Summer, sun, tomato: the red fruit never tastes as good as it does now.

Preserved, their magic remains for months

The fresh enjoyment of sun-ripened tomatoes is limited in time, but thanks to canning we do not have to do without the red fruit until the next harvest. Tomatoes are ideal for all common preservation methods such as drying, pasteurizing, sterilizing or freezing. We owe it to sugo, sauces, puree, pickles, antipasti or homemade pelati.

Tomatoes are ideal for all common preservation methods such as drying

In addition, the variety offer is so varied that the recipe tastes and looks different depending on the tomato variety. I like the small oval tomatoes: almost too good to cook in sauces.

How to make Sun Dried Tomatoes the Traditional way

1. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a grid and sprinkle each tomato with a little salt (salt speeds up the drying process)

2. Cover with netting to guard from dust and insects

3. Place the tomatoes under direct sun light.

4. Remember to bring the tomatoes into the house in the evening (evening moisture should be avoided)

5. Repeat the procedure for approximately 7 days

6. Carefully turn the tomatoes once a day to allow for a fast and even drying

7. These Sun Dried tomatoes will be ready when they are dried and wrinkled

8. Tomatoes can be conserved in olive oil or placed in an air tight bag and frozen

So what’s almost as good as that?  The oven! Faster than waiting around for a week!  It takes about an hour or two. And you will basically have the same results.

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 celsius

2. Slice tomatoes lengthwise and place on lightly greased (drizzle with a little olive oil) baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 150 celsius and continue to bake for approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours. Tomatoes should be dried, remove from oven and let cool.

3. In a bowl toss the dried tomatoes with olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, oregano,fresh chopped parsley,chopped fresh basil leaves and hot pepper flakes if desired. Serve over fresh Italian crusty bread. Enjoy!

Or put them into a “Weck”-Glass fill it up with a nice olive oil, crush a garlic an put in a twig of rosemary or oregana and some sea salt. Close the glass and put it into cooking water to sterilize, let the glasses cool down and store them in a dark room.

They will be far better then the one you buy in supermarkets and can be used to eat like this with some crusty bread as said or to do a nice pasta and and and ….

Enjoy the summer all year long and by the way they are a nice present to bring when you are invited somewhere for dinner together with a good bottle of wine or a nice olive oil.