I start with a nice ripe selection of roma tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half, then each half into quarters. Place these wedges into a large bowl. Add enough kosher salt to the tomatoes to begin the evisceration (sounds gross, akin to what a spider does to a trapped insect in it's web) process. I would suggest 1/2 cup of kosher salt to 12-16 whole tomatoes. Make sure the salt is evenly distributed, so as to result in an even cure. Transfer tomatoes to a collander over a sink. Allow to drain for 4 hours at least, moving the tomatoes around gently every hour or so, to move as much water as possible. Let gravity do its job.
To backtrack a little, allow me to explain: This salting process accomplishes 3 things: 1) Evisceration (dessicates, draws water from, dehydrates, etc.), which concentrates the natural flavour of the tomato, removing the natural dilution inherent from added water, and 2) Flavours. The water that is drawn from the tomatoes will be replaced with a curing agent, namely, salt. Finally, 3) Cures. Salt is a natural cure (preservation). It dries out things, so it virtually eliminates harmful bacterial invasion, namely the heterotrophic bacteria that decimates moist unliving things.
Once the tomatoes have drained to your satisfaction, lay them out on a raised rack over a cookie sheet (may need 2 or 3 depending on how many tomatoes you want to cure), as pictured above. Make sure they are evenly spaced. Things done evenly result in more even results... if that makes any sense.
If you have a convection oven, then great! Set it at it's lowest setting, maybe about 180F, and on high fan setting. Place the trays in the oven, and leave the door cracked slightly, to allow the steam from the drying process to escape. This step may take hours...it takes exactly 2.5 hours at 200F + High Fan in a commercial convection oven to thoroughly dry these tomatoes. For a normal conventional oven, I would estimate 140F, oven door cracked open, and the same time length. They can be left in a powered down oven overnight if they need more drying. The result should be a tomato that resembles jerky.
Uses: There are plenty, but only limited to your imagination. They are great when slightly reconstituted (hot water added to make them more pliable) as a snack, in a pasta dish. They are terrific in salads. A real showstopper. Friends will be amazed, and appreciate the time and effort it took to dry your own tomatoes. You can cure them with garlic (just a few bruised cloves that you throw in with the salting/draining process) or basil or any other flavouring you like. Oh, and they keep indefinitely. Another big plus!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post below, or contact me directly.
Cheers!
-D
