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So let me start by saying that I will never purchase standard, prepackaged sun-dried tomatoes again. Ever. For the past several weeks, I’ve been experimenting with making my own Oven Dried Tomatoes at home. Results: Spectacular. And really, this process is so easy, you could do it in your sleep. Seriously… season the tomatoes in the evening then let them dry in the oven while you sleep! When you wake up, you will have a delicious batch of homemade Oven Dried Tomatoes perfect for sammiches, pasta, pizza or just snacking. Simply spiced with toasted cumin, salt and pepper, these Oven Dried Tomatoes have a moist center, crisp edges and a wonderfully concentrated tomato flavor. Don’t like cumin? Try oregano, paprika, basil, rosemary or cinnamon. I think it would be hard to find an herb or spice that wouldn’t work here. These tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks. But I can almost guarantee they won’t last that long. So. Yum. Continue reading for the recipe.
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 8 roma tomatoes (any larger tomato will work here, stemmed and cut in half vertically)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Accompaniments:
- Bread (sliced and toasted. rubbed with garlic if you are feeling ambitious)
- Cheese (mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, goat)
- Herbs (basil, oregano, parsley)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper or a silpat.
- Warm cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook until fragrant but not browned, shaking the skillet occasionally (about 3 minutes). Transfer seeds to the canister of a spice grinder or the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Let cool completely then grind into a fine powder.
- Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Season the cut side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle each tomato with olive oil (they should be glistening with oil, not swimming in it). Finish with an even sprinkling of ground, toasted cumin (it may seem like a lot of cumin, but it works well in the end).
- Bake for 11 - 14 hours, until the tomatoes have shriveled to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your tomatoes. I checked mine around hour 10, then each hour afterwards. The batch pictured above was done at hour 12. The tomatoes will still be moist inside but have slightly crisp, brown edges.
- Cool completely. Serve with toasted bread, cheese and fresh herbs. The tomatoes can also be enjoyed tossed with pasta or as a pizza topping.
- To store, place the tomatoes in an airtight container and cover with extra-virgin olive oil. They will last for up to 2 weeks.
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I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!
eliotseats says
I could eat these like candy.
sippitysup says
Perfect solution this time of year when you still crave tomatoes but the REALLY good one have faded. I can imagine how sweet these are. GREG
Brandon Matzek says
Very sweet. And the toasted cumin adds a good depth of flavor. Thanks!
Anna says
Wow! All the while I thought I have tasted everything tomatoes could ever be…I swear just looking at this recipe made me want to try it out NOW! True, this is the best way to have the best tasting tomatoes all year round. Thanks for sharing!
Krystal R. says
YUM. Oven dried tomatoes are like crack candy, once you start eating them – you can’t stop!
Brandon Matzek says
I know, my jar did not last long. I had them on crostini then tossed them with pasta later that evening. Good thing they are easy to make :p
Melisse says
I just found your site and I love it! All of the recipes are so amazingly mouthwatering and I can’t wait to try them all out!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Melisse! Welcome to the Kitchen Konfidence family 🙂
foodie @ Tasting Spot says
i really like your food pictures and want to invite you to try out tastingspot.com. it’s for anyone that just wants another place to submit photos and share it will other foodies. It’s still in beta version, but would love for you to start adding some photos and help get it going.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
I love sundried tomatoes and have done them like this in my dehydrator. But I crank it to like 175F and it still takes 10-14 hrs, same as the oven method. I wish I could do it in warp speed…ha!
Brandon Matzek says
Warp speed would be nice. As would a dehydrator! I’m jealous. I remember a guy in my fraternity purchased a dehydrator to make beef jerky. He would leave it running in the communal kitchen. Everyone would sneak in a steal bites of the jerky. So delicious!
Annette says
I just came to you’re site from foodgawker……I do this with all the cherry tomatoes left at the end of the season and then put them in the freezer to add to just about anything i’m cooking. Soooo good. I’m going to try cumin on my next batch. I had three gallon size baggies full and they’re all but gone already 🙁
Brandon Matzek says
Excellent! Yes, the combination of tomato and cumin is really nice. Enjoy 🙂
Angela says
Brandon todas tus recetas son increibles, refinadas y brillantes; sólo leer la combinación de ingredientes ya puedes percibir el aroma y el sabor, voy a probar a ver como me quedan unas cuantas. Ya te contaré como las he disfrutado, gracias.