One thing you should have ready in your pantry is a jar of sun-dried tomatoes.
It’s not the first thing that would come to mind when you want something added to your bread or pasta, but dried tomatoes can add many flavors to any dish. It is also great for salads, sushi, or even eaten as it is.
This video will show you how to make them at home.
Here are the things that you need:
- 4 ½ lbs. of Fresh red tomatoes
- Salt
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup Vinegar
- 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp Oregano2 Bay leaves
You’ll also need some sort of a sieve screen or pan and a mesh or cheesecloth. Let’s start!
Cut the tomatoes in halves.
Place them on a sieve screen or an aluminum pan. The advantage of using the sieve is it also allows air and heat to pass through the bottom. The aluminum pan, however, heats the entire surface evenly because it conducts heat.
Next, sprinkle some salt on top of the tomato halves.
Send the tomatoes out in the sun. Leave them to dry for six days. You’ll observe that the tomatoes will slowly wrinkle in the 2 – 3 days. You can add more salt since it can also help dry out the tomatoes faster.
After the sixth day, it’s time to store and preserve your tomatoes.
Place four cups of water and a half cup of vinegar in a pot and bring it to a boil. Place the tomatoes into the pot and let it boil for five minutes while stirring occasionally. After five minutes, scoop the tomatoes out of the pot.
Place the tomatoes on a mesh or cheesecloth to absorb the water.
Let it dry for a couple of hours, then prepare to store them. Your 4.5 pounds of tomatoes have been reduced to around seven ounces so find a jar that can fit your tomatoes. In the video, you can see the chef using two small jars.
Get your olive oil and spices.
The basic spices used in this recipe are garlic, oregano, and bay leave (also known as laurel). But you can use other herbs that you want to include in the mix. Adding a bit of spicy kick can also improve its taste.
First, cut the cloves of garlic and place a few in the jar.
Add a few oregano, then place some dried tomatoes in the jar. You can compress the tomatoes now and then to fill the jar. Repeat this step until you fill the jar. Then, add the bay leaf.
Pour the olive oil until it’s full, and make sure to close the lid tightly.
Your sundried tomatoes will be ready in three weeks to allow all the flavors of the spices to blend well with the tomatoes.
Remember to check your jar every few days because the tomatoes will absorb the oil.
You must refill more olive oil should this happen.
And after three weeks, you can enjoy your dried tomatoes with your salad or bread. Buon appetito!
Don’t miss the mouthwatering tutorial in the video below!
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