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Cooked Dehydrated Tomatoes

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~ raw, dehydrated ~

Here is a technique to “cook” tomatoes, giving them that cooked appearance, a softer texture and a way to infuse flavor.  Please use the ratios down below as a guideline.  It will all depend on what you are making and how much you will need.

You can also use any type of tomato when using this technique.  Whether it be Heirloom, Roma, Globe Tomatoes (aka Beefsteak), Cherry tomatoes or Pear Tomatoes… they will all work.

The tomatoes shown in the photo to the right, are heirloom tomatoes.  They range widely in terms of size, color, and flavor, but generally taste the most “tomato-like” of all varieties. The other cool thing about heirlooms is that they must be bred with open-air pollination and cannot contain any genetically modified organisms.  Be-gone-GMO!

I love using this technique when we have dinner guests over because it can fool anyone into thinking they have been cooked.  A raw tomato and a cooked tomato have different tastes and textures to them, which can add a lot of variance to your weekly menu.

Do you remember me talking about flavor layering a while back?   This is one of the prime times where you can add “cooked” and fresh tomatoes together in a dish and adding depth and a complexity of flavor and texture.

Let’s Talk Quality…

To get the most flavor out of raw foods, you must start with good quality ingredients. Choose tomatoes that are heavy for their size and intensely colored. Man, I have seen some pretty anemic tomatoes at the grocery store… they look so bad I want to rush them to the ER to have some life jolted back into them. They should be firm, but not rock-hard. Heirloom tomatoes might have blemishes, which don’t necessarily affect quality. Smell the blossom end — it should have an earthy, fresh tomato smell.

Once home, never refrigerate tomatoes, it makes them mealy / woody in texture. They last at room temperature for about 2 to 3 days. If you need to ripen a tomato, put it in a perforated paper bag for a day or two.

fresh-heirloom-tomatoes on a wooden tableIngredients:

Preparation:

    1. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and fresh herbs.  Set aside.
    2. Slice the tomatoes roughly 1/4″ thick and place in a medium-sized bowl.
    3. Pour the marinade liquid over the tomatoes and with your fingers, gently coat each tomato slice.
    4. Place on non-stick dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 115 and continue to dehydrate for 4-5 hours or until tomatoes are done. They should have a cooked appearance.

Culinary Explanations:

This was a beefsteak tomato.

an over view of partly dehydrated tomatoes

a side, close up view of partly dehydrated heirloom tomatoes

My favorite… heirlooms! Great tomato to add visual appeal

to any dish.

beautiful, juicy heirloom tomatoes

yellow partly dehydrated heirloom tomatoes

an over view of partly dehydrated tomatoes on a dehydrator sheet

Here they are after drying for 5 hours.

heirloom tomatoes that have been dehydrated for five hours

2 thoughts on “Cooked Dehydrated Tomatoes

  1. ben says:

    Was looking for a raw version of roasted tomatoes, & knew my guru (you) wouldn’t disappoint. Hope you and your family have been well; sorry for the long absence on my part. I’ve got the sort of job that requires intense travelling for months.

    • amie-sue says:

      Always a pleasure to hear from you Ben… you have been with us for so long and I think of you often… and just when I think you have lost your way (haha), you pop back up. :) I am glad that I can still bring new things to the “table” for you and your family after all these years.

      Stay safe in your travels and blessing to you and your family. amie sue

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