much.

We tried an egg in the microwave when they first came out, messy

Stop press ### The salted tomatoes look almost dry, the unsalted are completely moldy

Sounds good, shall be looking out for some Truffle oil, so that I can try it.

Eggs sound even worse than gooseberries.

Much as I love sun-dried tomatoes, couldn't cope with those moldy ones they sound absolutely horrible.
Goes to show that salting them was better, did you put the non salted ones on a rack ? Maybe it was lack of air circulation that caused them to go moldy.

Are the salted ones ready for tasting yet ?

Was hoping to have mine basking in the hot sun by now, but the last of the tomatoes, which I had put to one side especially for this purpose, have mysteriously disappeared but all is not lost, as a kind neighbor has offered to bring me a few sometime soon

 

[zigs]

You could even make your own if you can get hold of a truffle, just need a few shavings in some oil.

Its been the humidity here in the past week, a load of warm moist air has come up from the bay of biscay, humidity has been upto 100%

Everything that's been left out has gone mouldy, got the bread in the fridge, washing I hung out 3 days ago is still damp.

Both lots of Tomatoes are next to each other on the window sill, but there's been very little Sun. Very foggy here at the moment.

Not ready to nibble yet

You got a Tomato eating Badger there or was it the other half making a sandwich?

 

[gata montes]

Not sure about the availability of truffles here, let alone shaving it.

Your weather sounds absolutely horrible, humidity at 40 to 50 % is bad enough but 100 % - downright nasty. No wonder you've got fog, bet it never lifts either and everything feels permanently wet.

Yes it was my other half, who put them in a sandwich, I was really at the time.

No I don't have a tomato eating badger, but I do have a tomato eating cat, who finds them totally irresistible and is forever pinching tomatoes off the plants, shes very careful too, always know when shes been 'scrumping' overnight, as she leaves a trail of half eaten tomatoes littered around the place.

Hopefully the high humidity won't affect your salted tomatoes, and before long you will be able to have a nibble and let us know how they taste.

 

[zigs]

Do you have Deli's where you live? I find them easier to find in there than roaming around the woods with a trained pig

Fog lifted for an hour, suns gone back in now. Foolishly forgot to stick the toms in the oven after i'd used it at lunchtime

Ahh, so between the 2 of them your tomatoes aren't safe

 

[gata montes]

Unfortunately we don't have Deli's round here, they're not very cosmopolitan here, don't even think they'd know what a Deli was, other than being something that would be delicate or dainty, but there are plenty of trained and untrained pigs round here, which is a good thing, as roaming around the woods with a trained pig, looks like being the only way that I'm going to find any truffles - maybe I'll just have to stick with plain old olive oil

Not safe at all, have seriously been considering installing some kind of security device to protect my tomatoes, similar to the ones, that some of the neighbors use round here but am not so sure that I like the ' Alcatraz ' look, of chain link fences and barbed wire.

 

[zigs]

You need a motion sensor linked to a sprinkler system, effective against cats and other halfs at the same time

 

[gata montes]

Probably a lot more effective, and certainly a whole lot more attractive than an' Alcatraz ' type enclosure