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With the scent of fall within the air, many people have been busy pickling and preserving the bounty that summer time has bestowed upon us.

I admit that my massive canner didn’t get put to make use of, however I did handle to freeze jars of verdant pesto and ruby purple raspberry jam. Each time I open the freezer door and see my small jars lined up in neat rows, I do know there will likely be a time that I attain for them when snow is on the bottom and I’ll be completely satisfied that I put the work into saving some summer time for the long run.

And that’s actually what preserving is all about — reminding your self that summer time will come once more and right here’s a bit style of it.

Tomatoes are among the best issues of summer time, and if you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to have a surplus, you don’t must solely make salsa or sauce as a technique to protect them. I’m a significant fan of sun-dried tomatoes, and whereas it appears like extra enjoyable to dry them beneath the Tuscan solar, if this chance doesn’t exist for you, you need to use your oven to do the entire work.

Solar-dried tomatoes are fairly fantastic to have in your kitchen. They’ve a manner of amplifying the flavour of something they contact.

In my thoughts, they’re like nature’s sweet.

The gradual drying course of concentrates all of their beautiful tomato flavour and locks in all of that summer time sweetness. Every chunk is intense and addictive. The potential downfall of drying tomatoes at house means that there’s the chance of them being consumed straight from the baking sheet and none left for the fridge. However, so far as downfalls go, it is a good one to have.

The drying course of couldn’t be less complicated. Minimize tomatoes in half, toss with olive oil and salt, then place on a baking sheet cut-side up. Warmth and time will do the remaining.

Needless to say the smaller the tomato, the shorter period of time required to attain most popular dryness. Cherry/grape tomatoes want about 5 hours for par-dried tomatoes which might be nonetheless juicy within the centre. Longer time implies that they’ll be extra dried out. If utilizing Roma tomatoes, the time will enhance, clearly.

This low-and-slow technique of drying tomatoes has to imitate the solar, and rotating the pans each hour will guarantee even dryness. Keep watch over the tomatoes close to the tip of drying time in order that they don’t burn.

When the tomatoes are dried, you possibly can serve them on a charcuterie platter, toss into pasta, salads, or in the event that they’re nonetheless a bit juicy, they’re fairly fantastic alongside eggs. If any stay, the par-dried tomatoes will be frozen for future use, and the super-dried tomatoes are tremendous scrumptious when positioned in a jar and coated utterly with good olive oil.

At this level, they are often refrigerated for as much as three months, or if you happen to depart about one centimetre of area from the highest, they are often frozen for as much as six months. Chances are high that the tomatoes will likely be lengthy gone earlier than then. Lengthy stay the tomato! Lengthy stay summer time!

Oven Solar-Dried Tomatoes

2 kilos massive cherry/grape or campari tomatoes

2 tbsp additional virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Place the racks within the oven in order that they’re within the high and backside thirds. Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Take away any stems from the tomatoes and minimize every in half lengthwise. Switch the tomatoes to a big bowl. Toss with the olive oil and salt.

3. Utilizing your arms or a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on the ready baking sheets, minimize aspect up and area them evenly aside.

4. Place the baking sheets within the oven and prepare dinner, swapping the baking sheets from high to backside each hour or so, for about 5 to 6 hours, relying on how massive the tomatoes are and the way dry you need your tomatoes to be. The shorter time will yield a par-dried tomato with a juicier centre. An extended time will create dried tomatoes across the edges with little or no moisture remaining within the centre. Let the tomatoes cool on the baking sheets till room temperature. Serve instantly or add to your favorite recipe.

5. To retailer the less-dried tomatoes, freeze on the baking sheet till stable, then switch to an hermetic container. Preserve frozen for as much as six months. Thaw earlier than utilizing. To retailer the very a lot dried tomatoes, refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as one week. To rehydrate, add boiling water and drain. For longer preservation, pack the dried tomatoes in a jar, add sufficient olive oil to cowl utterly and retailer within the fridge for as much as three months or freeze for as much as six months.

Renée Kohlman has been cooking and baking professionally for over 20 years. Her best-selling debut cookbook, All of the Candy Issues (TouchWood Editions), acquired accolades on the 2018 Style Canada Awards. Her second cookbook, Greens: A Love Story (TouchWood Editions), was named one of many high 100 books in 2021 by The Globe and Mail. Renée is usually in her kitchen, baking connoisseur cookies, which she sells on the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market each weekend.

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