SUN (OVEN) DRIED TOMATOES

WoW...

Really simple to make, so versatile to use, easy to cook with and to preserve and what a joy to eat and for me to have stored in my pantry for that burst of garden harvest sunshine throughout the winter.

These just pop an abundance of flavour, a soft chewy intense burst of sweet tomato with aromatics of thyme and oregano followed with a dressing from the lemon olive oil and apple cider vinegar preserving oil.  These are just perfect on their own but really lift the flavour on pasta dishes, salads and cheese boards.  You can also just blitz them as they are for a great pesto, add some Parmesan cheese and pine or walnuts, or pour over some boiling water, leave for 10 minutes to rehydrate, blitz and add to a great tomato sauce for lasagna, enchiladas and pasta dishes.

Prep time 10 minutes / Oven drying time 4-6 hours

Ingredients 

Approximately 50 cherry tomatoes halved

1 tbsp Himalayan sea salt 

1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper 

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

300ml cold pressed olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

50ml apple cider vinegar

1 medium ball mason jar and lid

Pre heat your oven to 100 C / 212 F.  On a baking tray with a rack place the tomatoes halves skin side down, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.  Pop in the oven and leave to dry out for 4 hours.  Once your tomatoes are dried turn off the oven and leave in the oven until completely cooled.  You can just fill your jar with the tomatoes and olive oil lemon and apples cider mix, then store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks, but if you want to preserve a glut for over winter you need to do this in sterile jars.

To preserve heat your jars and lids for 5 minutes in a pre heated oven 150 C / 302 F, meanwhile place the oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer until 72 C / 161 F.  Do not boil, take off the heat, pack the jar with the tomatoes, pour over the hot oil leaving one inch head space, pop on the lid and leave to cool.  You should hear a “ding” when the preserving lid pops down sealing the jar which tells you that jar is now d]safe to store in the pantry.  If your led depression still pops when you push it then store in the fridge and consume within a few weeks.