These homemade oven dried tomatoes (like sundried, but easier) are so plump, tender and intensely tomatoey.

If you’ve ever had a bumper crop of tomatoes, you know that it can get a bit tricky to stay on top of them and use them all up. Tomatoes on toast anyone? Well here’s one of my favourite ways to preserve your abundance of tomatoes. I love this recipe because a) I don’t have a dehydrator, b) I don’t live somewhere hot enough for sun-drying and c) I love sundried tomatoes. You will also notice that I don’t have any quantities below because this is so easy and the tomatoes will vary based on what variety you use and how many tomatoes you have.

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 70°C (160°F) on a fan-forced setting.

2. Wash your tomatoes and cut them lengthwise (from the top down to the bottom).

3. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds from the middle of the tomatoes and cut out the core of the tomato.

4. Put the tomatoes into bowl and drizzle with olive oil – you want enough olive to coat the tomatoes. Start with a smaller amount and then add more if you need it.

5. Season the tomatoes well with salt and pepper and stir the tomatoes well to make sure they are all covered in oil and seasoning.

6. Place the tomatoes skin side down on a baking rack over a baking tin or tray, making sure to tip out any excess oil that may be sitting in the tomato.

7. Put the trays in the oven for 4 to 6 hours, keeping an eye on them until they are looking nice and dehydrated. The edges should start to look a bit shriveled up.

8. Wait for the tomatoes to cool completely before storing them. For storing, you have a couple of options:

a) In oil: Fill a sterilised glass jar with the tomatoes and then fill with olive oil. These can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 months.

b) In the freezer: Freeze the tomatoes on baking paper on a baking tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Take them out as needed and defrost – these are great for use in cooking rather than just on their own.