When it’s peak season for fresh, ripe garden tomatoes, and my kitchen is over-filled with juicy, fragrant ones waiting to be used. Among my favorite ways is to oven-dry them, which captures, intensifies and preserves their flavor for enjoying in winter. The basic idea for this recipe came from Mary Ann Esposito, host of the popular Ciao Italia PBS cooking show. At a late summer dinner I attended for Mary Ann in Washington, D.C., she briefly outlined her method for making oven-dried tomatoes. Not surprisingly, her recipe has an Italian flavor–she likes to use plum tomatoes packed with fresh garlic, basil, and olive oil.
Here, I’ve adapted Mary Ann’s approach to the tomatoes I usually have on hand–regular 2 1/2 to 3-inch roundish garden tomatoes. (Since these are larger than plum tomatoes, they take longer to dry, but otherwise they are handled just the same.) I’ve also omitted the garlic and basil, preferring to pack the tomatoes in just oil. The method can be used for various quantities, but it’s best to work with at least 6 to 8 tomatoes, as they shrink considerably as they dry.(This amount will yield a 9- to 12-ounce jar.) Note that the jars are stored in the refrigerator, so don’t need to be sterilized in a boiling water bath.
Tip: Oven-dried tomatoes substitute nicely for commercial oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I’ve had great success simply chopping two or three and adding them, along with onion and some good black olives, to a simple chicken saute. They are also tasty in many pasta dishes.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
This is a great way to take advantage of a basket of slightly smaller, imperfect yet super-fragrant and sweet tasting summer tomatoes that are sometimes on sale at farmers’ markets. They are excellent chopped and added into a simple tomato pasta sauce served very simply over pasta.
6 to 8 2 ½- to 3-inch diameter vine-ripened summer tomatoes
Salt for seasoning
Olive oil or corn oil for drizzling and packing
Red wine vinegar for dipping
Wash the tomatoes well; pat dry. Core and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard seeds from the interior of each half. Lay the tomatoes, cut side up and slightly separated, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle the tomato halves with salt. Drizzle them lightly with oil.
Place in a 275-degree F oven. Dry for 5 to 7 hours, or until the tomatoes look shrunken and are the consistency of soft, slightly moist dried apricots. If the tomatoes appear to be burning near the end of the drying time, reduce the oven temperature 25 to 50 degrees. Larger tomatoes will take longer than the small ones to dry out. Set aside to cool. One at a time, dip each tomato half into a small bowl of vinegar until coated all over; then shake off excess vinegar. Pack the tomatoes in a very clean glass jar with a non-reactive lid. Add oil until the tomatoes are completely covered. Cap tightly and refrigerate. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 months.
Leave a Reply