Scale
Ingredients
- 10 plum tomatoes*, halved
- sea salt
- dried thyme, oregano or marjoram
- garlic cloves, optional
- approximately 2 cups olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to the lowest heat setting (150 – 200 F). The goal here is to dry the tomatoes slowly but surely.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomatoes on top, cut side up. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Bake the tomatoes until the edges have shriveled and the insides are still slightly moist but not juicy. Timing depends on the size of tomato; the drying time will take anywhere between 2 and 8 hours.
- Set the pan aside until completely cool and then transfer the tomatoes to a clean and sterilized jar. Add a few sprigs of dry herbs and a clove of garlic, if using, to the jar. Pour in olive oil, thoroughly covering the tomatoes to preserve them. (See note for alternative, no-oil method.)
- Store in the fridge for 4 – 6 weeks. Use up the remaining olive oil in dishes that can benefit from the savory tomato flavour.
Notes
* Dry grape and cherry tomatoes whole. Chop plum tomatoes in half. Cut large tomatoes into 1/2″-thick slices.
My note: Instead of packing the oven-dried tomatoes in oil, I put them in resealable freezer bags and froze them. They keep this way for up to a year.
This recipe is published with permission from Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trails ( Published by Clarkson Potter, 2010)