Make Your Own Oven Dried Tomatoes

I love the flavor of Sun Dried Tomatoes.  Oven dried tomatoes are almost as good, and you can make them yourself.  I made these when I overbought really ripe tomatoes.  

You will need:

• Tomatoes – Meaty or cherry tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper, Sugar

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set oven on the lowest temperature it will go – 150 to 175 degrees.

For 6 to 8 Roma tomatoes, I used about 2 TBS oil.

Cut tomatoes in halves or quarters, put in a bowl.  Drizzle oil over tomatoes and stir well to coat all tomato surfaces.  Sprinkle lightly with the salt, sugar and pepper – these flavors will concentrate while baking.

Set tomato pieces, cut sides up, on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  They should not touch each other.
Put in the low oven, and bake/dry them until they are leathery, but still pliable, about 4-6 hours.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  You can store them as is in the freezer, or you may cover in olive oil and refrigerate.  Will keep several months.

To Use – remove quantity needed; chop into small pieces and add wherever you would like a rich sweet tomato-y flavor.  I have used mine in salad dressing, pasta, omelets, and more.