Do you remember how my garden looks?
Yep. One BIG mess. Basically all tomatoes. Most of them aren’t staked which makes picking difficult.
But the tens…well, actually hundreds…of cherry tomatoes kept staring me down and I eventually gave into the picking with 2 fussy kids by my side. Fun, fun, fun!
I eventually ran out of somewhat fussy kid time (and entered full-blown kids falling apart time) before I was even close to running out of tomatoes to pick.
I was initially thrilled about my bounty until I realized I had to do something with them. We like eating them like candy and Isa calls them “apples” (she LOVES apples) but there were WAY TOO MANY to just eat.
Enter food dehydrator…and I now have sun-dried tomatoes that will provide the perfect garden sweetness in the middle of the winter.
And if you don’t have a dehydrator, your oven will work just fine.
RECIPE :: SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
Cut cherry tomatoes in half
Place on dehydrator sheets (or cookie sheets if using your oven BUT you will have to turn them occasionally to expose both sides) cut side up.
Dry at 140 degrees for 3 to 8 hours in your food dehydrator or set your oven to the lowest possible temperature. It will take longer in your oven (10-15 hours). Your tomatoes are done when they are pliable like raisins.
To save space I placed them all in ziploc bags to store in the freezer. When I’m ready to use them, I will take out my desired amount and place them in olive oil seasoned with basil, thyme, oregano, and minced garlic. Let them sit for a couple of days in the refrigerator or use immediately over pasta or any other favorite dish.
Yummy!
What are your favorite recipes to use sun-dried tomatoes in?
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This has been linked to The Healthy Home Economist, Raising Arrows, Homestead Barn Hop. The Better Mom, The Morristribe’s Homesteader Blog Carnival, Lessons from Ivy, Traditional Tuesdays, Titus 2 Tuesday, Titus 2sday @ Time Warp Wife, Real Food Wednesday, Raising Homemakers, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter
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