Preparedness and Training – Preparedness
When the garden is producing more tomatoes than you can eat fresh, drying them is one of the most practical moves you can make. It takes almost no fancy equipment, requires little skill, and turns a bulky, perishable crop into something that stores compactly for months. Dried tomatoes rehydrate beautifully in soups and stews, and when left dry they deliver intense flavor to breads, salads, and even as a snack on their own.
Start with the right tomatoes. Firm, meaty varieties work best—Romas are ideal, along with smaller types like Best Boy or Lemon Boy. Save the big juicy beefsteaks for freezing or sauce. Wash them, remove the cores, and cut them. Halves work well for cherries, plums, and Romas. Larger tomatoes dry more evenly as wedges or ¼- to ½-inch slices. Scoop out the wet, seedy centers on bigger ones to speed drying. Always place them skin-side down.
You have three solid options for drying.
Sun drying works if you have steady, strong sunshine—something we can usually count on here in Central Texas. Lay slices on a clean rack or board covered with plastic wrap, set them in full sun, and keep the bugs off until they skin over. Expect 18–24 hours of good sun, often spread over a few days. Bring them in at night and refrigerate if needed.
Oven drying is reliable when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Arrange the cut tomatoes on a lightly oiled rack, set the oven to about 135°F, and prop the door open slightly so moisture can escape. Temperatures below 120°F risk bacteria; above 145°F can scorch them. Plan on 12–15 hours and pull pieces as they finish.
A food dehydrator is the cleanest and most consistent method if you have access to one. Lightly oil the trays, space the pieces so they don’t touch, set the temperature around 135°F on low fan if you have the option, and check periodically. It usually takes up to 15 hours. If you need to pause overnight, refrigerate the trays so nothing starts to mold.
How dry is dry enough? You can go leather-like or fully crispy. Crispy lasts longer in storage and crushes easily if you want powder or flakes. Leather-dry should have no soft, moist spots and should not stick to your finger. For winter storage I prefer crispy-dry and vacuum-seal them. You can pack the equivalent of about ten pounds of fresh tomatoes into a single quart bag this way. Store in the pantry or fridge.
When you’re ready to use them, soak in water for a couple of hours (less if you use hot water). Dried cherry halves are excellent tossed into bread dough or sprinkled on salads. Halved tomatoes make solid “tomato chips” for snacking. Another option is packing the dried pieces in a jar with herbs and covering them with olive oil—just leave room for expansion and keep them fully submerged. Refrigerate these for safety.
Dried tomatoes take up almost no space, deliver concentrated flavor, and give you a reliable way to carry the summer garden into the colder months. It’s simple preparedness that pays off every time you reach for that jar or bag.
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