How to cook sun-dried tomatoes for the winter? TOP 4 step by step recipes with photos. How to prepare tomatoes and what spices to use? How to store the workpiece and how to use it? Video recipes.
Today you can buy fresh tomatoes at any time of the year. But sun-dried tomatoes have gained popularity quite recently. This is a gem of Italian cuisine that you can buy in the store. However, the preparation is very easy to do on your own at home to your liking. These are delicate and fragrant fruits saturated with the scent of spices and herbs. The appetizer has an unusual spicy taste. It can be used as a stand-alone dish and added to any recipes that need a sophisticated flavor.
A few secrets
- Italians distinguish between two types of tomatoes: sun-dried and baked. They differ in the degree of shrinkage. Baked tomatoes are more fleshy, cook within 1-2 hours, dried - keep in the oven for at least 4-7 hours.
- Tomatoes should be flat and clean, not damaged, rotten or overripe.
- Buy fruits that are fleshy, but not very watery, otherwise only the skin will remain.
- It is best to use cherry tomatoes (grape tomato) or medium-sized varieties such as cream for drying. Any dense small fruit, usually red in color, will do, though.
- Ideally, drying tomatoes that have ripened in the sun, rather than in a greenhouse, have a more pronounced aroma.
- From 15–20 kg of fresh vegetables, 1-2 kg of dried vegetables will be obtained.
- Take refined vegetable oil for filling, odorless. Ideally, use extra virgin olive oil, but refined sunflower oil or grape seed oil will do.
- You can dry tomatoes in the oven, in the sun, in a microwave oven, or in an electric dryer.
How to prepare tomatoes for drying?
Wash the tomatoes and cut lengthwise or crosswise into 2-4 pieces. Cut large round-shaped tomatoes into thick ring slices, small ones in halves or quarters lengthwise so that they dry evenly.
Clean the prepared halves from partitions and stalks. With a regular spoon, remove the middle with the seeds to get a boat with dense elastic walls. Remove or retain the skin as you wish. Tomatoes without skin will dry faster, and with skin they are more piquant and will keep their shape better. Leave them to dry well. Sometimes tomato slices are pickled before drying, but this is not necessary.
What spices do Italians use?
- An important nuance of drying a tomato is how, what and when to add spices? Tomatoes can be sprinkled with all the spices at once during heat treatment, or put the spices in a jar with ready-made sun-dried tomatoes. It is better to flavor oil with fresh herbs, and then use it for salad dressing. Dried herbs will open better in the oven, so bake tomatoes with them.
- Basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary are used according to the classic Italian recipe. Also, as spices, you can take Provencal seasonings with a full set (marjoram, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory). Also for the original aroma add black pepper and chili, cardamom, celery, hops-suneli, cumin, ginger, barberry, cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander, etc. more intense.
- Salt is best used coarse sea salt. It will pickle fruits more effectively: large tomato crystals will not oversalt, because will not pass through the skin, and if the skin cracks, they will create a protective film.
- Garlic is optional, but it will give dried tomatoes a unique flavor. For the best flavor, it is crushed and ground with salt before use. Garlic can be either an additional flavoring or oil-fill ingredient.
- Dried onions, capers, capsicums, anchovies, etc. can be added to the filling as additional components for dried fruits.
How long and how are sun-dried tomatoes stored?
- If the fruits have dried in the sun, they are stored in a cotton bag or in a cellar for 6-8 months.
- If the fruits are not very dry, they are tamped tightly in a glass jar, poured with hot oil, covered with a lid and sent to the refrigerator. They are stored for about a year.
- Wilted tomatoes are packed in a food plastic bag and stored in the freezer compartment. But thawed tomatoes will lose color and look less bright. After defrosting, let the tomatoes stand in the oil for several days so that they absorb it and soak up the aroma of herbs.
- An open jar is kept in the refrigerator. Take the tomatoes out of the jar with a dry fork or spoon so that they do not grow moldy.
What do they eat with and where to add sun-dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes serve not only as an appetizer, but also as an addition to many ready-made dishes. They are used in recipes for many dishes. Thanks to them, the finished dish will acquire a unique aroma and taste. Sun-dried tomatoes perfectly complement fish, meat, cheese. Salads, bruschetta, pasta, scrambled eggs, pizza are made with them. Even the most ordinary lettuce leaves and slices of feta cheese, poured with fragrant oil, with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, will become a gastronomic pleasure.
Sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in the oven
Delicious sun-dried tomatoes drenched in olive oil will become a delicious homemade product that can be used during the winter to prepare a variety of salads, pasta, pastries, meat and poultry.
See also how to prepare pickled tomatoes.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 235 kcal.
- Servings - 150 g
- Cooking time - 10 hours
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes Cream - 1.5 kg
- Dried thyme - 1 tsp
- Garlic - 6 cloves
- Refined vegetable oil - 150 ml
- Provencal herbs - 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Dried rosemary - 1 tsp
- Apple cider vinegar 6% - 2 tablespoons
Cooking sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in the oven:
- Prepare the tomatoes according to the instructions above.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and line the tomatoes tightly, cut up.
