Dehydrating

[Got Worms?]

Originally Posted by coronabarb

Charlie, how are you liking your dehydrator? I just ordered and received a 9 tray Excaliber and can't wait to put it through its paces.

You know, I haven't even tried it out. By the time I received mine (back in October) I didn't have anything left that I hadn’t already frozen or canned, so I set it aside for this coming season. Now that I'm thinking about it, I can look for something easy to do, maybe if I see bananas on sale...or some dried strawberries would be nice to put on my bran flakes at breakfast.
I should really get used to it before the season so I'll be ready. Thanks for the reminder.

Charlie

[BigVanVader]

I just dehydrated a bunch of cherry tomatoes yesterday and oh my! I am simply astonished at how delicious they are. Here is a pic of them before dehydrating. I can't wait to try some other tomatoes now! Ones done here are: Zluta Kytice, SS 100, Submarine Blush, Sugar Drop and Isis Candy.

[digsdirt]

Have you checked out Brokenbar's tips on drying tomatoes? Pre-soaked in wine and gives some great results.

And that sliced squash laying there - makes some really good seasoned chips when dehydrated. Choice of seasoning - chili powder, garlic salt, Cavender's, dill, Season Salt, etc.

Dave

[coronabarb]

Dried tomatoes are yummy. Never thought of soaking in wine first. Have a Master Food Preserver friend who is a dehydrating fiend. He cut corn off the cobs in slabs and dried those with either salt, pepper or plain. Everyone loves it although it's a bit hard on the teeth...sticky. I love zuke chips with different seasonings on them. A first for me last year was the finger type eggplant sliced into chips and dried. Loved it.

[BigVanVader]

No I didn't see that digsdirt, I will try to find that post, thanks for the tips!

[digsdirt]

You can freeze it in small packets for the longest storage. That is what I usually do. That way it doesn't mold. Or if you are sure it is fully dry it can go into any bottle/jar with a good on lid.

I have an old dark blue Mason jar that is good for shielding it from light or just make sure to keep it out of the light. The small dessicant packs work well for keeping it dry in the jar.

Dave

[coronabarb]

Dave, that is an interesting thought, using the colored jars to help exclude the light. I haven't purchased the blue/green jars because I think canned food looks awful in them. But this idea is great!

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by coronabarb

Dave, that is an interesting thought, using the colored jars to help exclude the light. I haven't purchased the blue/green jars because I think canned food looks awful in them. But this idea is great!

I thought about them too (colored canning jars) but thought the same thing.
But all of my stuff is in a closet out of the light anyways.

Worth

[digsdirt]

I agree with you Barb - green beans look really sick in the new colored jars and so does the tomato juice. Glad I only bought the 1 case. The old collectibles I have are much darker in color than the new ones.

Dave

[Zenbaas]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

I post on many of the tomato and harvest forums but there may be some of you who have not read my posts.

I do about 1000 to 2000 lbs a year which I sell to the upscale restaurants in Cody Wyoming & Billings Montana. I wanted to pass on my favorites for you considering doing some drying. Any tomato can be used for drying but some varieties are better than others.


I grow 15 mainstay varieties that I have kept as I culled others that did not meet my criteria.
I also try at least 5 new varieties of paste types each year and am lucky if one makes it into my "herd". I am looking for specific things:
� Meaty with a low moisture content
� Few seeds
� A rich and tangy flavor
� Size-Small tomatoes are just more work for me.
� Not fussy-Take heat and cold and wind. No primadonnas!
� Bloom well and set lots and lots of fruit
� Indeterminate
� Dry to a nice pliable consistency
These are my Top Five

Chinese Giant
Carol Chyko
Cuoro D Toro
Opalka
San Marzano Redorta


Recipe for drying:

Wash, stem and slice each tomato into 1/2" thick slices. Try to keep your slices as similar in size as possible. This will allow slices to dry at the same speed. Place in a very large bowl or clean bucket and cover with cheap red wine. I use Merlot but if you prefer something else, knock yourself out. I have a friend that swears by cheap Chianti! Soak tomato slices 24 hours in the wine. Drain well. Lay tomatoes just touching on dehydrator shelves or on screen in your sun-drying apparatus. Sprinkle each slice with a mixture containing equal parts of dried basil-oregano-parsley and then sprinkle each slice with Sea Salt. You may choose to forego the salt if you wish but tomatoes will take longer to dry. Dry tomatoes until they are firm and leatherlike with no moisture pockets, but NOT brittle. (If you get them too dry, soak them in lemon juice for a few minutes.) To store, place in vacuum bags or ziplock bags and freeze.
IMPORTANT!!! If you will be storing sun-dried tomatoes in Olive oil you !!!MUST!!! dip each slice in vinegar before adding to oil.

To pack in oil:
Dip each tomato into a small dish of white wine vinegar. Shake off theexcess vinegar and pack them in olive oil adding 1/4 cup red wine. For tomatoes in oil I am selling, I put the tomatoes into the oil two weeks ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Make sure they are completely immersed in the oil. When the jar is full, cap it tightly. I use my vacuum sealer to seal the canning lids on. Store at *cool* room temperature for at least a month before using. They may be stored in the refrigerator, but the oil will solidify at
refrigerator temperatures (it quickly reliquifies at room temperature however). As tomatoes are removed from the jar, add more olive oil as necessary to keep the remaining tomatoes covered. I have stored oil-packed tomatoes in m root cellar for over a year. I have tried a number of methods to pack the tomatoes in oil, but the vinegar treatment is the difference between a good dried tomato and a great one. It is also important from a food safety standpoint, as it acidifies the oil and discourages growth of bacteria and mold. Soaking in the wine also acidifies them.
****** WARNING ******** Do *NOT* add fresh garlic cloves or fresh herbs of any kind to oil-packed dried tomatoes, UNLESS you store them in the refrigerator and plan on using them withing 7 days. Garlic is a low-acid food which, when placed in oil, creates a low-acid anaerobic environment just perfect growth medium for botulinum bacteria if the mixture is not refrigerated. Be safe and add your garlic to the dried tomatoes as part of the recipe for them *after* they come out of the oil.

You can use any tomato for dehydrating but the paste types leave you with more final product and I believe, a hartier taste.

So looking forward to trying this..! I have them soaking in red wine at the moment.

Just a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer for me.

When suing the olive oil method how long can the sundried tomatoes be kept for..? Same applies for the dried in the baggie and put in the freezer..? What period of time can it keeps kept for.

As for the olive oil method what amount of space should be left in the top of the jar or should you fill it to the brim if possible..?

[Ganado]

Non electric, solar dehydrator you can make. the way it works seems counter intuitive but it works great! I hope I attached this correctly
693696

[Worth1]

Worked for me.

Worth

[Nematode]

Small sweet peppers are delicious and unique treat dried whole.
Keep them in an airtight so they stay crunchy, not as good when they absorb moisture and get leathery.

[BakedIn]

What are you folks grinding the tomatoes to powder with?


I've been getting by with coffee grinders but really would like to obtain something able to do much more at once.

[Durgan]

If truly dry a simple table blender will pulverize the tomatoes as fast as they can be loaded.