Dried tomatoes came to us from Italy, it is in this sunny country that it is customary to harvest tomatoes in this way.
The product opens up new culinary opportunities and tastes. Today you can buy it at any supermarket, but it is more tasty and much cheaper to dry tomatoes on your own, much less to make it.
Dried Tomatoes - General Cooking Principles
For drying it is better to choose fleshy varieties of tomatoes, in which there is not a lot of juice and seeds. It is important that they are ripe, but not overripe. The more fragrant and sweeter a fresh tomato is, the tastier the harvest will be. That is why it is preferable to use tomatoes grown not in greenhouses, but in vegetable gardens under the sun's rays. Vegetables should ripen on the bush, and not reach the red state in the process of maturation. Before drying, rinse the tomatoes well and let dry.
How to dry tomatoes:
• whole;
• halves;
• slices;
• circles.
The whole tomatoes will last the longest to dry, so they are not often prepared in this form. For blanks, you need to choose small fruits, remove the place of attachment of the stem. If the core is stiff and whitish, then it must be cut with a knife. Most often, dried tomatoes are made into slices or rings. They part with moisture faster, so the drying time is reduced many times.
Dried tomatoes - all ways to harvest
Some housewives consider the process of drying vegetables time consuming. But if you compare it with other options for procurement, for example, conservation, it is much easier and faster.
How to dry tomatoes:
• in the sun;
• in the oven;
• in a special electric dryer.
Not all methods are equally good, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But in any case, it is important not to overdry tomatoes, so that they do not crumble, but remain dried.
How to dry tomatoes in the sun
The classic way of harvesting vegetables and fruits, which is best suited for warm and sunny regions. To prepare dried tomatoes, the fruits are cut into necessary pieces, laid out on baking sheets or boards and sent to fresh air. In the sun, tomatoes can be cooked for 3 to 10 days, depending on its intensity, air humidity and temperature.
The advantage of this method of harvesting dried tomatoes is cheap and simple. You can immediately decompose any number of pieces and then it remains only to assemble the finished product. The disadvantages include the fact that at any time the weather can deteriorate, so you need constant supervision. Also, insects can settle on the tomatoes during the drying process, settle dust and fly over debris, and thorough use will be required before use in food.
How to dry tomatoes in the oven
Dried tomatoes cook in the oven faster than in the air. For medium slices, 8-10 hours is enough. Tomatoes are cut, laid on baking sheets in one layer and sent for cooking. The optimum temperature is 50-80 ° C. Periodically you need to view the trays, if necessary, swap them and turn the slices. If the oven has a ventilation function, it will speed up the process.
An undoubted advantage of this method is the speed of preparation and purity of the final product. The disadvantages include the fact that drying requires the cost of electricity or gas, as well as the long employment of the oven, which may be needed at any time. Also, not all models can maintain the same temperature, especially if they are running on gas. Therefore, there is a risk of burning billets.
Tomatoes in an electric drier
An electric dryer is a special device for harvesting herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Consists of capacity in which trays for a product layout are located. Tomato slices are stacked, the dryer is closed with a lid and plugged into the network. Modern dryers are equipped with timers, temperature controllers, automatic shutdown.
There are many advantages of the device, the products are prepared evenly, they remain clean, the dryer does not take up much space, with compact dimensions it accommodates a sufficiently large number of products. The disadvantages can only be attributed to the purchase of equipment and the cost of electricity.
Dried Tomatoes - How to Store
Cooking sun-dried tomatoes is only half the battle, it is important to preserve them correctly so that they do not lose their taste and at any moment please the summer aroma. Like other dried foods, when storing dried tomatoes, it is important to protect them from moisture, but also to provide oxygen access or at least occasionally ventilate.
What can be stored dried tomatoes:
• in glass jars with screwed metal or ordinary plastic lids;
• in plastic containers or buckets;
• in paper bags, but it is important that there is no high humidity in the room;
• in cardboard or wooden boxes, with each layer can be laid with paper.
Dry tomatoes are stored for no more than 6-8 months. Some time after laying it is recommended to check their condition, if necessary, dry in the oven. You can extend the shelf life by up to a year by placing the filled container in the freezer.
Italians store dried tomatoes in olive oil. On the basis of this blank, various national dishes are made, and the aromatic pouring acts as a sauce. To do this, put the slices in sterile jars, add spices, aromatic herbs, pour oil, clog and keep in a cool place. In this form, the product can be stored up to six months.
Recipe 1: Italian style dried tomatoes with butter and cheese
The famous recipe for Italian snacks based on dried tomatoes. To make it tasty, it is advisable to use high-quality cold-pressed olive oil. The bottle should be marked extra virgin.
