Dehydrating Tomatoes

Tomato Trio: on the vine, in a bowl, and sundried

Just Like Sun Dried!

Fancy this: While you are dehydrating tomatoes, their vitamin C, vitamin K, Thiamin, and Niacin, along with Folate, and Choline, content increases! Get busy dehydrating tomatoes whether you grow your own, or are in abundance at the grocery stores or roadside vegetable stands! :-)

Tomatoes are a fantastic source of vitamin A, followed by vitamin C, and Choline. Trace vitamins are: Niacin, and vitamin E, along with Thiamin, and Betaine, Pantothenic Acid, Folate, and vitamin K. Minerals to be found in tomatoes are: Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Calcium. There are trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Manganese, and Copper. Tomatoes contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Dehydrated Tomatoes Are Great For Sauces!

Dehydrated Tomatoes
Are Great For Sauces!

Tomatoes are great for many recipes, and for sauces, and puréeing. Make them into a powder in your blender and add water to make a paste! When made into a sauce, consider pouring the sauce onto the special roll up sheets and make a 'tomato roll up/leather'. (For more on "leathers" check out this "dehydrating fruit rolls" page.) This way, you can store the tomato sauce for use later, maybe as a pizza or as spaghetti sauce!

Memories: As a young girl of eight or nine, I used to walk barefoot down our tree-lined avenue where mum and dad's bungalow was, to visit my friend, Gillian, down the road. I always looked forward to seeing Gillian.

Her mum used to serve us hot delicious tomato soup for lunch! It's just one of those things that you'll always recall. It was over 40 years ago ... my how time flies.

Let's Get Down to Dehydrating Tomatoes

Let's Get Down to
Dehydrating Tomatoes

Wash and slice the tomatoes into 3/8" slices. You may first dip them into boiling water to make skin removal easier if you wish to skin them. For cherry tomatoes, cut in half, no skinning required.
Arrange the tomatoes on your food dehydrator trays, making sure the tomato slices don't overlap - or if using the cherry tomato halves, place them cut side up to prevent dripping to the lower trays.
Turn on your food dehydrator and set the temperature between 125°F and 135°F (or per your food dehydrator's instructions).

Tomatoes will be leathery or brittle when fully dried.
Drying time for tomatoes: between 5-12 hours.
Please remember to rotate your trays for even drying.

NOTE: When dehydrating tomatoes, like sun-dried tomatoes, look out for them imparting a stronger 'tomato' taste in your recipes.

Consider packing your dehydrated tomatoes in a light extra-virgin olive oil too, and add some herbs and garlic to help it along.

This just in from "Mj" regarding her dehydrated tomatoes:

I also was wondering if you ever turn tomatoes into powder, I dehydrate whole tomatoes sliced (skins and seeds included), and then put it through my grinder.

I found it is a cheaters way of thickening tomato juice for soup and sauces and I find that not cooking my juice down to a sauce and just adding a little tomato powder has ten fold the flavor.

Last year for holiday gifts I made friends a jar of "All Michigan Vegetable Soup" and the big question from everyone was "where did the awesome tomato flavor come from?", I told them it was my little secret!

This just in from "Mj" regarding her dehydrated tomatoes:

I also was wondering if you ever turn tomatoes into powder, I dehydrate whole tomatoes sliced (skins and seeds included), and then put it through my grinder.

I found it is a cheaters way of thickening tomato juice for soup and sauces and I find that not cooking my juice down to a sauce and just adding a little tomato powder has ten fold the flavor.