We love sun-dried tomatoes and making them in the air fryer was so easy, less expensive, and I could play around with the seasoning as much as I wanted to. You could do this in a dehydrator or a very low oven if you don’t have an air fryer. They travel well and make a nice gift.
When I was looking for an air fryer, I was looking for one that had a dehydrator function. At the end of summer, when the grapes are ripe, there’s nothing like homemade raisins. I decided to experiment with tomatoes because I use them a lot in cooking. One of my favorite recipes, Ginger Man Shrimp and Pasta, uses sun-dried tomatoes as an essential part of the dish.
What Do You Need to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
This was a science experiment of sorts. I happened to have cherry tomatoes on hand and thought I would try them first. Any tomatoes will do, but the more flavorful the better. The hard, light red tomatoes have very little flavor and would not be a good choice. Italian plum tomatoes are a good choice since they have a lot of flavor, just make sure they are ripe. If you do this in the summer, by all means, a big, juicy beefsteak tomato would make amazing sun-dried tomatoes.
The important part about sun-drying is the tomatoes should be dry as possible. When you are slicing them, you can omit the seeds and only use the flesh. Always take a paper towel and blot them of excess moisture.
You can use any seasonings you like. I happen to like Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset, but Italian seasoning would be fine. You could even add a few chili flakes if you wanted spicy tomatoes.
Try to use good olive oil. Use the kind of olive oil you would use to dip bread into. Don’t use light olive oil. Use extra virgin, don’t break the bank but make sure it is an olive oil you would enjoy by itself.
These will also travel well so you could make a few jars to give as gifts. Recipients will enjoy a little bit of summer and think of you when they eat them.