Dried tomatoes in the vegetable dryer: homemade recipes

You can prepare sun-dried tomatoes in the dryer for use during the winter time yourself. They are dried in the summer, when vegetables are relatively cheap. The cost of such a Mediterranean harvest for the winter will be several times cheaper than dried tomatoes in purchased jars. If desired, you can change the ingredients to your preference.

To spice them up during processing, recipes allow you to add the following spices:

• oregano;
• thyme;
• basil;
• hot pepper;
• lemon zest and others.

You can dry for the winter in several ways: under the sun, in the oven or in a specially purchased dryer. According to users, sun-dried tomatoes in an electric dryer compare favorably with dried vegetables in two other ways. The sun is not always strong, there are rainy days, and the convection oven draws a lot of electricity and heats up the already high temperature of the kitchen too much.

The gas stove oven is definitely not suitable for drying vegetables, since it is impossible to make the fire of the required intensity to maintain the required temperature. In addition, it heats unevenly: some slices of tomato may burn, while others remain dry.

Cooking process in a special dryer

This is a very simple and affordable way to dry tomatoes. For cooking you will need:

• 5 kg tomatoes;
• balsamic vinegar - 3 tsp;
• sunflower oil - 150 g;
• spices, s alt and sugar;
• garlic.

To cook sun-dried tomatoes at home, you should buy vegetables with a dense middle. Usually varieties of tomatoes in the form of plums have this property. They have a suitable small size and oblong shape. In addition, they are easy to grow in your garden.

Preparing vegetables

Before preparing sun-dried tomatoes for the winter, they should be thoroughly washed and dried with a towel.

Mature specimens are selected without visible damage in the form of dents or rot. It is advisable to select small fruits of the same size so that their cooking time is the same.

If the tomatoes are too juicy, then with the help of a small spoon, seeds and juice are removed from them without breaking the partitions. The selected center can be frozen and then used as an additive in cooking, where fresh tomatoes are added (stews, soups, sauces).

Plum varieties do not need to be seeded - they are what make the original taste of sun-dried tomatoes. Then the halves prepared in this way are laid cut down on a paper towel for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the juice to drain. This will speed up the curing process.

Spices

The spices used for cured tomatoes must be dry. These spices have a richer flavor. In a small bowl, mix seasonings with s alt and sugar. There is no need to follow any proportions. Provencal herbs and basil are considered good additions to this preparation, but they are not to everyone's taste. You can use seasonings of your choice, such as ground black pepper, dried dill and parsley.

For drying, it is better to use coarse s alt, as fine s alt will melt quickly and may drain from the fruit.Sugar in this process is added not only as a preservative - it gives a unique taste to the finished tomatoes. But if you categorically do not welcome spices, then some recipes allow you to dry without them, only slightly s alting the tomatoes.

Putting vegetables in the dryer and drying

Immediately before placing the vegetables in the dryer, they are sprinkled with spices and lightly sprinkled with sunflower or olive oil. Then the tomatoes are laid out on the dryer in an even layer, cut-side up. Tomato drying recipes do not recommend using garlic as a seasoning at this stage: it can adversely affect the flavor of the finished product.

After turning on the dryer, it should take between 10 and 16 hours. The time varies depending on the size of the fruit, their juiciness, the power of the device and the selected temperature. The optimal parameter is 50 degrees.

It is recommended to swap trays during drying. Moisture should completely evaporate. If during the drying process a puddle appeared under some tomatoes, it must be blotted with a napkin. The main thing is that the vegetables do not dry out: the tomatoes must retain their elasticity. This can be checked by pressing on them: if no liquid comes out of the tomatoes, then the vegetables are ready. Periodically, you need to double-check them, and remove the finished pieces from the dryer.

V alte in the daytime. You can put the dryer early in the morning so that everything is ready by the evening. It's easier to mess around with rearranging trays during the day.

After cooking, the dryer turns off, but the vegetables remain in it until they cool completely, while the filling is being prepared.

Preparing the filling and placing in a jar

Olive oil is traditionally used to pour tomatoes. But you can process them with refined sunflower, which has no smell. Soaked in the aroma of spices and herbs, sunflower will be similar to olive.So, combine vegetable oil with vinegar and chopped garlic cloves. Then pour some prepared filling on the bottom of the sterilized jar and lay out a layer of tomatoes. Then again pour the prepared mixture.

In the process of laying out, you need to make sure that no air bubbles remain. There should be a filling at the top of the jar, about 1 cm higher than the sun-dried tomatoes. After that, cooked canned food can be rolled up with a sterile lid. Store in a refrigerator. After a week, ready-made tomatoes can be used.

If the dried vegetables will be stored for a short time, you can fill it with cold filling, just adding a little balsamic vinegar. But when harvesting for the winter, heat the oil with spices to a boil.

Storage and use

You can store sun-dried tomatoes simply in a dry container with a lid or in a paper bag, but in a refrigerator, and steam it in warm water before use. The recipes for their preparation differ only in the presence of filling.

This serving of tomatoes will only make two 400-gram jars. Dryer-dried tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6 months. For a small family, it is enough to cook 4 - 5 jars for the winter.

Many recipes call for dried vegetables to be added to first courses or baked goods. They have an original aroma and incredible taste. They are added to salads, spaghetti or meat sauces. Delicious when added to pizza.

They are served at the table as an independent snack along with bruschettas or cheeses. Used as a sandwich ingredient. For example, you get a delicious meal if you put a leaf of basil, a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes and a circle of mozzarella on your toast.

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