Baked Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Baking tomatoes makes the best sun-dried tomatoes. They’re rich in flavor, they don’t loose their color and they taste as authentic as those fancy store bought bottles that cost a small fortune (seriously, check out the price next time and gasp). The one thing you have to accept is that oven dried tomatoes aren’t instantly made. Even though these are so easy to make, they take a couple hours to turn leathery, so make sure you’ve put a few hours aside when you plan on making them. I know you’re thinking, I don’t want to wait 5 hours before they’re done! I know, but trust me, YOU DO! THEY ARE WORTH IT! Sorry, had to write that in capital letters because they are SO GOOD! I hope you try making them very soon! Sun-dried tomatoes take 4-8 hours depending on how big and juicy your tomatoes are. Small halved tomatoes range around 4 hours, while bigger tomatoes can take 8 hours (or even longer). Make sure to check out my tomato recipe collection for more tomato ideas, including Quick-roasted Roma tomatoes , Fresh Roma Tomato Soup and Roasted cherry tomatoes with burrata!
Sun-Dried Tomatoes Ingredients
Ingredients are simple. I bet that you already have everything to make oven dehydrated tomatoes.
4 pounds of tomatoes – roma, plum and paste tomatoes work best! salt dried basil olive oil garlic cloves
How many pounds of tomatoes do I need?
This recipe calls for 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes. You can use 2 pounds of tomatoes if that’s all you have, just half the recipe. Or you can use 8 or 12 pounds of tomatoes if you want a double or triple batch.
When it’s raining tomatoes in the garden I often will make 3 batches at once, one to keep in the refrigerator and 2 to freeze.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Add your halved tomatoes (roma or plum) on a nonstick baking sheet. You guys, this is really important. Make sure you are using a non-stick sheet as the tomatoes are going to stick since they’re baking for so long. If you don’t have a non-stick baking sheet, use parchment paper. This will make sure the tomatoes don’t stick and you have a easy cleanup! Sprinkle the tomatoes with dried basil and a little bit of salt. Now stick in the oven and slowly bake them.
When are my Sun-Dried Tomatoes done?
You want to check your tomatoes about every 30 minutes to get the perfect texture. On average, sun-dried tomatoes take 4-8 hours, depending on how big your tomatoes are. Small halved tomatoes range around 4, while bigger tomatoes can take 8 hours (or even longer). The sun-dried tomatoes are done when they are a leathery texture. You want to pull them out of the oven before they are crispy as that means they are overcooked! They should not be brittle and break apart. Instead you’re looking for a leather-like texture.
How to soften sun dried tomatoes in oil
Once the sun-dried tomatoes are finished, add them in a mason jar. Pour olive oil on top of to cover the tomatoes. The oil is going to help soften the tomatoes and add lots of flavor. Next, add your cloves of garlic into the mason jar, give it a stir to mix, and then cover.
How to Store Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Fridge
Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator, good for 4-5 weeks. These also freeze well (directions below) so you can make a couple batches!
Can I Freeze Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
Yes! I freeze a few batches of these yummy tomatoes to enjoy them in the Winter time over rice, pasta, or use in casseroles. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a freezer bag, and add just a tablespoon of olive oil to coat them. Now freeze. When you’re ready to use them, remove from the freezer and soak the freezer bag in a bowl of warm water. This takes about 15 minutes to defrost. Now use them as you have planned!
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