Dried Tomato are very sweet

Mudman · November 11, 2011

I dried a bunch of tomatoes this summer and have been using them in recipes this fall. I have had sun dried tomatoes before and love them, but the ones I dried are extremely sweet. They almost taste like dried strawberries. Did I not taste this in the store bought ones because they were packed in oil? Or is it because I used different varieties and not just paste types? They seem to have lost all traces of acidity. Anyone else have this result?

lakelady · November 11, 2011

I've only oven dried tomatoes. What variety did you dry?

smileytom · November 11, 2011

I dry a good bit of my tomatoes, especially badly misshapen, catfaced, or cracked ones. They do get a much sweeter flavor than the ones I have bought at the grocer before. I know there is a Tville member that grows only to dry them maybe he or she would be able to offer some info or advice!

Mudman · November 12, 2011

I had about 16 different heirlooms, all shapes sizes and colors and I threw them all into my dehydrator.

Yes I have read brokenbar's post on the subject and have learned alot about drying but never heard this mentioned anywhere.

frogsleap farm · November 12, 2011

I dry some large cherries every year and they are like candy. I've also had fun drying tomatoes of different colors

lakelady · November 12, 2011

Dried tomatoes as a rule (at least to me, in my experience) are much sweeter than fresh tomatoes. My uncle dries many many pounds down in Florida in his screenporch. If you eat them plain, you'll taste very sweet, if you salt and season them in oil, they are less so, but I think you can still taste the sweetness, which is part of the appeal to me. That sweet salty taste!

brokenbar · November 12, 2011

I think it is because the sugar is concentrated in the dried product. And of course, the sugar content varies from variety to variety. And as pointed out, when they are in herb/garlic oil, they would not taste nearly as sweet. I have found the hearts and other I grow specifically for drying are all more tangy than sweet when dried. Even then, any dried have some sugar because you will notice that they are slightly sticky when handling them.

As for acidity, my experience has been that any of the cherry varieties are "little bites of acid" when dried...You eat one, take two Rolaids, eat another

Here's a question...is any acid in a tomato totally concentrated in the final dried form? So if you eat a several slices of dried are you getting a honking big dose of acid? On average, most of us don't set down and just eat a whole tomato (and yes I know there are those of you who do but I am ignoring that in trying to make my point

) And I am further wondering if that is why tomato sauce gives some people terrible heartburn...concentrated acid in cooked-down sauce?

I don't eat them so I am not a good judge. I rely on my Family for feedback as to taste.

Mudman · November 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokenbar

Here's a question...is any acid in a tomato totally concentrated in the final dried form?

This was what I was wondering because I don't taste the acid in the dried tomatoes. Is there something chemically that happens to them or is it just the concentration of sugar that masks the acid? Science anyone?

Father'sDaughter · November 13, 2011

I dried cherries and Principe Borghese tomatoes this year. The cherries were good eating tomatoes and ended up almost candy sweet when dried. The Principe Borghese were not good for eating fresh, but made excellent dried tomatoes with a good bite of acid that stands up well to olive oil. They were described as a traditional drying tomato which is the only reason why I decided to grow them, and I wasn't disappointed. So it might just all depend on the variety you start with??

Ruth_10 · November 13, 2011

Sweetness. No additional sugars formed, as far as I know. Just concentration of those already present in the tomato.

Acidity. Most common acids in tomators are citric and malic acids. They are stable to drying conditions and would not be expected to evaporate during drying. So the dried tomato should contain the same total amount of acid as the non-dried.

Taste buds are very sensitive to sweetness, and I expect the sugars in the tomato mask the acid in the dried tomato.

I often eat a whole raw tomato, usually with a little salt. When I make stewed tomatoes or sauce, I add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Without the sugar the cooked tomatoes seem quite acidic. I'm thinking cooking tomatoes (stewing or making sauce) ruptures cell membranes and makes more of the acids available to be noticed, thus the need (at least for me!) to add something to counter the acidity.

November 11, 2011	#1
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	Dried Tomato are very sweet I dried a bunch of tomatoes this summer and have been using them in recipes this fall. I have had sun dried tomatoes before and love them, but the ones I dried are extremely sweet. They almost taste like dried strawberries. Did I not taste this in the store bought ones because they were packed in oil? Or is it because I used different varieties and not just paste types? They seem to have lost all traces of acidity. Anyone else have this result? __________________ Mike

November 11, 2011	#2
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	I've only oven dried tomatoes. What variety did you dry? __________________ Antoniette

November 12, 2011	#4
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	I had about 16 different heirlooms, all shapes sizes and colors and I threw them all into my dehydrator. Yes I have read brokenbar's post on the subject and have learned alot about drying but never heard this mentioned anywhere. __________________ Mike

November 12, 2011	#6
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Dried tomatoes as a rule (at least to me, in my experience) are much sweeter than fresh tomatoes. My uncle dries many many pounds down in Florida in his screenporch. If you eat them plain, you'll taste very sweet, if you salt and season them in oil, they are less so, but I think you can still taste the sweetness, which is part of the appeal to me. That sweet salty taste! __________________ Antoniette

November 12, 2011	#7
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	I think it is because the sugar is concentrated in the dried product. And of course, the sugar content varies from variety to variety. And as pointed out, when they are in herb/garlic oil, they would not taste nearly as sweet. I have found the hearts and other I grow specifically for drying are all more tangy than sweet when dried. Even then, any dried have some sugar because you will notice that they are slightly sticky when handling them. As for acidity, my experience has been that any of the cherry varieties are "little bites of acid" when dried...You eat one, take two Rolaids, eat another Here's a question...is any acid in a tomato totally concentrated in the final dried form? So if you eat a several slices of dried are you getting a honking big dose of acid? On average, most of us don't set down and just eat a whole tomato (and yes I know there are those of you who do but I am ignoring that in trying to make my point ) And I am further wondering if that is why tomato sauce gives some people terrible heartburn...concentrated acid in cooked-down sauce? I don't eat them so I am not a good judge. I rely on my Family for feedback as to taste. __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

November 11, 2011	#3
smileytom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Auburn Alabama Posts: 44	I dry a good bit of my tomatoes, especially badly misshapen, catfaced, or cracked ones. They do get a much sweeter flavor than the ones I have bought at the grocer before. I know there is a Tville member that grows only to dry them maybe he or she would be able to offer some info or advice!

November 13, 2011	#9
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I dried cherries and Principe Borghese tomatoes this year. The cherries were good eating tomatoes and ended up almost candy sweet when dried. The Principe Borghese were not good for eating fresh, but made excellent dried tomatoes with a good bite of acid that stands up well to olive oil. They were described as a traditional drying tomato which is the only reason why I decided to grow them, and I wasn't disappointed. So it might just all depend on the variety you start with??

November 13, 2011	#10
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Sweetness. No additional sugars formed, as far as I know. Just concentration of those already present in the tomato. Acidity. Most common acids in tomators are citric and malic acids. They are stable to drying conditions and would not be expected to evaporate during drying. So the dried tomato should contain the same total amount of acid as the non-dried. Taste buds are very sensitive to sweetness, and I expect the sugars in the tomato mask the acid in the dried tomato. I often eat a whole raw tomato, usually with a little salt. When I make stewed tomatoes or sauce, I add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Without the sugar the cooked tomatoes seem quite acidic. I'm thinking cooking tomatoes (stewing or making sauce) ruptures cell membranes and makes more of the acids available to be noticed, thus the need (at least for me!) to add something to counter the acidity. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.