Commercial sun dried tomatoes cost $8-12 per pound and often contain sulfites, added salts, and preservatives. Making them at home reduces the cost to roughly $2-3 per pound while controlling exactly what goes into your food. The dehydrator method produces results indistinguishable from traditional sun-drying—intensely flavored, chewy tomatoes that pack an umami punch far exceeding their fresh counterparts.
The secret lies in tomato selection and preparation. Roma and cherry tomatoes work best due to their lower moisture content and meatier flesh. Properly dehydrated tomatoes should feel leathery and pliable, not brittle like chips. This moisture retention allows them to rehydrate quickly in cooking while maintaining concentrated flavor. Whether you’re preserving summer’s tomato harvest or creating gourmet ingredients for winter cooking, this method delivers restaurant-quality results.
Choosing the Right Tomatoes
Not all tomatoes dehydrate equally. High-moisture beefsteak varieties take forever to dry and often mold before finishing. The best choices are meaty paste tomatoes with lower water content.
Roma (Plum) Tomatoes: The classic choice for drying. Their oblong shape, thick flesh, and few seeds create perfect drying conditions. Cut into quarters or sixths lengthwise depending on size.
San Marzano: Similar to Roma but sweeter and less acidic. These premium Italian paste tomatoes produce exceptional dried flavor. Their elongated shape creates attractive long strips when quartered.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: These small varieties dry quickly and concentrate into intense flavor bombs. Cut in half rather than quarters for faster drying. They become slightly crisp rather than leathery when fully dried.
Amish Paste or Opalka: These heirloom paste varieties offer superior flavor to standard Roma tomatoes. Their irregular shapes create rustic-looking dried tomatoes perfect for gourmet presentations.
Avoid large slicing tomatoes like Beefsteak or Brandywine. They contain too much water and gel around seeds, creating mess and extended drying times. If these are your only option, scoop out seed cavities before drying.
For the sweetest dried tomatoes, use fruit harvested after the first frost or during late summer when plants are slightly stressed. The stress triggers sugar concentration as the plant prepares to set seed. Overwatered tomatoes produce bland, watery dried results.
Preparation and Seasoning
Wash tomatoes thoroughly and remove stems. For paste varieties, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 2-3 wedges depending on tomato size. For cherry tomatoes, simply cut in half. The goal is pieces approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick at the widest point.
Remove seeds if desired, though this is optional. Seeds add slight bitterness but also visual appeal and nutritional value. For a more refined final product, scoop out seeds and gel with a spoon or finger.
Basic Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt per pound of tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil per pound (optional, for oil-packed storage)
Toss cut tomatoes with seasonings in a bowl, then arrange on dehydrator trays skin-side down. This positioning allows the flesh to dry while the skin protects from direct heat. The cut side facing up allows moisture to evaporate efficiently.
Space tomatoes 1/4 inch apart to allow airflow. They shrink significantly during drying, so you can load trays more densely than you would for fruits that hold their shape.
Drying Process and Timing
Set your dehydrator to 140°F (60°C). This temperature efficiently removes moisture without cooking the tomatoes or destroying heat-sensitive vitamins. Lower temperatures work but extend drying time significantly.
Drying times vary based on tomato type, humidity, and thickness:
- Cherry tomatoes (halved): 10-14 hours
- Roma tomatoes (quartered): 14-18 hours
- Large paste tomatoes (thick wedges): 18-24 hours
Check tomatoes after 10 hours. They should feel leathery and pliable—like dried apricots or raisins. If they feel moist or sticky, continue drying. If they crack or snap when bent, they’ve over-dried but are still usable.
Rotate trays every 6 hours in vertical-flow dehydrators to ensure even drying. Rear-mounted fan models (like the Excalibur) dry more evenly and may not require rotation.
Tomatoes with any remaining moisture can mold in storage. The flexibility test confirms dryness—properly dried tomatoes bend without cracking but feel dry to the touch, not tacky. When in doubt, dry an additional 2-4 hours. You cannot over-dry tomatoes for storage purposes.
Storage Methods
Cool tomatoes completely before storing—2-3 hours at room temperature. Warm tomatoes placed in containers create condensation and mold risk.
Dry Storage: Pack in airtight glass jars or vacuum-sealed bags. Store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year. Check monthly for the first few months for any signs of moisture or mold.
Oil Packing: Place dried tomatoes in clean glass jars and cover completely with olive oil. Add herbs (garlic, rosemary, basil) for flavored oil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. The oil solidifies when cold but liquefies at room temperature. Never store oil-packed tomatoes at room temperature—botulism risk exists with anaerobic (oxygen-free) environments.
Freezing: For longest storage (2+ years), freeze dried tomatoes in airtight containers. They don’t freeze solid due to low moisture and can be used directly from the freezer.
| Storage Method | Duration | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Dry in airtight container | 12 months | Pantry |
| Vacuum sealed | 18-24 months | Pantry/cool storage |
| Oil packed | 6 months | Refrigerator only |
| Frozen | 2+ years | Freezer |
Using Sun Dried Tomatoes
Dried tomatoes rehydrate quickly in warm liquid. Cover with warm water, broth, or wine for 30 minutes before using in recipes. Reserve the soaking liquid—it’s packed with flavor and perfect for adding to sauces or soups.
Culinary Applications:
- Pasta dishes: Add directly to sauces; they’ll rehydrate in the cooking liquid
- Salads: Use dry for concentrated flavor bursts or rehydrate for softer texture
- Pizza: Arrange on pizzas before baking; they char slightly and intensify in flavor
- Breads: Chop and add to focaccia or bread dough
- Pesto: Blend with basil, garlic, and pine nuts for sun dried tomato pesto
- Oil infusions: Steep in olive oil for flavored cooking oil
Nutritional Concentration: Drying removes water but preserves nutrients, creating a nutritional powerhouse. Sun dried tomatoes contain 12 times more lycopene per gram than fresh tomatoes. They’re also high in iron, potassium, and vitamins A and C. However, they’re calorie-dense due to concentration—1/4 cup contains roughly 70 calories versus 10 calories in 1/4 cup fresh tomatoes.
Save the tomato soaking liquid when rehydrating. This intensely flavored “tomato tea” makes an excellent base for soups, braising liquid, or cooking grains like rice and quinoa. It contains water-soluble nutrients and umami compounds that leached from the dried tomatoes.
Conclusion
Making sun dried tomatoes at home transforms summer’s abundance into a gourmet pantry staple that elevates cooking year-round. The process requires patience—14-24 hours of drying time—but minimal active effort. The result is a clean, intensely flavored ingredient without the sulfites and excess salt of commercial versions.
The key is selecting meaty paste tomatoes and drying them completely before storage. Whether you pack them dry for long-term pantry storage or in oil for immediate use, homemade sun dried tomatoes deliver flavor that justifies the time investment. Pair them with your zucchini chips and kale chips for a complete pantry of healthy homemade snacks and ingredients.
