If you are also among the people who love cooking with dried tomatoes and enjoying their intense flavor, you would surely be happy to learn how to make them with your own hands. Continue reading to find out how to prepare dried tomatoes directly at home to amaze your guests with an exquisite and genuine ingredient.
Preparation of dried tomatoes : which ones to choose?
Depending on your tastes, you can prepare your homemade dried tomatoes using the classic San Marzano tomatoes, the most popular variety for this practice, or opting for cherry tomatoes or very sweet datterini tomatoes. In any case it is good to choose ripe fruits with a nice healthy skin, perhaps coming from organic farming, even better if produced by local farmers.
Dried tomatoes: how to prepare them according to tradition
To prepare your dried tomatoes you will need the fruits, of course, and about 250 grams of coarse salt for every kilo of tomatoes.
The first part of the procedure is dedicated to peeling the fruits: wash the tomatoes, dry them quickly and cut them in half lengthwise and then place them on a tray with the cut part facing upwards. Once you have finished arranging the tomatoes, it is time to sprinkle them with salt and cover the tray with a mosquito net so that you can expose them to direct rays of the sun without the danger of insects or other animals landing on the fruits. Remember that the tomatoes should be brought indoors every evening to protect them from night-time humidity.
The drying time depends on the weather and external temperatures, but on average it is around ten days. For this reason, on the fifth day of sun exposure it is recommended to turn the halves over.
Preparation of dried tomatoes in salt in the oven
If you don't have adequate outdoor space or you want your homemade dried tomatoes to be ready faster, you can opt for oven drying. In this case you will have to clean, cut and sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, placing them on an oven tray and letting them dry at 40° for about 8 hours (even better if overnight).
Once you have prepared your artisanal delicacies, you can consume them immediately or preserve them in different ways such as preparing dried tomatoes in oil with garlic and herbs or choosing the preparation of dried tomatoes in a jar by keeping the dried tomatoes in an airtight container in a dry and sheltered place from heat sources.
Dried tomatoes: how to cook them
Usually those who venture into the preparation of this magical ingredient already know how to cook dried tomatoes , but we want to remind you that to enjoy them at their best it is always a good idea to rinse them with warm water and a little vinegar in order to reduce the flavor and bring out all the flavor notes . Once revived, cooking dried tomatoes is child's play: they are perfect for a pasta with dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano and mint; ideal for enriching a salad with grilled vegetables and excellent in savory pies, gastronomic muffins and tasty bruschetta.
Don't want to run the risk of being left without? Put Inserbo's dried tomatoes in the pantry and enjoy them whenever you want!
