Sun-dried tomatoes for the winter can be prepared in several ways: starting from the use of sunlight and heat (that is, doing it, for example, on the roof) and ending with more high-tech devices (oven, microwave or special vegetable dryer). As for the recipe for this blank itself, it, as a rule, does not particularly depend on the drying method and can differ only in spices and cooking time.
Sun-dried tomato recipe for the winter in the microwave
The number of components used in this case is indicated based on the average capacity of the device. For 8 medium tomatoes, they take a little salt, 3 cloves of garlic, dried basil and oregano and 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Before cooking sun-dried tomatoes for the winter, they are washed, cut in half and seeds taken out (they are not used in this case). Prepared tomatoes are rammed in a deep bowl, which can be put in the microwave, sprinkled with seasonings and salt, turn on the maximum power for 5 minutes. Then they should be cooled for 10-15 minutes, drain the liquid into another container and add oil. Tomatoes are again placed in the microwave, but for 3 minutes at maximum power. After cooling, the tomatoes can be put in a sterile jar, pour liquid and close the lid. Store them better in the refrigerator. This method of drying tomatoes is the fastest, but they are stored exclusively in the cold, and their taste is much inferior to others. So if you have enough time, it’s better to use another option.
Sun-dried tomatoes in the oven for the winter
This longer method of harvesting tomatoes can be considered classic for
Mediterranean cuisine. The proportion of ingredients will be the same as in the previous case, only about 100 ml of oil will be needed. The tomato will fit in the oven more than in the microwave, so the number of products can be safely increased by 2-3 times. Tomatoes, as in the previous case, are washed, cut and freed from seeds. Then they are laid out on a greased baking sheet with the skin down, salted, sprinkled with spices and sent to dry. Do this in a moderately hot (up to 100 degrees) oven for 3-4 hours. After turning it off, it is better to leave the pan inside until it cools completely. At the bottom of a sterile glass jar put a clove of garlic, a little pepper peas, a bay leaf, and then lay the sun-dried tomatoes on top. For the winter they are left to be stored in a cold place, filled with vegetable oil and tightly closed with a lid. During cooking, vegetables lose almost all moisture, due to which they are greatly reduced in volume, so that from 2-3 kg in the end only a small jar of the final product is obtained.
Sun-dried tomatoes in the dryer
The owners of this device will not have to take the oven for a long time (which is the main inconvenience). Prepared tomatoes (washed, cut and with seeds removed) are laid out in a dryer in 1 layer. The more carefully the core is selected, the less time will be spent on the drying process. Then the device is turned on and wait until the tomatoes become sufficiently dehydrated (while they should not break). When using a dryer, spices are added after the tomatoes have reached the required consistency. They are laid in layers in sterile dishes, sprinkled with salt, herbs and chopped garlic. Top up with oil and close. Store, as in the previous case, in the cold. Tomatoes cooked in the dryer are no different from the previous version. The only difference is that in the process of drying the hostess can use the oven.