Fall In Love With Sun-Dried Tomatoes From Your Oven

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Oven-Dried Grape Tomatoes Taste Like Sun-Dried

Sun-dried tomatoes taste amazing, even when they’ve dried in your oven instead of under the Tuscan sun. If you end up with a bumper crop of cherry or grape tomatoes, do this!

Homemade sun-dried tomatoes are far less expensive and taste much better than anything you can buy from a store! Use these sweet, chewy tomatoes in everything from salads to pizza to sandwiches and dressings.

Sun-dried tomatoes, eaten in moderation, are good for you. They provide significant amounts of Vitamins C and A. They are also a good source of Vitamin E and heart-healthy fats when packed in olive oil. Eat them right from the jar or bag like candy; they are a delicious powerhouse of good nutrition!

For a while, sun-dried tomatoes fell out of favor, and that was simply wrong! After all, they are the secret ingredient that makes Marry Me Chicken so amazing!

It Takes Just 2 Things To Make Yummy Sun-Dried Tomatoes

You will only need tomatoes and fine salt. If you prefer, you can sprinkle the tomatoes with Italian seasoning or herbs of your choice.

Small tomatoes, like cherry or grape tomatoes, are perfect for sun-dried tomatoes. You don’t need to spread cheesecloth on the ground and hope for sunny days, and you don’t need to buy a dehydrator.

I started my experiment with a pint of grape tomatoes, and now I am hooked on the process because it’s easy and extremely rewarding! (And, oh so delicious!) These wee little tomatoes are fantastic candidates to dry in the oven.

Begin by cutting each tomato in half. Place them cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a rim. Lightly sprinkle them with salt. Take it easy on the salt because the tomatoes will shrink to about half (or less) of their original size.

Salt helps draw moisture out of the tomatoes and enhances the flavor. As the tomatoes roast in the oven, their water content decreases markedly. When it happens, the flavor of the tomatoes is greatly enhanced, and they become sweeter, rather leathery, and more intensely “tomatoey.”

Bake them in a low oven at 250 degrees for about two and one-half to three and one-half hours or until they are as dry as you like. You don’t need to turn them or stir them; they will take care of themselves in the oven. I will caution you to keep an eye on them after the first two hours because they can burn.

The chewiness of dried tomatoes adds an interesting texture to salads, dips, pizza, scrambled eggs, and my favorite - avocado toast. Do you want more ideas on incorporating them into your cooking? Here’s a lovely article with 26 ways to fall in love with sun-dried tomatoes.

Here Are Two Easy Ways To Preserve Your Sun-Dried Tomatoes

When your tomatoes are as dry as you’d like, you can freeze them. When they have cooled, slip the whole pan into the freezer, let them freeze solid, and then scoop them into a freezer bag or suitable freezer container. (Please do not use empty Cool Whip or butter tubs.😉)

They will keep in the freezer for about three months. You can take out as many as you want at a time and plop them into your sauce right from the freezer. They will thaw very fast if you chop them fine for a pizza or salad!

I packed the tomatoes into a small jar, covered them with olive oil, and kept them in the refrigerator. To enhance their amazing flavor even more, I tucked in a bay leaf and a peeled garlic clove. A pint of grape tomatoes dried down to fit in a half-pint jar.

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 1/2 pint

Sun-Dried Tomatoes In The Oven

Print

You can make delicious sun-dried tomatoes in your oven, then freeze them or pack them in olive oil. They are so much less expensive and better tasting than "store-bought."

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• One pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
• Salt
• Italian seasoning, optional
• Olive oil, optional

Instructions

1. Wash the tomatoes, then cut them in half.
2. Place tomatoes on a parchment-covered rimmed baking sheet cut side up.
3. Sprinkle lightly with salt and Italian seasoning if you like.
4. Bake at 250 degrees for two and one-half to three and one-half hours or until the desired dryness level.
5. Watch carefully toward the end of baking time so they do not burn.
6. After they are cool, freeze them on the sheet in a single layer, then pack them in freezer bags or containers.
7. If you prefer, pack the sun-dried tomatoes into a jar and cover them with olive oil. Keep refrigerated.
8. The olive oil will solidify when refrigerated but quickly liquify when brought to room temperature.

Notes

Grape or cherry tomatoes dry down to approximately one-fourth of their volume.

Here's another idea for preserving garden produce! It works great with sweet Vidalia onions! Easy Overnight Caramelized Onions. We love canning and preserving at our house!

Here's one more for now: Easy Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam for canning newbies! Keep watching, as I'll be adding more recipes all summer long!

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Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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