Sun dried tomatoes

Phew it's been a crazy busy week. Still recovering from the surgery, and that has left me sleeping much of the time. Then my card reader for my camera decided to die, so I've been sitting on a few blog posts until I could upload the pictures. I do apologize for this weeks pictures. I just didn't want to wait any longer before I uploaded them.

I adore the leathery texture of sun dried tomatoes, I take them to school with me and eat them as snacks.  I love how they do taste like summer in my mouth, with delicious bursts of flavor.

I refuse outright to pay $4.99 a jar for like three halves of a tomato.

I own a cheap pesto dehydrator, it is in no way shape or form as accurate as some of the better ones, for example I cannot control the heat, I have on...or off.

This is a problem when making jerky for example.  But for sun dried tomatoes? It's perfect.  

I use cheap $0.99 a lb Roma tomatoes, I buy them when they are this price, or below never when they are more expensive.  Today while at Safeway I bought five lbs, as with the Safeway u program I got the, for $0.79 a lb.  Time to get processing.

I hate the idea of any waste at all, so even though I scoop out the seeds I don't throw them out. Some I can dry out and use for planting next year, or for seed storage ( I should note that this doesn't always produce viable plants you are better off using an heirloom if you want to save the seeds). The rest, with the yummy stuff inside I make a paste out of, that is then dehydrated like a fruit roll up. I then run it through the food processor and put this in a jar. I add this to soup, or ice cream, some times I just add it to hot water and drink it when I feel like I need a vitamin c boost.  I can't give you exact amounts of Vitamin c you get in a cup of this, but mid winter when it's cloudy and I need to taste summer this helps.

Tomato Puree

First step. Cut all your tomatoes into 1/3rds. Some tell you 1/2s are the way forward, but I seem to get a more consistent dehydration from thirds.

Second, scoop all the seeds out, reserving for later.

Third, arrange with plenty of air room around each slice on your dehydrator shelves till your stacks are full.

Turn dehydrator on, and walk away.  I like to rotate my shelves ever two- three hours to get a more consistent dry. This is one way to combat a cheaper dehydrator.  Which is great, any chance of combating something that is cheap and difficult to use means that it can hold out longer until you save up for the amazing one you really want.