How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

A small clear jar filled with sun dried tomatoes on a table with scattered dried tomatoes all around the table.

5 from 2 votes

Preserve your tomato bounty this Summer! And master how to make Sun Dried Tomatoes with any kind of tomato variety. You can do this in either your home oven or in an inexpensive food dehydrator! Sundried tomatoes are a tasty snack. And add a punch of flavor into cozy beef stews, Italian tuna salad wraps, cold pasta salads, creamy pasta dinners, and so many other recipes. There are 20+ ideas for you to try! The pop of color is so gorgeous, and nothing from a package or jar will taste as sweet and "tomatoey" as this garden candy!

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Seasoning

Cuisine: Condiment

Keyword: dehydrated cherry tomatoes, dehydrated tomatoes, howt to make sundried tomatoes, sun dried tomato recipe, sun dried tomato recipes, sun-dried tomatoes

Servings:

Calories: 7kcal

Author: Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds small mixed cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning optional
good olive oil optional (if olive oil packing)

Instructions

Wash tomatoes in cool water.
Slice them into ¼" thick slices. Thin smaller pieces dry faster. You can cut them round or into long ovals. The original moisture of your cherry tomatoes will ultimately determine how long they need to go through the drying process.

Oven Dehydrator Method

Preheat to a low oven temperature of 225 degrees.
Line large metal baking sheets with parchment paper. Don't place sliced tomatoes directly on the metal pan or use foil, or these will react with the acid, and will burn, and stick to the pan.
Arrange cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt and or Italian seasoning. I highly recommend sprinkling sea salt and Italian seasoning on them, it makes them extra spectacular.
At 2 hours rotate your pans in the oven, this helps distribute the heat evenly on the pans of sun-dried tomatoes.
Bake for at least 2 more hours, until tomatoes are "dry and leathery". My top sheet pan was done in 2:45 minutes but the bottom pan was 3 hours 15 minutes. The total amount of time you will dehydrate in your oven will vary based on your type of oven, the pan, and even the weather that day.

Food Dehydrator Method

Spread tomato slices on food dehydrator tray screens in a single layer. Set the temperature on your dehydrator at 135°F and allow 5-7 hours for the drying process.
Check every few hours as they dehydrate, you are looking for them to become dry and leathery. I put the dehydrater running in a room in my home that the noise of the fan and warmth didn't bother me, as it runs for almost a whole day.
Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt and or Italian seasoning. I highly recommend sprinkling sea salt and Italian seasoning on them, it makes them extra spectacular.
Storage Tips: Keep them in a glass mason jar with a piece of cheesecloth and the ring lid on in a dry place. I found the shelf life to be about 12 months, as long as they are kept in a dry cabinet, but not in a sealed jar. You can also freeze them in zip top bags in the freezer.

Video

Notes

oven cooking time

The oven dehydration method was about 3 hours in a gas oven. The top tray was done in 2 hours 45 minutes, and the bottom tray 3 hours 15 minutes.

food dehydrator time

Food Dehydrators take almost double the time, mine was done at 6 hours at 135 degrees on the fruit and vegetable setting.

tomatoes

Use small bright-colored tomato varieties like; cherry, yellow pear, red torch, patio choice yellow, Juliet, grape, and valentine. Roma tomatoes also called as plum tomatoes work well too.

refrigerator olive oil packing

In small glass jars, place sun-dried tomatoes and top with olive oil and garlic cloves, and chill in the fridge, bring to room temperature and use in recipes for salad dressings, sauces, marinades, meat dishes, and pasta salads. You can add basil and rosemary for added flavor. Keep refrigerated and use within a month.

pantry storage

Keep in a dark dry pantry in a small glass jar, and cover with a piece of cloth like cheesecloth so they stay dry on the shelf. A sealed jar may lead to mold if any moisture is left in them. I found the shelf life to be about 12 months, as long as they are kept in a dry cabinet, but not in a sealed jar.

freezer storage

Put the dried tomatoes into small zip top bags and keep frozen until ready to use for up to 6 months.

Place sun-dried tomatoes in an ice cube tray, cover with good olive oil, and freeze in zip-top bags for fast cooking. Use them in sauces like bolognese, marinara, or marinades.

Nutrition