Tomato season is upon us and there are so many wonderful things to do with them it is sometimes hard to decide. The first item of business for me is making sun-dried tomatoes. I use them all winter in pasta, soups, sandwiches and anything else I would put a fresh tomato in. I also love to make all sorts of vegetable powders to add a nutrition boost to foods and an easy way for me to sneak healthy foods into my children's diets (have I mentioned they are picky?). So today we will be drying tomatoes and making tomato powder.
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes seem to make the perfect sun-dried tomatoes, so I grow them for that purpose. Roma tomatoes are another good choice or you can use any tomato variety, the bigger ones just tend to have more moisture and less "meatiness". For cherry tomatoes slice in half, for other varieties make 1/4 inch slices and place on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate on the veggie setting or 135 degrees, check after 8 hours. They should be plump dried, like a raisin's texture. Store in an airtight container, I like a quart jar, and keep in dark, cool location. You can throw them in any dish as is or reconstitute a bit by covering with boiling water and letting sit for 15 minutes.
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Tomato Powder
For making tomato powder you want to let the tomatoes dehydrate another 4-6 hours until all moisture is completely gone and they a very crisp. Place in a blender or coffee grinder and blend into a fine powder. Pour into a used (or new) spice jar and the remainder into a glass jar for storage. You can now reconstitute this powder into tomato paste, tomato sauce and tomato juice. I also love to sprinkle away in all our food including, soups, pasta, refried beans, sandwiches and spreads.
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Making Tomato Products Out of Powder
Years ago I got these equivalents for transforming tomato powder into usable tomato products like those below. Since then the link is no longer active so I cannot give credit to the creator of these equivalents.
Tomato Paste, 6 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 1/4 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tomato Sauce, 8 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 1/2 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Crushed Tomatoes, 14-16 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
Tomato Juice, 8 oz. = 2-4 Tbsp. powder, just under a cup of hot water, 1/8 tsp. salt
Tomato Paste, 6 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 1/4 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tomato Sauce, 8 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 1/2 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Crushed Tomatoes, 14-16 oz. can = 1/4 cup powder, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
Tomato Juice, 8 oz. = 2-4 Tbsp. powder, just under a cup of hot water, 1/8 tsp. salt
