Dehydrating Cherry Tomatoes
Seattle had our first fall rain and windstorm this weekend, so we harvested everything from a volunteer tomato plant growing by the side of the driveway. We might be eating cherry tomatoes at every meal for a while, but dehydrating cherry tomatoes is one way we’ll preserve the last bit of summer.
Of course, the first thing I did was sort the tomatoes. It was a bit by necessity. Some tomatoes needed to be eaten immediately, and others you can leave on the counter to ripen.
And it was a bit my need to arrange things by color. Everyone does that, right?
Tips and tricks
You should wash only the tomatoes that are going to be use immediately. To dehydrate tomatoes, you’ll want to slice them in half from North to South Pole.
Brush the cut face of the tomatoes with a mixture of salt, pepper, and olive oil. I like to use this OXO brush because it has survived the dishwasher many times.
The pic below shows the cherry tomatoes in stages of the process, from raw to 5 hours in and then 8 hours. As with any dehydrating, you can stop at any point you like. Just know that fruits and vegetables that have a bit of moisture left in them may mold if left at room temperature.
FAQs about dehydrating cherry tomatoes
Some people suggest removing the seeds because the tomatoes will take a shorter time to dehydrate. I’m lazy, so to me that is more work than necessary.
Raw tomatoes don’t freeze, but they can be canned. Or you could roast and then freeze cherry tomatoes.
If you want to store dehydrated tomatoes at room temperature for longer than a week or two, you will want to make sure to completely dehydrate them so they have no moisture at all. Otherwise, dehydrated tomatoes should be used within a week or so.
Dehydrated cherry tomatoes are great as a snack, atop a salad or risotto, in a chicken salad, as a pesto, or of course as camping food.
Dehydrating Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 40-50 tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes in half and place them cut side up on a dehydrating rack suitable for your oven if it has a dehydrator function or your dehydrator.2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 40-50 tomatoes)
- Mix the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use a pastry brush to brush a small amount over the cut surface.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Dehydrate in your oven on the dehydrate setting at 175°F or in a dehydrator on the fruit and vegetable setting until the tomatoes are the desired dryness.
- If completely dry, you can store at room temperature, although I will always recommend you store in the refrigerator for safety.
Notes
What’s next?
If you try your hand at dehydrating cherry tomatoes, please leave a comment here or share a pic with me on Instagram!
Check out some other uglyducklingbakery dried and dehydrated snacks, like these apple rings or strawberries.
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