Sun Dried Tomatoes

I love sun-dried tomatoes, especially mixed in with bruschetta or on a tomato basil pizza. It is quite unfortunate, they are so expensive, and after making some I understand why. The labor involved was intense! In 3-6 weeks, when I indulge into a jar for the first time, I hope all the hours of chopping and de-seeding is completely worth the effort.

1) Gather several, and I mean several, ripe but still firm tomatoes- I used home grown roma tomatoes from Gobberface's and my garden. Roma tomatoes tend to be a "meatier" tomato making them great for sauce, paste, or sun-dried tomatoes. Softer tomatoes are great for purees.

2) Wash the tomatoes

3) Cut off the stem and bottom ends. Then slice the tomatoes crosswise into slices 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick. Remove all the seeds.

4) Arrange the slices in a single layer, touching but not overlapping, on a mesh sheet tray. Stack trays in the dehydrator.

5) Dry tomatoes for 8-12 hours, until they have no soft spots but are still bendable.

6) Pack the dried tomatoes in a clean pint or quart jar, tight enough to try to eliminate any air pockets.

7) Add dried basil leaves, oregano, bay leaves, parsley, or chili peppers for extra flavor. I added basil leaves that I dried from my garden. I picked several large leaves from growing stems, washed, and dried them. I dried them whole then crumbled them up before placing them in the jars.

8) Fill the jar with pure olive oil to within an inch from the top of the jar, making sure all the tomatoes are covered.

9) Seal the jar and leave it sit for 3-6 weeks. Don't forget to label the jar!

10) ENJOY! I'll add an update in 3-6 weeks letting you know how they taste!