[Gazelle]

I'm oven drying garden tomatoes for the first time. Has anyone ever done this before?

If you have, do you have to flip them over during the drying process. They're moist underneath and I was thinking that flipping them might work.

[Bearygood]

I've done it -- maybe it's not the exact right way but I didn't flip them over and used a baking sheet and they turned out fine. (I do know the recommended way to do this though is on a rack.)

[AfterMyNap]

Many times! It's super easy and I always find them when I clean out the crisper drawer in my fridge.

[watsonsh]

^^^^^^^^^^

[Gazelle]

The recipe's I looked at didn't say anything about flipping them or using a rack.

This year, I've been eating as much local produce as possible and thought that I'd try drying tomatoes too as I love sun dried tomatoes in things but they're so expensive.

Anyone read Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? It was pretty interesting. I'd been eating local stuff a lot before I read the book, but it's firmed my resolve to do more of that.

Cindy, did you ever flip them or did you use a dehydrator?

[Bearygood]

I saw the rack recommended in several places when I first did this but well, I didn't listen, and they still came out okay. If you think about it, it does make sense though because the air can circulate on all sides.

[Gazelle]

Thanks, Beary.

It does. I've had them in the oven on about 200 F since early afternoon yesterday and they're still moist--especially underneath.

Guess I'll just flip 'em and check them in a couple of hours.

Should probably get a dehydrator if I'm going to keep doing this. The oven makes your house HOT!!!

[Bearygood]

LOL. I just looked it up and got MANY hits. Here's one: http://www.ehow.com/how_2058773_pres...hydration.html

I too set the oven at 200 when I've done this and did NOT leave the oven door open so I guess I did it wrong and am lucky they didn't get mold, LOL. (This is actually mentioned in several of the other links too!) Maybe it's because they were never around long enough to contract anything, LOL. Didn't do any of the other things like boil them, either. They were still delish!

I was actually spurred to do this when I bought a convection/toaster oven and saw in the instructions that one of the things you could do via the convection setting is dehydrate just about anything. That said, I have never used that appliance to dehydrate anything!

[tovaxin_lab_rat]

I just sent you some recipes. One from my Wolfgang Puck cookbook.

I have some in my fridge just like AMN!!!

I am not a fan of sun dried tomatoes...they taste yucky.

I just freeze them and use them in winter soups, stews, and chili!

[Bearygood]

Ooh, what recipes, Cheryl? I have one I can contribute that I love for pasta (always a treat for me since I try to avoid eating too much pasta).

I have some in my fridge now too but they're from the store. When I've done it at home mine never last that long to think about this but for those of you with big batches, do you put them in olive oil (if you're not freezing them)?