Dried Tomatoes

I realize that with today's canning, freezing that drying tomatoes might seem old hat.

I dry some for one reason only. To make Tomatoe Powder! I use it like a spice. BTW Have you ever taken a dried tomatoe and just popped into your mouth? Give it a second or two and the tomatoe flavor just explodes!
Olds

Ahhhh...one of my favorite things! I dry tons of tomatoes.It seems that there's hundreds of uses for them. I like them added to my homemade bread...add a little hot pepper and onion and it's heaven!

I grind dried tomatoes too.As I'm sensitive to food additives,I don't use commercial rubs and mixes.I make my own,and tomatoes are a big part of that.

Friends eagerly await Christmas to see what the new rub will be.I package them and give it as stocking stuffers.

Heh he he ....can I get on your Christmas shopping list? LOL! J/K of course!

Hmmm...I never thought about drying tomatoes. I have froze all I want this year and I'm not going to can any, but I may dry the rest if you can tell me how to do it. I have a dehydrator, will that work?

Hey JoanJ I see we meet again LOL!

Yes a dehydrator works just great. (That is what I use.)
Set your temp between 100-105 degrees F. I use plum tomatoes, however any will work. Slice them about 1/4-3/8 inch wide. In my dryer I'm looking at 15-18 hours.

Next it seems, as lest to me, that if I place my dried tomatoes in a plastic zip bag and chill them to 40 or so degrees I can beat them into a power easier. I use the handle of a big knife to do the pounding!
Olds

Thanks again Olds. I have to pick maters again tomorrow, so I think I'll try this with those.

BTW JoanJ,

I have tomatoes here year round so I don't need to dry a lot at one time. So I just want to point out that if your dried tomatoes pick up moisture while in storage they will go bad. I always just for safety sake keep mine in the Frig. If this is not an option for you then use a desiccant to control the moisture. This could be something as simple as salt or rice inside a paper towel where you have taped up the edges so the salt / rice does not mix with your dried tomatoes.

Also, it will take many tomatoes to make 1 quart of power.
Olds

Thanks for that info. I wouldn't have thought of that. How long will it keep in the fridge? I had assumed that putting it in a pint or quart jar is sufficient?

I didn't get my maters picked today, so that's on the list for tomorrow after work. I decided to take the day off and go to an auction sale instead. Got a lot of neat treasures for very little money.

Now you are asking a question I don't think I can answer...I normally dry 25 or so tomatoes. That last me about 30 days or so...I like tomatoe power in alot of things. So how long? I really cannot say...very sorry.

BTW if you like a soft scramble eggs with cheese mix your tomatoe power in a little skim-milk for about 30 minutes then add it to your eggs. I cook my eggs till they are 30-40% done. Then fold them up on a plate. Place a couple of paper towels on them and allow them to radient cook for another 4 minutes or so.
Sometimes I cook a few onions, peppers, and brown some small pieces of diced ham. Then add that to the fold! Oh you might not like this...I add a little garlic too! Heh heh he...no kissie the wifeie! LOL!

If you like my eggs you going to love my "Beef Steak Chili"--It is nothing like any Chili you have ever eaten before. In fact I don't really think it is Chili...but the name sound good! LOL If you want I will post it for ya! (I've never seen anyone not eat it, and not ask for more. In fact when I was running a cafe' it was one of the most requested items we had!)
Olds

Joan,after your tomatoes are dried,put in freezer ziplocks and pop in freezer.They'll last for months there...but you'll eat them first.

Olds, the eggs sound good. I'm not much of an egg eater, but I do like them with lots of onions,peppers and such in them. I would love the chili recipe too. I make a lot of chili in the winter and am always looking for different ways to make it.

Mel, thanks so much for the freezer info. I'm going to do this with the rest of the tomatoes I have.

Joan,

While I hate to disagree with Melody (who, incidentally, has a surprise package in the mail), the whole point of drying foods is to preserve them so you don't have to freeze or otherwise treat them.

If you do the tomatoes right (that is, fully dried), keeping them in a sealed canning jar is more than sufficient. Indeed, zip locks work just as well. I just discovered a bag of them that are two years old, and they are just fine.

