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David52 · July 8, 2006

A few years ago, we had one of those big harvest years with hundreds of the various varieties of the big beef steaks. We used a food dehydrator with every other shelf removed. We took an individual tomato, sliced off the top and bottom to yield an inch thick slab, and placed these on the dryer shelves, packing them in there, jamming them in until the shelves sagged. A bushel of tomatoes will fill a 14 shelf dryer. 24-30 hours later, some can be removed, some need to have a bit of skin pierced and let go for another 12 hours. They dry out to the thickness of thinnish cardboard, like a couple of pieces that one would find holding up the collar of a new shirt.

The result is considerably different from the run-of-the-mill dried tomato; there are distinct, wonderful differences between varieties (although they don't necessarily taste much like a fresh one). I made the mistake of jumbling them altogether when they were dried, it would be fun to keep the varieties separate.

One caveat, here its very low humidity so things dry quickly, so your milage may vary re drying times. However, moistened with a bit of balsamic / water / soy combo, they make a seriously good sandwich. On whole wheat toast.

July 8, 2006	#10
David52 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SW Colorado Posts: 74	Drying big beefsteaks A few years ago, we had one of those big harvest years with hundreds of the various varieties of the big beef steaks. We used a food dehydrator with every other shelf removed. We took an individual tomato, sliced off the top and bottom to yield an inch thick slab, and placed these on the dryer shelves, packing them in there, jamming them in until the shelves sagged. A bushel of tomatoes will fill a 14 shelf dryer. 24-30 hours later, some can be removed, some need to have a bit of skin pierced and let go for another 12 hours. They dry out to the thickness of thinnish cardboard, like a couple of pieces that one would find holding up the collar of a new shirt. The result is considerably different from the run-of-the-mill dried tomato; there are distinct, wonderful differences between varieties (although they don't necessarily taste much like a fresh one). I made the mistake of jumbling them altogether when they were dried, it would be fun to keep the varieties separate. One caveat, here its very low humidity so things dry quickly, so your milage may vary re drying times. However, moistened with a bit of balsamic / water / soy combo, they make a seriously good sandwich. On whole wheat toast. __________________ That last tomato, dear? What last tomato? That stain on my shirt collar? Um, er, lipstick.