Sun dried tomatoes

In Florence we were traveling very light due to the expense (40 pounds) to check our baggage and so I could not buy very many things to bring home. One of the few things I did buy to bring home was sun dried cherry tomatoes at the central market.  So imagine my surprise when I came home from a weekend away to find all but 3 of them gone! My son and his friends had quite a feast of chicken and steaks and pasta and had found these in the cupboard and used them all. I hope they enjoyed them and it is another reason to go back.

Last week I stopped in at the Red Apple on Hastings and they had some wonderful looking mini plum tomatoes so I decided to pick some up and have a go at making my own.

I cut them in half and laid them out on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.

My oven has a drying setting on it so I set it to low drying which is 140, if your oven does not go that low, put it as low as it will and prop the door open a little .  I left them in the oven for 3 hours and then turned the oven off and went to bed.

After sitting in the oven over night

I then  turned them all over and put them on for a further 3 hours at 140 after which they were exactly the right texture.

They were just the right texture dry but still pliable.  I did not salt them at all which apparently helps the drying process, but I sometimes find sun dried tomatoes a little salty.  I was very pleased with the results and I will be doing more of these, especially when the tomatoes are in full season and I can pick them up cheap. Though strictly I guess I should call them oven dried tomatoes, but it really does not sound as good.