Also, pay strict attention to what Dow Oldman says about temperature of the dehydrator. If you go much over 115 degrees, despite what the manufacturer says, you'll be cooking them rather than just drying them. And if that happens they won't rehydrate properly.

The only danger to drying tomatoes---particularly cherry or salad-sized ones---is that you'll eat them as snacks. The dangerous part is that, like peanuts, you can't eat just one. Before you know it, you'll have gone through a bag of them.

Still and all, that's better for you than sugary snacks from the supermarket.

JoanJ
Ok this is my base recipe. You can add chili powder etc. to suit your taste

This is enough for 4 persons.

2 large red bell peppers
2 large yellow bell peppers
2 large green bell peppers
1 large yellow onion (no sweet onion)
1 pound thin round steak.
1/4-1/2 of a bulb of garlic
1 can Red Kidney beans (approx. 16 ounces.)

Slice all peppers and onion into strips no wider than your small finger.

Slice round steak as thin as you can. 1/8" to 3/16" max. No longer than your little finger.

Slice garlic as thin as possible, but do not minch it.

The whole idea is to radiant cook this with out added heat!

First I saute' all items in small amounts in peanut oil using a HOT Wok. This is why I use peanut oil as it has a high flash point.
Make sure you saute' the peppers just till the skin is starting to show a slight cooked look. No more or the peppers will turn bitter. Especially the Green pepper.
Onions and garlic til lightly golden brown.
Round steak is a FLASH fry only. Put it in turn it quickly and out!Just barely browned.
Kidney beans are cooked in wok only long enough to heat...make sure not to over do the beans or they will mush on you. If you see the skins starting to blister you gone to long.

I start with some steak, then the onion-garlic then the peppers, then the beans. I continue this cycle until all items have been saute'.

Next I lay on the table 3 very large bath towels. In the center of them I place a roasting pan. As each item is removed from the Wok I place them in a colendar and shake in a downward motion. This is effort to shake off as much oil as possible. The items are never in the colendar more than 20 seconds--this is important as we don't want the food to cool off.

Next, place the food in the roasting pan. Cover with lid and wrap the towels over the roaster. Leaving no area to be seen. The towels will hold the heat from the food inside the roaster. I also use a 4th towel as an extra top cover.

So with every item it is saute', shake oil off, place in roasting pan and cover. Don't leave the lid off or the roasting pan uncovered between sautes'.

This whole process for all items from saute' to the covered roaster is about 10 minutes. This is a fast moving recipe...Ping-Bang-Bong-Done!

Once all items are in the roasting pan then mix with a spoon. At this point you re-cover and wait a good 20-25 minutes. The radiant heat from the sauted' food will finish the cook. At this point the onions and pepper will taste nicely done but will still have that freshness to them. If you over saute' the round steak it will go tough on you.

I serve this over "sticky" rice.

I have not address spices. If they are dry/powered I add them to the food as I'm placing the food into the roaster. If I'm using fresh chili and red peppers they get chopped up very fine, and FLASH saute'. Add a little of each to the cycle. One item I add is a fair amount of dried tomatoe power :)! Not so much that the tomatoe power becomes dominate.

I call this Beef-Steak Chili. Depending upon what spices you use or don't use this can be as Chili like as you wish or don't wish.

Good Luck and happy eating!
Olds

Wow! This thread has been most informative for me. I am printing it out, so I can refer back to it without going online.

Olds, the chili sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for posting it. I learned a bit about cooking peppers. I didn't know that they would turn bitter if overcooked. I'm going to make some this weekend if we get all the grass planted so I can take a breather.

This has been my favorite thread since the Chow Chow one. :) I love the threads where I learn lots and lots.

Well,Brook is right about the freezer thing...I just have tons of freezer room and have a humidity phobia.It's easier to pop them in there than find a space for them elsewhere.

Hmmmm....package in the mail....sounds suspicious...

We know what happened the last time he did this...

I am thinking of getting a dehydrator. In your opinions, what is the best and how big of one should I get? I noticed there are some with 5 racks, even up to 12 racks. I am excited about drying and can you dry just about everything? Kathy

"Best" is a slippery concept, Misty. Best for a high-use person might be overkill for the occasional user.

