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wikiHow to Make Dried Tomatoes

Three Parts:Preparing TomatoesDrying TomatoesStoring Dried TomatoesCommunity Q&A

Tomatoes coming out of your ears? Can't stand the thought of one more tomato soup or tomato-and-peanut-butter sandwich experiment? TMTS (Too Many Tomatoes Syndrome) affects even the most sane green thumbs. Why not dry some and enjoy your fresh and delicious tomatoes during the off-season? Dried tomatoes are a healthy and delicious addition to salads, base for soups or sauces, and they even make for a great snack. Keep reading after the jump to learn how to get started drying your own tomatoes.

Part 1
Preparing Tomatoes

  1. 1
    Select as many ripe tomatoes as you'd like to dry. Any variety of tomato works well for drying, whether you've purchased a bunch from the market or you've grown a bumper crop yourself. Select healthy-looking, ripe tomatoes without much bruising or discoloration.
    • Roma tomatoes, which are a dense, fleshy, and meaty tomato variety, are particularly good candidates for drying. They tend to dry more quickly than some other varieties of tomato.
    • For drying, select tomatoes that are ripe, but not over-ripe. Super-juicy tomatoes are difficult to process and dry because they've got so much liquid in them. Try to get tomatoes at their peak of ripeness.
  2. 2
    Remove the skins (optional). If you're not a fan of tomato skins, a quick extra step can give you delicious dried tomatoes without the skins. To prepare the skins for blanching, cut a small X into the skin to make removing the skin easier.
  3. 3
    Cut the tomatoes in half. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, you can simply halve them or cut them into quarters, if you've got bigger tomatoes and want smaller dried bits. While they look big at this point, removing the moisture from the tomatoes shrinks them considerably. A half tomato isn't much bigger than a small prune after you dehydrate it.
  4. 4
    Remove bruising and tough spots. Cut out the white part where the stem meets the tomato and remove any discolored parts of the tomato.
    • If you want to, you can remove the seeds. Roma tomatoes typically don't have many seeds to remove, which--again--makes them a good candidate for this process.

Part 2
Drying Tomatoes

  1. 1
    Arrange the tomatoes on the surface on which you plan to dehydrate them. You want to spread them evenly so the drying process will be consistent across your batch. Don't clump the tomatoes in a big pile, but spread them in an even layer across the drying rack or the sheet pan you're using, depending on your preferred method of drying.
  2. 2
    Season the tomatoes. You can use whatever seasonings you'd like to use to gives a touch of flavor to your dried tomatoes, but a small amount of salt and pepper is typical. Remember that the tomatoes will shrink considerably when you cook them, intensifying the flavors you add, so don't add too much salt to the tomatoes. For a whole batch of tomatoes, a teaspoon or two is probably safe, given your taste.
    • Basil and oregano are also common additions to dried tomatoes. Use either the fresh or dried varieties for your batch.
    • You can highlight and intensify the sweetness of a variety of tomato by adding a small amount of sugar. Drying some varieties can make them slightly bitter, so adding a few pinches of sugar to dried tomatoes can ensure that they stay nice and sweet like the fresh variety.
  3. 3
    Use a food dehydrator. The easiest way to dry tomatoes is by using a food dehydrator. Most models will even have a tomato setting, which will set the machine at an ideal temperature for drying your tomatoes.
    • Follow the instructions for your particular dehydrator and check the tomatoes periodically to make sure you haven't shriveled them into cat chews.
  4. 4
    Use the oven. Set the oven to the lowest possible temperature that you've got. It's easy to overdo it if you're using the oven, so only use the oven to dry your tomatoes if you've got a setting somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 F (65 C).
    • Use cookie sheets or baking trays to dry the tomatoes. It'll take anywhere between 12 and 24 hours to complete the drying process, and you'll probably want to check them periodically to make sure you're not burning or cooking them.
    • Flip the tomatoes halfway to ensure that both sides of the tomatoes are dried evenly. If you've got an uneven oven, shift them around some to make sure that they dry consistently.
  5. 5
    Take advantage of hot days and use your car. If you live in a place that gets particularly hot at the time of year you've got a big crop of tomatoes, you can use the soaring temperatures in your car to do some extra duty and give you delicious dried tomatoes that involve no energy whatsoever.
    • Spread the tomatoes on a cookie sheet, season them, and place them on the dashboard after parking your car in a spot that will optimize the amount of sun it gets. Cover the tomatoes with a cheesecloth or paper towel to avoid collecting dust or bugs, and bring the tomatoes in overnight when it gets cold. It might take longer (more like 48 hours) but you won't be using any energy to do it.[1]
    • Sun-drying your tomatoes is an always popular technique as well.
  6. 6
    Remove the tomatoes from the heat before they get dry. Tomatoes are done when they still have some bend in them and a deep red, leathery texture. It should be more like a raisin than a dried pepper, with a slightly sticky or tacky feeling about them.[2]

Part 3
Storing Dried Tomatoes

  1. 1
    Store them in oil. One popular way to store dried tomatoes is packed tightly in extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl or jar. Pack a mason jar or a regular bowl with the tomatoes and fill in the cracks with some tasty olive oil. Keep these in the refrigerator for several months.[3]
  2. 2
    Keep them in ziplock. If you've dried the tomatoes well, they should keep well in ziplock bags on the shelf or in the fridge for several months. Pack them about half full in storage bags and squeeze as much of the air out as possible to ensure the longest shelf life.
  3. 3
    Freeze them. While there's not much purpose in freezing the tomatoes after you've dried them, it's an option if you've got a full shelf and an empty freezer. Keep them in airtight bags and freeze them for as long as you want.

Community Q&A

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    • This is a very easy snack to make.
    • Once in a while, put them on top of a warm surface such as a mini oven, but not for too long or they will burn.
    • When the tomatoes are dry, you can eat them that way, or put them into a jar with olive oil to preserve them and include them maybe in a salad.
    • Be patient!


    • Do not let the tomatoes spoil or rot. If you see mold, do not eat them.

    Things You'll Need

    • Tomatoes
    • A couple of trays
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Sun
    • Oil (optional)

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    Article Info

    Categories: Drying Food | Tomato Dishes

    In other languages:

    Deutsch: Tomaten trocknen, Português: Fazer Tomate Seco, Italiano: Essiccare i Pomodori, Русский: приготовить сушеные помидоры, Español: preparar tomates deshidratados, 中文: 制作番茄干, Français: faire des tomates séchées, Bahasa Indonesia: Membuat Tomat Kering

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 22,012 times.

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