Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Chewy, fruity, tomato candy!

There are some recipes I feel silly posting.  This isn't so much a recipe as a technique, and it's so easy it's ridiculous.  That's okay.  I had to research to find the best way to make oven-dried tomatoes, so I'll share what I found.

Used half in a salad.  What to do with the other half?

Smaller is better:  I used a pound of grape tomatoes, kind of like baby roma tomatoes, but any cherry, grape, or other small tomato will do.  I used olive oil, but grape seed or other lightly flavored (or herb-infused) oil will do.  Last, I used a lot of kosher salt, but other recipes I saw call for garlic cloves mixed in with the tomatoes, or sprigs of thyme or rosemary.  I'm sure those would be delicious!


As for storage, they have been in my fridge for two weeks now, covered in olive oil, and they taste great.  I probably wouldn't count on them to last a month, and I plan on eating the rest this week.  Then again, I've been saving them - they're so tasty, it's hard to restrain myself and not eat them all at once!


Oven-Dried Tomatoes


Ingredients:

• 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes
• olive oil
• kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet in tin foil.
2. Wash tomatoes and slice in half lengthwise.  Place all the tomatoes cut-side up on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Salt somewhat heavily.
3. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  You know they're done when they're nice and shriveled.

Cheaper and tastier than store-bought, for sure!

Use these right away, or store them in the refrigerator in a jar, covered with olive oil.  When you are down to your last ten or so, use the tomatoes and the oil in the jar to make a sundried tomato vinaigrette.