With that proviso, I can tell you that of those I've tried, I like the American Harvest best. I've been using it, now, for 8 years, and it runs almost non-stop this time of year.

It has a thermostat control and a special fan arrangements so you don't have to move the trays around. My model will handle 8 trays---which sounds like a lot, but really isn't if you do a lot of drying. I could easily keep to units running during the harvest period. Then, when all the fruits and veggies are finished, I start making jerky with it.

>We know what happened the last time he did this...<

All I can say, Mel, is that a rose, is a rose, is a......well, you'll just have to wait and see, wontcha. :>)

For all of you newbies...this was a DG 'classic'.

http://davesgarden.com/t/203401/mama+hall

Well, that made for very entertaining reading. I don't know how JoanJ got the answer but it was very impressive. Thank you for the recipe Melody, it can't wait to try this.

I had so much fun with that thread. Which reminds me, I need to pick some of my 'maters green and make this yet this fall. I'm putting it on the agenda for this weekend.

Edited to correct a mistake. I had recipe where thread should have been.

I've picked some of my green tomatoes and I'm going to make a batch of chow chow today. Yum! Can't wait until it's ready to eat. We are under a freeze warning, so I need to get out there and pick lots of other stuff too, as well as bring in the brugs, houseplants, cover things...Ugg!

This message was edited Sep 17, 2003 11:13 AM

I couldn't stop reading that thread Mel. It was a mystery that I needed to know the answer to, LOL. I went back and can't figure out how JoanJ got the answer also. I am pretty good at puzzles and figuring out things like that. It was great fun reading. :)

Brook, thanks for your info on the dehydrator. Is the AH brand pretty expensive or what should I expect to spend on one? It sounds pretty convenient with the fan attachment and all. Is that something seperate to buy? We sell at farmers' markets in our area and have 12 acres of produce growing, plus we have several other farmers that grow certain things for us. I have plenty to keep me going and would most certainly get my money's worth out of a dehydrator. :)

I have a few friends that live in Richmond, one of them owns Blue Moon Farm. :) Great people. Also, my son graduated from Berea College and I used to be in your neck of the woods all the time.

Happy Day, Kathy @ Misty Meadows Farm

Just a thank you to all you have added so much to this thread....you all are just great folks!
Olds

Kathy,

I know Leo and Jean well. Several of my garlic varieties came from them, in fact. You're right: Really nice people. In fact I need to get up there (Blue Moon is only about 5 miles from me) before they get too busy planting.

While the AH is affordible, I wonder if it will do for you. You'd probably be better off with a professional model. A bit pricey, sure. But they last forever and have incredible capacities. Otherwise you'll likely need at least two of the American Harvests, with 8 trays for each.

The fan is built-in to the AH, and is what makes it's operation so efficient. Don't have a clue what they cost, now. I think I paid $35 for mine, with four trays, when I first got it, and then bought extra trays.

Thanks Brook. Be sure to say hello for me to Leo and Jean. I wondered how the garlic festival in Louisville went last weekend. We have a spot right next to them, but didn't have enough to satisfy two markets this past weekend. Was looking forward to seeing them :( We have gotten our garlic from them in the past also. They know the most about garlic than anyone else I know :)

I think before I invest in a professional dehydrator, I will try a regular model and see if it is something I even want to toy with.

Are you going to the KY RU?

Happy Day, Kathy @ Misty Meadows Farm

I'll likely see them this Saturday at the Lexington farmer's market, and will be sure to say Hi! for you.

What is the KY RU?

Brook,lots of DG folks are getting together here on Lake Barkley in a week. You're welcome to join us.

There is a Roundup Forum.You can go there and check it out,or I'll fill you in if you want.

Oh Brook, that would be great if you could go to the Roundup. Several DG folks are getting together next weekend 9/26 to 28 at Prizer Point in Cadiz, KY. They have cabins, motel rooms, bunkhouses, tent camping, and trailer camping. I'm not sure if they are all booked up, but if you go to the Roundup Forum you can get a lot of information about it. I will also be glad to answer any questions you might have. You can email me if you'd like or Melody is a plethora of knowledge about it :).

