Sun-dried tomatoes are an unusual way for us to make tomatoes. He came to us from the Mediterranean cuisine of Italy. There, tomatoes prepared in this way are a favorite national dish, because sun-dried tomatoes are tasty and savory not only on their own, but also suitable for preparing various dishes - pizza, salads, side dishes.

Eating dried tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are dried tomatoes seasoned with various spices. This method of cooking among Italians was common in ancient times, when peasants, wanting to preserve the taste and aroma of their favorite vegetable for a long time, simply dried it under the scorching sun. Tomatoes were peeled of juicy pulp, cut into slices and laid out on sunny roofs on sunny summer days. For a day, on a hot surface under burning beams, the slices faded, after which they could be stored for a very long time.

Did you know? The largest amount of nutrients is found in dried tomatoes. Only 100 g of such a product satisfies more than 30% of the daily intake of the most important nutrients - potassium, iron and some vitamins.

In our latitudes, where the sun is not so scorching, it is almost impossible to cook this dish in such a natural way. However, modern equipment comes to the rescue - an oven, a dryer for vegetables and a microwave. Using these electrical appliances, you can achieve the same result as on a red-hot tiled roof, although you have to keep the tomatoes at high temperature for 4 to 7 hours.Sun-dried tomatoes - a very spicy dish with a specific and bright taste, although it does not look very attractive in appearance, since the slices darken and shrink. However, despite this, they have a piquant taste that everyone will like. In addition, tomatoes prepared in this way are universal in use - they can be eaten as an independent snack, and used as an ingredient for other dishes.

Benefit

• The use of sun-dried tomatoes:
• Antioxidant lycopene due to low-intensity heat treatment, it becomes readily available for absorption by the human body. It neutralizes free radicals, providing an antitumor effect, and also slows down the aging process.
• Carotenoids - another group of antioxidants inherent in this dish improves vision function, prevents early skin aging and has a preventive effect on the cardiovascular system.
• Tocopherol (Vitamin E) - beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, eyes, hair and nails. Helps slow down the aging process.
• Vitamin K - prevents bleeding and improves blood coagulation.
• Niacin (Vitamin B3) - It contributes to the regulation of blood sugar, and is also responsible for sleep and wakefulness, reduces the manifestations of insomnia, improves mood.
• Calcium - The main building element for bones, tendons and ligaments. Strengthens the musculoskeletal system, acts as a prevention of osteoporosis - increased fragility of bones.
• Iron - the main element of blood cells. Prevents a decrease in hemoglobin levels and the occurrence of anemia.
• Magnesium - increases the stability of the nervous system, reduces stress. It has a strengthening effect on the heart and blood vessels.
• Potassium - one of the regulators of water-salt balance in the body. It is necessary for the functioning of muscles, especially for the functioning of the heart muscle.
• Cellulose - helps to improve intestinal motility, helps to gently cope with constipation.
• In addition, the benefit of dried tomatoes is also that the dish is prepared with olive oil, which has a positive effect on the body and contributes to the better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins - A (retinol), E (tocopherol), group D (calciferol) and vitamin K.

Harm

• This dish is not recommended for use in such cases:
• if a person is prone to obesity and overeating;
• people with liver disease;
• those who suffer from acute and chronic diseases of the pancreas;
• with problems with the digestive tract.

Calorie content of the product

Sun-dried tomatoes contain almost the full range of nutrients needed by humans. However, their calorie content is low - 100 g of the product contain only 258 kcal.

BJU indicators are as follows:

• proteins - 14.1 g;
• fats - 3 g;
• carbohydrates - 43.5 g.

The regular use of this dish will not only improve metabolism and prevent the appearance of vitamin deficiency, but also maintain a slim figure.

How to cook sun-dried tomatoes at home

In order to make your own sun-dried tomatoes, you must first choose the right tomatoes. They must meet the following criteria:

• small size;
• moderate ripeness;
• fleshy flesh with a minimum of liquid contents inside.

It is best to use cherry tomatoes and cream for these purposes. It is these varieties that fully satisfy the requirements of the dish. Small sizes allow drying fruits more efficiently.

Did you know? Tomatoes are a cure for depression, as juicy fruits contain a large amount of the hormone of happiness serotonin.

Since it is often difficult to dry tomatoes in the sun due to insufficient solar activity and unstable weather, in the northern latitudes such tomatoes are predominantly cooked using electrical appliances that are available in any kitchen.

In the oven

In order to cook home-dried Italian-style tomatoes, you can use the oven.

Video: Italian dried tomatoes

You will need the following ingredients:

• tomatoes (it is best to take cream) - 1 kg;
• olive oil - 200 ml;
• garlic - 3-4 cloves;
• dried spices: rosemary, cilantro, basil - 1 tsp each;
• salt to taste (you can use sea);
• red hot peppers or a mixture of peppers to taste.

