These Sun-Dried Tomatoes are made in the dehydrator, no oven necessary. They're intensely fragrant, delicately sweet and will make you wonder why you ever bought shop bought sun-dried tomatoes in the first place!
This recipe couldn't have coincided better with the 50 year anniversary of the first Moon Landing. I loved astronomy so much growing up and will never forget the day I went to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida back in 2008. I learned about the food that astronauts ate and how it was all dehydrated by various processes to stop it from going off. As a souvenir from the gift shop, we brought back some space food - freeze-dried strawberry ice cream was one of them if I remember correctly!
In perfect sync with this anniversary, we have made dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes.
Now we all love sundried tomatoes at home, we add them to cheese and salad sandwiches with homemade chutneys, in pesto, sundried tomato rosemary focaccia and salads just to name a few. If you are blessed with glorious sunshine, then sun-drying the tomatoes seems the best option, but, like us, if you are not, you have to fall back on other (equally effective) methods. I like to use my Instant Pot for proving bread dough because the UK sunshine is rarely good enough!
In the past, we used to oven-dry our tomatoes but this time, we used a food dehydrator.
other Sun-Dried Tomato Recipes from JCO and Other Food Bloggers
Sun-Dried Tomato, Chickpea Cakes with Cashew and Oats
Chargrilled Vegetable Pizza
Instant Pot Brussels Sprout
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Zingy Dressing
Sun-Dried Tomato Roasted Garlic Compound Butter
Italian Veggies Pot Pie
Simple Fregola Salad with Lentils
Crispy Cauliflower Vegan Pizza Crust
📖 Recipe
Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Dehydrator
Equipment
- Food dehydrator
- Sterilised jar
Ingredients
- 700 gram cherry tomatoes
- 200 millilitres extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- sea salt flakes to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat the cherry tomatoes dry.
- Slice each tomato in half. There is no need to peel the skin.
- Place the halves in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt, a little oil, and some of the dried herbs. Mix gently to coat.
- Read the manual for your dehydrator carefully before proceeding.
- Arrange the tomato halves cut-side up on the dehydrator trays, leaving a little space between each one.
- Place the lid on the dehydrator and switch it on.
- Set the temperature to 55°C and the timer to 10–11 hours.
- Check the tomatoes after 6–7 hours.
- Once fully dried, remove the tomatoes and leave them to cool completely.
- Pack the tomatoes into a sterilised jar, adding the garlic cloves, remaining herbs, and a little extra salt if needed.
- Pour over the olive oil, ensuring all the tomatoes are fully submerged.
- Seal the jar tightly and refrigerate for at least one week before using, or add straight to a recipe as needed.
Notes
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, or oregano can be used in place of, or alongside, dried mixed herbs.
If you prefer not to preserve in oil, the dried tomatoes can be vacuum-sealed instead.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Hayley Dhanecha says
These sun-dried tomatoes made in the dehydrator are one of those simple staples that turn out so good and incredibly tasty. The slow drying process concentrates their natural sweetness and gives them a rich, intense flavour. I love keeping a jar on hand—they’re perfect for pasta, salads, sandwiches or snacking straight from the jar.
Melanie Varey says
A great piece of kit! Sun dried tomatoes are so versatile so well worth making. A great idea- thank you!