Do you sell at the Lexington Farmers' Market? If so, do you have a farm name? We've been in the circuit for many years.

Happy Day, Kathy @ Misty Meadows Farm

This message was edited Sep 18, 2003 11:55 PM

olds - just now saw your recipe. it looks great. im gonna go shopping for the ingredients and make it asap. thanks again

Hey, Melody,

Did you find your present waiting when you got home from the round up? Waddayathink?

Dagnabbit! Spill it! Mel, what did Brook send ya!?

(Brook, you tease!) :>)

Uh Oh! Don't make me hav'ta guess.

Believe it or not,the package just arrived yesterday afternoon! Brook mailed it on the 16th by the postmark,and it took all this time to cross KY to me.Shucks,stuff will get to Europe faster than that.I was getting anxious,because as you all know...Brook has a way of sending me stuff when it has to be planted _now_.

OK,now added to my collection is Nookta Rose Garlic.A silverskin with mahogany cloves that have red streaks.

The bulbs are of a nice size and I'm planning on planting it today.

It looks like a wonderful variety,and I can't wait to get a good start of this growing.

And now the 'twist'...heh,heh,heh....

I got something this weekend that Brook wants.....and he don't know it yet...Do we dare hijack this thread and run with it again????

Yee-haww!...Ride on! ;>)

Brook, did you raise the garlic or perhaps get some from Leo & Jean, that sounds wonderful. We just got a whole bunch of Musik that we will be planting, most likely this week. :) Kathy

This came in a trade that Brook did.He hasn't grown it yet either....just shared with me,as he does with everything.The stock came from a Kathleen Duprey in MA.

I might know Kathleen....being from MA :) Name sounds familiar. Have you ever tried this Musik, Mel?

I've grown Music, Misty (hmmmmm? Sound like a song). It's a great variety, that will probably replace the Shevlisi that's been my day to day standby. Half my original stock came from Leo and Jean, the rest from Gary Woods in New York.

Among the 8 garlics I grew this year was Kettle River Giant. Like all the garlics, they were smaller than expected due to the rotten spring we had. Even so, the Kettle River Giants---which are said to produce heads exceeding 5 inches---gave me 3+ inch heads. Not bad for something that faced really bad conditions the first year in the ground.

One of the things I've been discovering is that, despite being on the border of day-lengh periods, the softnecks actually do better for me than the hardnecks. That's one of the reasons I'm anxious to try the Nootka Rose.

BTW, Kathleen and I met on the alliums forum over at the other place---a forum I was instrumental in getting started. Lots of great, knowledgeable garlic and onion folks over there.

Haven't decided what I'm going to plant this year. But need to, as I intend planting this weekend. The Nootka Rose and Kettle River Giant for sure. And I just took delivery of Xian, which also will go in. After that, I'm just not sure. But I've got about 12 varieties to choose from right now.

Leo & Jean are the ones that got us hooked on Musik. I wanted to do a softneck, so I could try my hand at braiding (of course, Jean does the best of anyone I've ever seen) :), but DH wanted to plant the hardneck. Said it was more resiliant. We have crazy weather here in Meade County, especially the last few years.

I'd like to try the Kettle River Giant variety sometime...my grandparents' name was Kettles, so it's a bit nostalgic for me...

Kathleen is a doll. We didn't get much of a chance to talk, but we are going to try to stop in and see her and Stan when we make our jaunt to New England again. She is very talented....and has the most beautiful daughter I've ever seen....next to mine, of course. :)

Hope to get to meet you sometime Brook.

Happy Day, Kathy @ Misty Meadows Farm

Misty, to get back to dehydrators, I have a Gardenmaster Dehydrator 3400 (American Harvest's largest). It comes with 4 trays. Can expand to 30 trays. I got 8 more trays on ebay for about 1/4 the regular price. Each tray can hold 1 square foot, accdg to their book.

I have dried bananas, apples, and tomatoes mainly. We did put some blanched green beans this year as we were running out of freezer space.