Recipe for cooking sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in a vegetable dryer
You can prepare sun-dried tomatoes in the dryer for use during the winter time on your own. 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 according to your preference.
To spice them up during processing, recipes allow you to add the following spices:
- oregano;
- thyme;
- basil;
- spicy pepper;
- lemon zest and others.
Drying for the winter can be done in several ways: under the sun, in the oven, or in a specially purchased dryer. According to users, dried tomatoes in an electric dryer compare favorably with dried vegetables in two other ways. The sun is not always active, 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 oven of a gas stove is definitely not suitable for drying vegetables, since it is impossible to make a fire of the required intensity to maintain the required temperature. In addition, it heats unevenly: some tomato slices may burn, while others will remain undried.
Cooking process in a special dryer
This is a very simple and affordable way to dry tomatoes. For cooking you will need:
- 5 kg of tomatoes;
- balsamic vinegar - 3 tsp;
- sunflower oil - 150 g;
- spices, salt and sugar;
- garlic.
To cook sun-dried tomatoes at home, you should buy vegetables with a tight middle. Usually varieties of tomatoes in the form of plums have this property. They have a suitable small size and an 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.
Ripe 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 the cooking time is the same.
If the tomatoes are too juicy, then with a small spoon, seeds and juice are removed from them without disturbing the partitions. The selected center can be frozen and then used as an additive in the preparation of dishes to which fresh tomatoes (stews, soups, sauces) are added.
In plum varieties, there is no need to remove seeds - it is they that make the original taste of sun-dried tomatoes. Then the halves prepared in this way are placed for 10 - 15 minutes, cut down on a paper towel to allow the juice to drain.This will speed up the drying process.
Spice
The spices used for sun dried tomatoes must be dry. These spices have a more intense aroma. In a small container, mix the seasonings with salt and sugar. There is no need to observe any proportions. Provencal herbs and basil are considered a good addition for such a preparation, but not everyone likes them. You can use any seasoning you like, such as black pepper, dried dill, and parsley.
For drying, it is better to use coarse salt, since the fine salt will quickly melt and can drain from the fruit. In this process, sugar is added not only as a preservative - it gives the originality to the taste of finished tomatoes. But if you categorically do not welcome spices, then some recipes allow you to dry without them, only slightly adding tomatoes.
Putting vegetables in the dryer and drying
Just before placing the vegetables in the dryer, sprinkle them with spices and lightly drizzle with sunflower or olive oil. Then the tomatoes are laid out on the dryer in an even layer, slices upwards. Recipes for drying tomatoes are not recommended to use garlic as a seasoning at this stage: it can badly affect the flavor of the finished product.
After turning on the dryer, it should take from 10 to 16 hours. The time varies depending on the size of the fruit, their juiciness, the power of the appliance and the selected temperature. The optimal parameter is 50 degrees.
It is recommended to swap the pallets during the drying process. The moisture should completely evaporate. If a puddle appears under some tomatoes during the drying process, it must be blotted with a napkin. The main thing is that the vegetables do not dry out: tomatoes must retain their elasticity. This can be checked by pressing on them: if no liquid is released from the tomatoes, then the vegetables are ready. Periodically, you need to double-check them, and remove the finished pieces from the dryer.
Dry in the daytime. You can put the dryer on early in the morning so that everything is ready in the evening. Fiddling with rearranging trays is easier during the day.
After cooking, the dryer turns off, but the vegetables remain in it until they cool completely, and at this time the filling is being prepared.
Preparing pouring 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 a little of the prepared filling on the bottom of the sterilized jar and lay out a layer of tomatoes. Then pour the prepared mixture again.
During the layout process, you need to ensure that no air bubbles remain. There should be a filling at the top of the jar, about 1 cm higher than sun-dried tomatoes. After that, the prepared canned food can be rolled up with a sterile lid. Store in a refrigerator. After a week, ready-made tomatoes can be used.
If dried vegetables will be stored for a short time, you can fill in with cold pouring, just adding a little balsamic vinegar. But when preparing for the winter, you should warm up the oil with spices until it boils.
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 in warm water before use. The recipes for their preparation differ only in the presence of filling.
This serving of tomatoes will make only two 400 gram jars. In the refrigerator, tomatoes dried in a vegetable dryer can be stored for about 6 months. For a small family, it is enough to prepare 4 - 5 jars for the winter.
Numerous recipes use dried vegetables to add to first courses or baked goods. They have an original aroma and incredible taste.They are added to salads, sauces for spaghetti or meat. Delicious when added to pizza.
They are served as an independent snack along with bruschetta or cheese. Used as an ingredient in a sandwich. For example, you get deliciousness if you put a leaf of basil, a few slices of sun-dried tomatoes and a circle of mozzarella on the toast.