Step by step recipe:

1. Tomatoes need to be washed and dried on a towel.
2. Cut each tomato in half, remove the stalk with a knife. The juicy inside with a partition and grains also needs to be removed - to do this, take a teaspoon with pointed edges and completely scrape slices, leaving only fleshy flesh.
3. Cut each half of the cream half more, so that you get even quarters from each fruit. This is necessary for better drying, as the cream is a bit too big. If you use small cherry tomatoes, then it is enough to cut them into halves only.
4. Now take the baking paper and cover it with a baking sheet. On top of the paper, lay the slices with the skin down, and with the cut up.
5. Moderately salt all the slices without missing a single one.
6. Turn on the oven by setting the thermostat to +100 ° С. If you have an electric oven, turn on full convection with the upper and lower grill.
7. Place the baking tray with tomatoes in the oven. Be sure to leave the door slightly ajar - this will allow moisture to evaporate. To start, leave the fruits for 1 hour, after which you will need to look at what stage of preparation of the fruit and, possibly, adjust the temperature.
8. After the first hour, remove the tomatoes and check in what condition they are. If they burn, lower the temperature.
9. Place the pan in the oven for another 3 hours. The total time in the oven is 4 hours.
10. After time, remove the tomatoes from the oven.
11. Now take olive oil in the indicated dosage (200 ml) and heat it in a pan.
12. Take 3-4 cloves of garlic. Crush them with a knife blade flat, then cut into small pieces. There is no need to grind too much. Divide the whole mixture into three equal parts.
13. Prepare a 0.5 L glass jar. Sun-dried tomatoes will be stored in it.
14. At the bottom of the jar, sprinkle the first part of chopped garlic and each spice a little bit - basil, cilantro and rosemary. Pour this mixture 2-3 tbsp. l heated olive oil.
15. Place dried tomatoes on top of the spices to half the jar. Sprinkle them with the second part of garlic, spices and season with red hot pepper.
16. Report to the top of the jar the remaining tomatoes. Tamp a little spoon. Sprinkle with the remaining garlic, spices and pepper.
17. Pour the slices with hot olive oil. It should fill the jar so that all the tomatoes are in the oil.
18. Close the jar and let it cool. The appetizer is ready. After cooling, such a dish should be stored in the refrigerator.

Important! Slices of sun-dried tomatoes should not be too dry. Their edges should have a wrinkled texture, but at the same time remain fairly elastic. However, when pressing on the middle of the lobule, the juice should not stand out.

In the dryer for vegetables

Tomatoes can also be wilted in a vegetable dryer.

Video: sun-dried tomatoes

For this you will need:

• medium cream tomatoes - 5 kg;
• olive oil - 300-400 ml;
• coarse salt - 2-3 tsp;
• any spices to taste (for example, garlic and the collection of dry Italian herbs).

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash and dry the tomatoes.
2. Cut each fruit in half. The pulp should not be removed. In this case, the tomatoes will retain the maximum amount of nutrients and will be less dry. The peduncle can be removed as desired.
3. Lay the halves of tomatoes on the grid of the electric dryer with the cut up and the skin down.
4. Add each half of the fruit on top.
5. Put all the nets with the tomatoes in the dryer and close the door.
6. Set the dryer to tomato drying mode and set the temperature to +70 ° C. Set the timer for 10 hours (although more may be needed).
7. After 10 hours, remove the tomatoes from the dryer and check the degree of their readiness. To do this, press your finger on the soft center. With sufficient withering, the finger remains dry. If juice stands out, then the halves need to be dried again. Choose the time depending on the degree of readiness.
8. When the tomatoes inside become quite dry, they can be turned upside down on the nets. Leave the fruit in the dryer for another 2 hours.
9. After this time, check the tomatoes again. Those that are completely dry can be removed from the dryer. Leave the rest to languish, constantly checking their readiness.
10. After all the tomatoes are ready, remove them from the dryer, let cool. If you have not removed the stems of fresh fruits, you can do this now by cutting them with kitchen scissors.

Thus, the tomatoes are wilted. So that they are stored for a long time and can be closed for the winter, use the following recipe.

Important! Salt not only gives the taste to tomatoes, but also contributes to the release of juice, which is why tomatoes dry faster. If the slices are not salted, then a crust forms at the place of the cut, because of which the juice will be “sealed” inside and will not stand out.

For the marinade you will need:

• water - 1 l;
• wine vinegar - 125 ml (half a glass).

