July 24th
2005
Anything that has an unusual color or shape attracts me. So I had no choice but to give the vegetable stall owner my money and in return walk away with a bag of orange cocktail tomatoes. Regular Joe tomatoes on the other hand seem to continuously become larger and decreasingly tasty - I buy them less and less. Sometimes, depending on the use, I might open up a can of whole tomatoes (not diced); e.g. for self-made pizza. But these little orange fellows are so yummy, they have a valid shot at becoming my new favorite tomato. Barring the mess I made, when I popped the first one into my mouth (unwashed - shame on me...), all bite-happy. This tomato was so juicy, it burst and left me with spots of tomato juice on the counter, the unpacked groceries and - of course - my T. Greedy me.
What happened to regular tomatoes? Not to derail on another nostalgic detour, but good tasting tomatoes always bring up memories of my grandma's vegetable garden, including her greenhouse. In retrospect, I guess everything was greener, more lush and tasted better, but those tomatoes must have had a lasting impression on me. Since discovering the tiny cocktail tomatoes, I basically ignore today's regular ones. Well, probably with a few exceptions, but I never enjoy regular ones as much as my loved little friends. On a side note: With these there is no need to cut out the stems, which always meant additional work with regular tomatoes (firstly because those parts don't taste good, secondly because they contain traces of a poison called Solanine).
One of the more elegant/advanced enhancements to jazz up a sandwich or panino are sun or oven dried tomatoes. However, the ones you can buy are often either TOO expensive, TOO strong in taste or TOO chewy. So why not try to make them myself?
'Still experimenting with the "right" oven temperature and duration - the good news is, you can't really screw it up unless you leave them in over night and forget about them the next morning (the aroma in the apartment was great though :) Squeezing Google beforehand didn't necessarily make things easier, as no two recipes had the same temperatures or durations for roasting/drying the tomatoes. So it was down to us with a pinch of common sense to watch and step in (in case they get too dark and burn). We made those tomatoes about twice a week during last month and always keep a handful in a jar filled with olive oil - they're that yummy! Always good for a quick panino or simply an out - of - the - glass - straight - into - your - mouth - delight. Hmmmm.
Wash, pad dry and half the cocktail tomatoes. Of course you can also use regular tomatoes, just slice them in quarters (or sixth). Some recipes recommend to discard the seeds, but I don't see the need to (at least with the smaller tomatoes).
Cover baking sheet or casserole with olive oil and arrange tomatoes cut-side up. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and if you like to, with garlic, dried and/or fresh herbs (like thyme, oregano...).
Dry in the preheated oven at 100 degrees Celsius (210 degrees F) for 4-6 hours. Times and temperature may vary (as indicated) based on your oven, the size of the tomatoes and of course your preference. Just try and find out what works best for you.
Kept in a jar with olive oil they last for days (if not weeks).
What a great idea. I have planted grape tomatoes in my backyard and they are just coming up. I will try this recipe with them.
this is a great recipe... i always wonder what i could do with tomatoes from the garden. i usually prepare tomato sauce that i freeze... and i will also cook your oven dried tomatoes !
Looks fantastic! Never had orange tomatoes before. I will have to look out for them at the Farmers Market. Do they have a different taste than red ones?
I love these, I normally make mine with egg tomatos (realy yummy ones)
I find that the slower the better and if you dry big ones sometimes if you pierce the skin that forms on the cut surface it helps to speed the procedd up.
I am so making these out of little tomatoes! Thanks for the GREAT IDEA!
I adore oven-dried tomatoes. I will have to try your method. I've had tomatoes on the brain all weekend, since seeing this mixed heirloom tomato tart from July's Martha Stewart. Now I want to combine her method with your product ... hmm.
I usually sun-dry mine, but lately I found a recipe about tomato confee which is similar to yours, but you got to cook them in the oven for at least 8 hours in maximum 100 C. I will try this and let you know too!
I just LOVE your photos...
Gorgeous pictures as always!
I have to ask you where you found that adorable glass "weck" jar w/the strawberry on it! My ex-boyfriend had a couple of those identical jars for drinking juice out of and I LOVED them! I have no idea where he found them. Are they German? Can you shed some light please? Thank You!
Yes, I posted about home-dried tomatoes a few month ago too, and I found the same problem trying to find a recipe that looked 'right'. In the end I went with a few tips suggested by Jill Dupleix . I made the same slipup and left my tomatoes in the cooling oven overnight as well, but I think it was an inspired mistake, as they were perfect the next morning!
i have seen these made at every restaurant I have worked at. They are an amazing flavor. It is a task I was often asigned to perform, and we allways pulled the pulp and seeds out first. It creates a sweeter flavor as the pulp is very acidic.
Hello everyone, thanks for visiting and the positive feedback :)
Hi Marita,
Thanks! The orange tomatoes I bought seem to have less acidity and taste a tad sweeter. Of course it also works with the red ones, then however I’d follow Dana’s recommendation (see her above comment) and remove the pulp.
Hey Clare,
Thanks for the tip, good to know for the next batch of larger red ones. :)
Hi Tara,
Great link and recipe – thank you!
Hi Suzie,
Weck is a traditional and well established German brand for jars primarily used to preserve food. They even have had an influence on the German language, creating the word einwecken (=preserve, can). Here is link to more info in English.
Hi Dana,
Thank you for stopping by and your tip! I have been following your time at The Fat Duck and your posts on a regular basis – what a great experience. :) As much as I love cooking, I can’t imagine to be a professional chef. All the discipline and the really hard work – my deepest respects!!!
Thank you so much for the link! I will be ordering some canning jars immediately!! I am thrilled that I can get them in the US!
I love your clean, bright and beautiful photos @ delicious days - very professional looking! The whole site is beautifully designed and full of cool tricks (changing images and now this real-time preview).
I will definitely attempt to make these oven dried tomatoes (my mum grows loads of yellow and orange tomatoes, I'm sure she doesn't mind me playing with them). Also, as soon as I visit home in August I'll replicate your gorgeous buttermilk pannacotta (i find that buttermilk is rather expensive in the UK).
Mmmm looks wonderful. I love your site, just dtumbled on it and have been pouring through the archives. My mother gre up in Munich and your postings make me so nostalgic for all the visits i have made to my oma over the years.
Life wasn't life before I knew your blog!!!!
congrats from mexico!!!
Stunning photos. Yum, yum, yum! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Pille,
Thanks for the positive feedback on the site and the “special effects” :) I bet your home produced tomatoes will be even so much better in taste, I can’t imagine that anything bought could top one’s own garden vegetables…please let us know how the panna cotta worked out!
Hi Suzie,
We love these glasses, too! The have an undeniable retro touch to them…
I've made oven-dried cherry tomatoes for a couple of years now. Every summer I plant oodles of plants and pick about a bowl full every week. Once they are oven dried, I put that week's batch into a freezer baggy and toss them into the freezer. They last all winter, and because they are so tiny, I pop them into my mouth right out of the freezer, or defrost them and add 'em to salads, on pizzas, sandwiches... but most of them get snacked up frozen and all. I'll try the olive oil though... Thanks for sharing!
i must try this recipe it seems so easy to do and won't it be good in the winter
[...] Oven Dried Tomatoes — Really a No-Brainer (Delicious: Days). You get the gist. They use tiny sun-golds, though, which is a playful little twist. [...]
Just made these and they were fantastic - and so simple. They may last for weeks in a jar but unlikely to be around that long. :-)
I can't wait to try this recipe. Your sun (actually oven) dried tomatoes looks so good.
Love
fanny