Dried tomatoes came to us from Italy, and it is in this sunny country that it is customary to harvest tomatoes in this way.
The product opens up new culinary possibilities and tastes. Today you can buy it in any supermarket, but it is more tasty and much cheaper to dry tomatoes on your own, much less to make it.
Dried Tomatoes - General Cooking Principles
For drying, it is better to choose fleshy varieties of tomatoes, in which there is not a lot of juice and seeds. It is important that they are ripe, but not overripe. The more aromatic and sweeter a fresh tomato is, the tastier the harvest will be. That is why it is preferable to use tomatoes grown not in greenhouses, but in vegetable gardens under the sun's rays. Vegetables should ripen on the bush, and not reach the red state in the process of maturation. Before drying, tomatoes should be well washed and allowed to dry.
How can you dry tomatoes:
• entirely;
• halves;
• slices;
• circles.
The tomatoes will be completely dry for the longest time, so they are not often prepared in this form. For blanks you need to choose small fruits, remove the attachment of the stem. If the core is hard and whitish, then it must be cut with a knife. Most often, make dried tomatoes slices or ringlets. They quickly part with moisture, so the drying time is reduced many times.
Dried tomatoes - all methods of harvesting
Some housewives consider the process of drying vegetables time consuming. But if you compare it with other options for procurement, for example, conservation, it is much easier and faster.
How to dry tomatoes:
• in the sun;
• in the oven;
• in a special electric dryer.
Not all methods are equally good, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But in any case, it is important not to overdry tomatoes, so that they do not crumble, but remain dried.
How to dry tomatoes in the sun
The classic way of harvesting vegetables and fruits, which is best suited for warm and sunny regions. To prepare dried tomatoes, the fruits are cut into desired pieces, laid out on pans or planks and sent to fresh air. In the sun, tomatoes can be cooked for 3 to 10 days, depending on its intensity, air humidity and temperature.
The advantage of this method of harvesting dried tomatoes is cheap and simple. You can immediately decompose any number of pieces and then you just have to collect the finished product. The disadvantages include the fact that at any time the weather can deteriorate, so you need constant supervision. Also on the tomatoes in the process of drying can get insects, settle dust and fly debris and before use in food will require careful processing.
How to dry tomatoes in the oven
Dried tomatoes in the oven are cooked faster than on the air. For medium slices enough 8-10 hours. Tomatoes are cut, placed on trays in a single layer and sent to cooking. The optimum temperature is 50-80 ° C. Periodically you need to view the trays, if necessary, swap them and turn the slices. If the oven has a ventilation function, it will speed up the process.
The undoubted advantage of this method is the speed of preparation and purity of the final product. The disadvantages include the fact that drying requires the cost of electricity or gas, as well as the long employment of the oven, which may be needed at any time. Also, not all models can maintain the same temperature, especially if they work on gas. Therefore, there is a risk of burning the workpiece.
Tomatoes in an electric dryer
Electrodryer - a special device for harvesting herbs, vegetables and fruits. Consists of capacity in which trays for a product layout are located. Slices of tomatoes are stacked, the dryer is covered with a lid and is included in the network. Modern dryers are equipped with timers, temperature regulators, automatic shutdown. There are many advantages of the device, the products are prepared evenly, they remain clean, the dryer does not take up much space, with compact dimensions it accommodates a sufficiently large number of products. The disadvantages can only be attributed to the purchase of equipment and the cost of electricity.
Dried Tomatoes - How to Store Properly
Cooking dried tomatoes is only half the battle, it is important to preserve them properly, so that they do not lose their taste and at any time pleased with the summer aroma. Like other dried foods, when storing dried tomatoes, it is important to protect them from moisture, but also to provide access to oxygen or at least occasionally ventilate.
How can dried tomatoes be stored:
• in glass jars with screw-down metal or ordinary plastic lids;
• in plastic containers or buckets;
• in paper bags, but it is important that there is no high humidity in the room;
• in cardboard or wooden boxes, with each layer can be laid with paper.
Dry tomatoes are stored for no more than 6-8 months. Some time after the bookmark, it is recommended to check their condition, if necessary, dry it in the oven. You can extend the shelf life up to a year by placing the filled container in the freezer.
Italians store dried tomatoes in olive oil. On the basis of this blank, various national dishes are made, and the aromatic pouring acts as a sauce. To do this, put the slices into sterile jars, add spices, herbs, pour in oil, clog and keep in a cool place. In this form, the product can be stored up to six months.
Recipe 1: Italian style dried tomatoes with butter and cheese
The famous Italian snack recipe based on dried tomatoes. To make it tasty, it is advisable to use high-quality cold-pressed olive oil. The bottle should be marked extra virgin. Ingredients Required:
• dried tomatoes 30 slices;
• Parmesan cheese 15 slices;
• basil 15 leaves;
• olive oil for pouring.
