Sun dried tomatoes are becoming more popular in the Philippines. They have the same nutritional value as fresh tomatoes. The idea of sun drying the tomatoes originated in Italy. They sun dry the tomatoes as a way of preserving them for the cold months of winter. Today, sun dried tomatoes are used more as a gourmet ingredient and are valued for enhancing the flavor of Italian dishes like pastas and pizzas. These can be bought in gourmet and deli stores here in Manila but they're quite expensive but you can enjoy them by drying the tomatoes yourself.
Needs:
10 cups water
1 kilo ripe medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
Procedure:
1. Boil 10 cups water in a saucepan. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and put in the tomatoes. Leave the tomatoes immersed in the water for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove the tomatoes from the boiled water then dunk them briefly in a bowl with ice cold water. This will facilitate removal of the skin of the tomatoes.
3. Peel off skin of the tomatoes.
4. Slice tomatoes into halves and scoop out the seeds. Preheat oven to 200F.
5. In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and sugar. Mix well and pour over prepared tomatoes.
6. Toss lightly until all tomatoes are coated evenly with oil mixture.
7. Arrange tomatoes on a baking tray. Baked in preheated oven for 2 to 3 hours until tomatoes are slightly dry. Bake for a longer period if really dried tomatoes are desired. Turn tomatoes at regular intervals to make sure both sides of the tomatoes are baked.
8. Remove tomatoes from tray and allow them to cool. Store in a jar with olive oil. If your tomatoes still have moisture, it is best to refrigerate your bottle until you need to use your tomatoes. Otherwise, if your tomatoes are really dry, you can store them at room temperature.
Needs:
10 cups water
1 kilo ripe medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
Procedure:
1. Boil 10 cups water in a saucepan. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and put in the tomatoes. Leave the tomatoes immersed in the water for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove the tomatoes from the boiled water then dunk them briefly in a bowl with ice cold water. This will facilitate removal of the skin of the tomatoes.
3. Peel off skin of the tomatoes.
4. Slice tomatoes into halves and scoop out the seeds. Preheat oven to 200F.
5. In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and sugar. Mix well and pour over prepared tomatoes.
6. Toss lightly until all tomatoes are coated evenly with oil mixture.
7. Arrange tomatoes on a baking tray. Baked in preheated oven for 2 to 3 hours until tomatoes are slightly dry. Bake for a longer period if really dried tomatoes are desired. Turn tomatoes at regular intervals to make sure both sides of the tomatoes are baked.
8. Remove tomatoes from tray and allow them to cool. Store in a jar with olive oil. If your tomatoes still have moisture, it is best to refrigerate your bottle until you need to use your tomatoes. Otherwise, if your tomatoes are really dry, you can store them at room temperature.
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