Sun-Dried Cherry Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Make Your Own Sun-Dried Cherry Tomatoes at Home!
These sun-dried cherry tomatoes are infused with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, capturing the essence of slow-dried tomatoes. Making them at home is surprisingly simple and unlocks a world of culinary possibilities! They’re incredibly versatile, adding a burst of concentrated flavor to salads, elevating sandwiches, and bringing a delightful taste to pasta and pizza. As the tomatoes dry, their natural sweetness intensifies, making them delicious even on their own. Discover the rich, homemade taste of Italian-inspired sun-dried tomatoes today!
Ingredients
- 750g fresh cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 180ml olive oil
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1/2 tbsp dried herbs (e.g., oregano, basil)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by preparing your fresh cherry tomatoes. Rinse them gently under running water, then soak them in a bowl of water with a splash of vinegar for about 10 minutes to remove any residue. After soaking, wash them thoroughly and remove the stems.
Step 2
Drain the washed cherry tomatoes well and then cut them in half. Halving the tomatoes allows moisture to escape more easily during the drying process and helps the flavors penetrate deeper.
Step 3
Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes on your dehydrator trays, cut-side up, ensuring they are not overlapping. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use an air fryer on its ‘dehydrate’ setting or the lowest temperature (around 120-130°F or 50-60°C), checking and drying in intervals.
Step 4
After about 4 hours of drying, you’ll notice some of the moisture has evaporated. Now is a good time to sprinkle dried herbs over the tomatoes for added aroma and flavor, if desired. To ensure even drying, rotate the trays if your dehydrator has different heat levels.
Step 5
Cherry tomatoes have high water content, so they can take a significant amount of time to dry completely. The total drying time can be around 16 hours. This will vary depending on your dehydrator, the size of the tomatoes, and their initial moisture content.
Step 6
I continued drying for a total of 16 hours, after an initial 12 hours. The tomatoes should look slightly shriveled but still have a bit of chewiness. The concentrated natural sweetness becomes very rich and delicious at this stage – you can enjoy them as they are!
Step 7
Now, let’s prepare the brine for our sun-dried tomatoes. Get a sterilized glass jar, olive oil, and garlic cloves ready. Slice the garlic cloves into 3 pieces each. (If you added herbs during the drying process, you might not need extra here).
Step 8
Layer the dried cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic into the sterilized jar. Tuck the garlic slices in between the tomatoes for maximum flavor infusion. If you didn’t add herbs during drying, sprinkle a little dried herbs in the jar now.
Step 9
Pour enough olive oil over the tomatoes and garlic to completely cover them. The recipe calls for 180ml of olive oil, but adjust the amount based on your jar size and how many tomatoes you’ve packed in, ensuring everything is submerged.
Step 10
Let the jar sit at room temperature for 3-4 days to allow the flavors to meld. After this initial period, store the jar in the refrigerator. It’s normal for the olive oil to solidify in the fridge due to the cold temperature. This is a natural occurrence; simply take the jar out a little before using it, and the oil will soften as it comes to room temperature.