Ingredients Required:
• sun-dried tomatoes 30 slices;
• Parmesan cheese 15 slices;
• basil 15 leaves;
• olive oil for pouring.
Cooking method
Rinse and dry the basil well. For each slice of tomato a piece of cheese is placed, a leaf of basil and on top everything is covered with another slice of dried tomato. Do the same with other products. Such peculiar sandwiches are neatly placed in a glass jar or container, poured with olive oil and infused for 1-2 days.
Appetizer is used for sandwiches, served with pasta and other national dishes. Sauces are prepared from the remaining oil, added to pastries, pasta.
Recipe 2: Pork with Dried Tomatoes
Spectacular meat dish with a rich taste of dried tomatoes and garlic. Approaches any garnish on the basis of grain and vegetables. The meat is cooked very quickly, 10 minutes is enough, the oven will do the rest.
Ingredients Required:
• 4 pieces of pork, as if on large chops;
• 50 gr. dried tomatoes;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 scoop of sour cream;
• salt pepper.
Cooking method
Thoroughly beat the pork, add salt and pepper. Chopped tomatoes with a knife with garlic. On each chop put a little stuffing, roll rolls. For strength can be stapled with toothpicks. Put the meat in a baking dish, top with salted sour cream and put in the oven. Cook for about an hour at a temperature of 190 ° C. But if the rolls are large, then time can be added.
Recipe 3: Italian Bread with Dried Tomatoes, Rosemary and Green Olives
Recipe for fragrant bread, which can be formed in the form of loaf, loaf or small buns. You can slightly deviate from the amount of ingredients, in one direction or another.
Ingredients Required:
• 200 ml of milk, you can water;
• flour 2.5 cups;
• 1 tsp salts;
• 10 gr. dry yeast;
• 2 tbsp. l Sahara;
• 0.5 cup olives;
• 0, 5 cups of olive oil;
• 50 gr. dried tomatoes;
• pinch of rosemary.
Cooking method
Heat the milk or water to a warm state, add sugar, salt, yeast and set aside for a few minutes to dissolve. Sift the flour, pour into the prepared talker, add olive oil, but not all. It is necessary to leave 2 spoons for greasing the bed and the finished bread. Knead the elastic dough. The moisture of the flour can be different, as well as the size of the glass, you may need to add a little. Remove the kneaded dough in a warm place. When it increases 2 times, it needs to be kneaded and allowed to rise again.
Cut the tomatoes into small pieces, olives in circles. Roll out a circle of dough, smear with olive oil, sprinkle with tomatoes, olives, rosemary. Roll into a roll. You can bake it or twist the snail. Also from this amount of dough you can make several small rolls. Give the formed bread to come up when it is doubled in the oven. Hot grease with olive oil.
Recipe 4: Dried Tomatoes with Chicken Breast
An appetizing and satisfying dish, which is cooked on a stove in a pan. Serve with Italian pasta, regular pasta, boiled potatoes or fresh vegetable salads.
Ingredients Required:
• chicken breast 0.7 kg;
• dried tomatoes 0.1 kg;
• cooking oil;
• 50 gr. flour;
• 50 gr. olives;
• salt;
• a mixture of fragrant spices.
Cooking method
Soak tomatoes in cold water 1: 1 for 2-3 hours. Chop the chicken breast into strips, brew with flour and quickly fry in a pan for a minute, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. At this time, cut the dissolved tomatoes into cubes, and olives, pour into the chicken, salt, add, half a glass of boiling water and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season the dish with aromatic spices, cover and let it brew.
Dried Tomatoes - Tips and Tricks
• Slices of tomatoes before drying can be sprinkled with spices, chopped herbs, pepper and salt.
• If the tomatoes are dry and crumbled, then they can be chopped in a coffee grinder, mixed with pepper, salt and used as a seasoning for any dishes, including ready-made ones.
• To make tomatoes dry faster, you can cut them into quarters and remove the inner juice with seeds.
• To restore tomatoes, pour slices with cold water and leave for several hours. You can add a little vinegar, as sun-dried tomatoes have a sweetish taste.
• To make tomatoes spicy, you can pour them with water mixed with dry wine in a ratio of 10: 1.
• Calorie content of dried tomatoes is about 260 kcal per 100 g. product. And this is 10 times more than fresh fruit. Therefore, do not get involved in a useful treat for dieters.
• In dried tomatoes, as well as in dried fruits, bugs can be got. To avoid this, you can add a few bay leaves or cloves of garlic in a jar.
• If there are concerns about the quality of drying, then some salt can be poured at the bottom of the container. Better coarse grinding. It absorbs excess moisture and will not give a single chance of mold.
Dried tomatoes are a wonderful product that opens up new tastes and possibilities in cooking. So why not take advantage of them?