- Salt each piece a little and season with dried Provencal herbs.
- Tomatoes are dried at different temperatures for a different amount of time. It depends on the type of oven, the quantity and quality of the fruit. At 80 ° C, the fruits will be ready in 8-15 hours, at 100 ° C in 6-12 hours, at 120 ° C in 3 hours. But the lower the temperature, the higher the quality of the final product.
- Preheat the oven to the desired temperature and place the baking sheet on a medium level. Keep the oven door ajar for better air circulation and moisture to evaporate faster.
- Turn the tomatoes from time to time.
- The finished tomatoes should dry out, and not bake or dry out to the state of coals. The finished fruits will decrease in size, bend in the hands, become moist, but without juice.
- Peel the garlic and cut into pieces.
- Transfer the cooked tomatoes to a clean glass jar, mixed with garlic, thyme and rosemary.
- Toss the apple cider vinegar with the oil and pour over the tomatoes. The amount of oil should be enough to completely cover the tomatoes.
- Close the jar with a lid and refrigerate, where they will be stored for about a year.
Sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave
The easiest way to dry tomatoes is to cook them in the microwave. Such tomatoes are not stored for a long time, but you can cook them very quickly.
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes - 1 kg
- Garlic - 1 head
- Vegetable oil - 150 ml
- Basil - 50 g
- Hot bitter pepper - 15 g
Cooking sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave:
- Sprinkle the prepared washed, peeled and dried tomatoes with salt and oil.
- Place the fruits in a deep, heat-resistant dish, cut side up, and place in the microwave.
- Turn on the maximum power, about 850 kW. Cooking time 10 minutes.
- Pour the separated tomato juice into a separate saucepan and place the tomatoes again in the microwave for 5-7 minutes.
- Then open the door of the microwave and leave the fruit for 15 minutes.
- Put the cooked tomatoes in a sterile jar.
- Top with pepper, herbs, basil and finely chopped garlic.
- Pour into the container the tomato juice that has come out of the tomatoes and vegetable oil.
- Leave the jars to infuse for half an hour, then close the lids and store in the refrigerator.
Sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in an electric dryer
The process of drying tomatoes in an electric dryer will be very simple, albeit time-consuming. The advantage of this method is an even and precisely set temperature, which is impossible in an oven.
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes - 1.5 kg
- Vegetable oil - 250 ml
- Salt - 1, 5 tablespoons
- Dried rosemary - 2 pinches
- Dried thyme - 1 tsp
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Balsamic vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Red hot peppers - to taste
Cooking sun-dried tomatoes for the winter in an electric dryer:
- Lay the washed, dried and chopped tomatoes with a cut up, salt and leave for half an hour.
- Turn the tomatoes upside down on paper towels to remove any juices and leave them for 2 hours.
- Arrange the tomatoes loosely in the drier trays.
- Set the temperature to 70 ° C and put the lid on the dryer.
- Replace pallets every 1-2 hours.
- Sun-dried tomatoes will be ready after 12 hours of continuous operation. Moisture will not be released from them, and the fruits will not break.
- For oil dressing, heat refined vegetable oil (but don't boil!), Add rosemary and thyme.
- Stir the tomatoes and cool to room temperature, covered.
- Place chopped slices of garlic in the bottom of the sterilized jars.
- Lay the sun-dried tomatoes and hot pepper rings on top.
- For best preservation, add a small pinch of salt and 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
- Pour the flavored oil over the sun-dried tomatoes. Close the lids hermetically and store in the cellar.
Sun-dried tomatoes outdoors
The most budget-friendly way to make sun-dried tomatoes is to air dry the fruit. The process will take, of course, several days, but it is the most budgetary one.
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes - 2 kg
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
- Italian herbs - 1 tsp
- Garlic - 3-4 cloves
- Olive oil - 200 ml
Cooking sun-dried tomatoes outdoors:
- Put prepared tomato halves on baking sheets, sieve or wire racks.
- Cover them with protective gauze or insect netting on top.
- Depending on the number of tomatoes, they will dry for 4 to 10 days. The tighter they are packed, the longer they dry.
- To avoid spoilage, be sure to salt them.
- Turn the tomatoes several times a day to dry evenly.
- At night, bring the tomatoes under a canopy or indoors, or cover with a towel. Otherwise, tomatoes will absorb excess moisture from the morning dew.
- Mix salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Add sugar if desired. when dried, tomatoes become more acidic than fresh fruits.
- Season the finished tomatoes with spices and stir to cover each piece.
- Put the tomatoes in a clean jar, sprinkle with chopped garlic, and fill everything with oil, filling the voids.
- For taste and better preservation of the workpiece, pour in 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar in a 0.5 liter jar. Store the finished jars in the refrigerator.
Video recipes:
Sun-dried tomatoes at home in the oven for the winter
Sun-dried tomatoes for the winter