Further actions are as follows:

1. Pour water and vinegar for the marinade into the pan, bring to a boil.
2. After boiling, place sun-dried tomatoes in boiling liquid. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. After this time, remove the cooked tomatoes from the marinade and place them on the wire rack of the dryer so that the water is glass.
4. After the water drains, put the slices on a clean towel and dry for several hours at room temperature.
5. Now the tomatoes are ready for harvesting. Take a half-liter jar, pour olive oil on the bottom, add spices. Spread slices on top with levels, each spilling with oil and seasoning with spices. The oil should completely cover all the slices in the jar.
6. For two days, the tomatoes will absorb oil intensively, so check them, and if the upper slices are above the oil level, add it.
7. The product is ready for use two weeks after pouring.

Tomatoes need to be welded so that they become evenly soft and absorb olive oil in the workpiece better. They also undergo heat treatment, during which bacteria are destroyed, so the workpiece will be stored for a long time even at room temperature.

Did you know? Olive oil gives tomatoes not only taste and aroma, but also acts as a natural preservative. This is possible because most bacteria require oxygen to function, and oil does not allow oxygen to pass through.

In the microwave

This recipe from the previous ones is mainly distinguished by the fact that in this way tomatoes are dried much faster.

Video: sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave

Ingredients:

• tomatoes (cream) - 2 kg;
• sugar - a couple of pinches;
• salt (sea) - to taste;
• spices: a mixture of Provencal or Italian herbs and basil - to taste;
• garlic - 3 prongs;
• a mixture of peppers to taste;
• oil: vegetable or olive - 300 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Wash, dry, cut in half and remove the seed chambers and all liquid contents from the inside with a teaspoon. Whole fruits are not used in this harvesting.
2. Put all the slices tightly in the microwave container and lightly sugar them by pouring a small amount of granulated sugar on top.
3. Now salt the tomatoes, most importantly, without excess.
4. Season with basil, a mixture of Provencal herbs and pepper.
5. After seasoning, lightly pour each slice with vegetable oil. It should be quite a bit.
6. Put the prepared tomatoes in the microwave for 7 minutes at maximum power (800 watts).
7. After this time, remove the tomatoes from the microwave and select the leaked juice with a spoon from the bottom of the container in a separate bowl (this juice will be needed later). Allow the slices to cool slightly.
8. Put the dish in the microwave again for 7 minutes. After time, remove and allow to cool slightly again. Now the slices are a bit faded.
9. Then look individually at the state of the tomatoes. If they are not too wilted, put them in the microwave for a few more minutes. If the tomatoes are small (cherry), by this time they can already be ready.
10. Now it’s the turn to plant tomatoes in a jar. To get started, take the juice drained during the preparation process, add vegetable oil to it. Put the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute and boil. Then let cool.
11. In the meantime, take a half-liter jar, chop the garlic clove into the bottom.
12. Put the first part of the tomato slices on top of the garlic, ramming them a little.
13. After laying the tomatoes in the middle of the jar, add another chopped clove of garlic.
14. Put the slices to the top, again sprinkle the top with garlic.
15. Pour the entire contents of the can to the top with prepared and already cooled oil.
16. Close the jar with a lid and put in the refrigerator for storage.

Important! Because of the small volume in the microwave, only small portions can be cooked at a time, so several approaches will have to be done.

Where are sun-dried tomatoes used?

Sun-dried tomatoes are tasty, fragrant and piquant. They can be used as an independent snack or used in various recipes. Such a preparation is included in the recipe for such dishes:

• sandwiches are cold and hot;
• as a filling for pies;
• in a batch of dough for bread;
• in any pizza;
• as an addition or sauce to pasta and pasta;
• as a dressing for any salads (vegetable and meat);
• as a complement to any meat and fish;
• suitable for lasagna and cannelloni.

How to store

There are three ways to store sun-dried tomatoes:

1. If the product has not undergone heat treatment in the form of short-term boiling, then in closed cans the snack can be stored in the refrigerator from several weeks to a couple of months.
2. If the product has been thermally processed and cooked, it is enough to close the jar with a sealed lid and store in the refrigerator or in the pantry at room temperature from 6 months to 1 year.
3. Storage in the freezer significantly increases the shelf life. However, after thawing, although the taste will be the same, saturated, the appearance of the slices will suffer a little - they will become softer and friable.

Important! Storage time for sun-dried tomatoes depends on the degree of drying. The drier the wedges, the longer they are stored (sometimes this period can go up to a year). While maintaining moisture and some softness, the period is reduced to several weeks or months.

Sun-dried tomatoes are quite simple to prepare, although this process is quite lengthy, since it takes a lot of time to dry. However, your efforts will be rewarded with a delicious snack that can be stored for a long time and used as a preparation for the winter. Moreover, this appetizer is almost universal and can diversify a large number of dishes.