Oven Dried Tomatoes
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Jane Lovett
cook time
4 hours
Oven-dried tomatoes have a deep, intense, concentrated, savoury flavour. They are delicious added to soups, stews, sauces, salads, starters and pasta. How much or how little you dry them, depends on you. Leave them in the oven until completely dried and wrinkled or remove them when still a little plump and fleshy. Drying works equally well in an Aga or conventional oven. However, if you are drying a large quantity it is advisable to leave the oven door ajar to let out the excess steam which is created by the large amount of tomatoes. It is very important to sterilize the jars well. I find the dishwasher excellent for this purpose.

ingredients
-
Tomatoes
-
Fine salt
-
Freshly ground black pepper
-
Dried oregano
-
Caster sugar
-
Extra virgin olive oil
directions
Preheat the oven to 100C/200F/Gas½/Aga Warming oven.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half, across the equator as it were. Place cut side up on a wire rack and suspend over a roasting tin or baking sheet, to catch any drips.
3. Sprinkle with a little salt, black pepper, oregano and sugar.
4. Leave in the oven for between 3 – 8 hours. The timing depends on how large the tomatoes are and how dry you want the finished product to be.
5. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and leave to cool before packing them tightly into well sterilized Kilner or jam jars.
6. Fill the jars up with extra virgin olive oil making sure that the tomatoes are all submerged and cover with the lid. This is very important as they will go mouldy otherwise.
7. Store in the fridge for several months