Method of preparation
Basil should be well washed and dried. A slice of cheese is placed on each slice of tomato, a leaf of basil and the top is covered with another slice of dried tomato. Do the same with the other products. Such original sandwiches are neatly placed in a glass jar or container, filled with olive oil and infused for 1-2 days.
Snack is used for sandwiches, served with pasta and other national dishes. From the remaining oil, sauces are prepared, added to pastries, pasta.
Recipe 2: Pork with dried tomatoes
Spectacular meat dish with a rich taste of dried tomatoes and garlic. Approaches any garnish on the basis of grain and vegetables. The meat is cooked very quickly, 10 minutes is enough, the oven will do the rest.
Ingredients Required:
• 4 pieces of pork, as on the big chops;
• 50 gr. dried tomatoes;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 scoop of sour cream;
• salt pepper.
Method of preparation
Pork finely beat off, add salt, pepper. Chopped tomatoes with a knife with garlic. Put some stuffing on each chop, roll up rolls. For strength, you can fasten toothpicks. Put the meat in a baking dish, top with salted sour cream and put in the oven. Cook for about an hour at 190 ° C. But if the rolls are large, then time can be added.
Recipe 3: Italian bread with dried tomatoes, rosemary and green olives
The recipe for fragrant bread, which can be formed into a loaf, loaf or small buns. From the number of ingredients, you can deviate slightly in one direction or another.
Ingredients Required:
• 200 ml of milk, it is possible water;
• flour 2.5 cups;
• 1 tsp. salts; • 10 gr. dry yeast;
• 2 tbsp. l Sahara;
• 0.5 cup olives;
• 0, 5 glasses of olive oil;
• 50 gr. dried tomatoes;
• pinch of rosemary.
Method of preparation
Heat the milk or water to a warm state, add sugar, salt, yeast and set aside to dissolve for a few minutes. Sift the flour, pour into the prepared talker, add olive oil, but not all. It is necessary to leave 2 spoons for greasing the bed and the finished bread. Knead the elastic dough. Humidity of flour is different, as the size of the glass, you may have to add a little. Remove kneaded dough in a warm place. When it increases by 2 times, it needs to be pressed and allowed to rise again.
Tomatoes cut into small pieces, olives circles. Roll out a circle of dough, smear it with olive oil, sprinkle with tomatoes, olives, rosemary. Minimize to roll. You can bake it or twist the snail. You can also make several small rolls from this amount of dough. Give the formed bread to come up when it is doubled in the oven. Hot smeared with olive oil.
Recipe 4: Dried Tomatoes with Chicken Breast
Appetizing and hearty dish that is cooked on the stove in a pan. Serve with Italian pasta, regular pasta, boiled potatoes or fresh vegetable salads.
Ingredients Required:
• chicken breast 0.7 kg;
• dried tomatoes 0.1 kg;
• cooking oil;
• 50 gr. flour;
• 50 gr. olives;
• salt;
• A mixture of fragrant spices.
Method of preparation
Soak tomatoes in cold water 1: 1 for 2-3 hours. Chop chicken breast into strips, breaded with flour and quickly fry in a frying pan for a minute, cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. At this time, cut the loose tomatoes into cubes and olives, pour to the chicken, salt and add half a glass of boiling water and stew for another 10 minutes. Season the dish with aromatic spices, cover and let it brew.
Dried tomatoes - tips and helpful tips
• Slices of tomatoes before drying can be sprinkled with spices, chopped herbs, pepper and salt.
• If the tomatoes are dry and crumbled, they can be crushed in a coffee grinder, mixed with pepper, salt and used as a seasoning for any dishes, including ready-made ones.
• To make the tomatoes dry faster, you can cut them into quarters and remove the inner juice with seeds.
• To recover tomatoes, pour slices with cold water and leave for a few hours. You can add a little vinegar, as the dried tomatoes have a sweetish taste.
• To make tomatoes spicy, you can pour them with water mixed with dry wine in a ratio of 10: 1.
• Calorie dried tomatoes about 260 kcal per 100 grams. product. And this is 10 times more than fresh fruit. Therefore, do not get involved in a useful delicacy for dieters.
• In dried tomatoes as well as in dried fruits, bugs can be got. To avoid this, you can add a few bay leaves or cloves of garlic in a jar.
• If there are concerns about the quality of drying, then some salt can be poured at the bottom of the container. Better coarse. It absorbs excess moisture and will not give a single chance of mold.
Dried tomatoes are a wonderful product that opens up new tastes and possibilities in cooking. So why not use them?
