Dehydrated tomatoes

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My MIL used to make a lot of fruit leather on her home built dehydrator. I wonder what tomato leather would be like, and if there's a recipe or technique out there that I could follow. Thanks for the inspiration. Oh, and when my tomatoes really start to come out, I'll try dehydrating some.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

The other day, at band camp, okay, well not at band camp.....me and you know who, were talking about the cabinet he built that we have the outside dehydrator in......when the dehydrator dies, how we'll make it into a home made dehydrator. It really just needs a heater and a fan. There is more than enough room for both in the cabinet.

Fruit leather, or tomato leather, it would just be tomatoes (with all the natural sugars), blended up, and spread on a tray, with a bit of saran wrap/plastic wrap on the tray. It takes a while to dry out, yet the results are great.
 
This is the end result of a big tray of tomatoes in a gallon zip lock bag.
 

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blissful said:
This is the end result of a big tray of tomatoes in a gallon zip lock bag.

Blissful, your tomatoes look just like mine did!
 
zfranca said:
Does the taste of dehydrated tomatoes come close to the one of sun-dried tomatoes?

Yes, essentially it's the same process, without the sun. A very low heat setting concentrates the flavor. And a dehydrator is a lot more reliable than the sun. And no added (bug) protein!
 
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Yes, essentially it's the same process, without the sun. A very low heat setting concentrates the flavor. And a dehydrator is a lot more reliable than the sun. And no added (bug) protein!
I suspect that there are places where sunshine is more reliable than the electricity supply. :ohmy:
 
taxlady said:
I suspect that there are places where sunshine is more reliable than the electricity supply. :ohmy:

You have a point there, Taxy!
 
Blissful, your tomatoes look just like mine did!

Does the taste of dehydrated tomatoes come close to the one of sun-dried tomatoes?

Dawg--it's great isn't it?

Dehydrated tomatoes taste like tomatoes. I suppose if you eat sun-dried tomatoes, and didn't rehydrate them, they'd taste the same as sun-dried. They just taste like tomatoes, fresh, sunny, better than canned to me. For years I canned them, and then I just was tired of the hot summer days and the hot summer stove, and dehydrated ones were fantastic and I stopped canning them.
 
blissful said:
Dawg--it's great isn't it?

Dehydrated tomatoes taste like tomatoes. I suppose if you eat sun-dried tomatoes, and didn't rehydrate them, they'd taste the same as sun-dried. They just taste like tomatoes, fresh, sunny, better than canned to me. For years I canned them, and then I just was tired of the hot summer days and the hot summer stove, and dehydrated ones were fantastic and I stopped canning them.

I had to sneak a taste, they're awesome! I used to do a lot of canning too, Blissful, but this is the way to go!
 
I'm going to have to try this. I have a dehydrate setting on my toaster oven. Yeah, it's a pretty fancy toaster oven with convection.
 
I'm going to make some tomato leather. I just need to wait for the next bunch of tomatoes to ripen.
Tomato leather or dehydrated tomatoes--I don't see that they will be much different when combined with water in blender to make sauce. I'm sure they'll be just as delicious.
I don't use them for much else.
 
taxlady said:
I'm going to have to try this. I have a dehydrate setting on my toaster oven. Yeah, it's a pretty fancy toaster oven with convection.

That does sound pretty fancy, TL! What a neat combination appliance.
 
That does sound pretty fancy, TL! What a neat combination appliance.

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I often can be wrong. Isn't a toaster oven convection by design? Just, that, it can be set at a low temperature and dehydrate? Convection is heated........by electrical heat, right?
I ask, because, I have a microwave/convection oven (two actually) and I use it (them) as (a) dehydrators because it has dehydrator settings.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, as I often can be wrong. Isn't a toaster oven convection by design? Just, that, it can be set at a low temperature and dehydrate? Convection is heated........by electrical heat, right?
I ask, because, I have a microwave/convection oven (two actually) and I use it (them) as (a) dehydrators because it has dehydrator settings.

Actually, convection means - the transfer of heat energy by moving air. A standard toaster oven transfers energy by radiation, that is, the heating elements mostly emit infra-red radiation, which excites the molecules that it touches, causing them to heat up. The hot coils also heat the air by conduction, which then transfers the heat to the food. But the main mode of energy transfer is by radiation, at least in the toasting mode. The hot air is static, and so takes more time to release its energy to the food, and then reheat to transfer more heat energy. A convection oven has a fan that causes air turbulence (moving air) which constantly places new hot air against the food surface. The hot, new air, is more able to transfer the heat into the food.

The currents you see in water that is heating in a pot is also convective movement. In fact, convection is what makes our weather patterns, and creates winds, and many ocean currents. As the ground air is heated by the sun, it rises into the colder, higher altitudes because it is less dense (lighter), than the cold air that rushes in to replace it. This creates wind. This movement of air helps moderate, and stabilize our planet's temperature to a range that will support us.

Notice that on a cold or hot day, moving air will affect your body temperature much more quickly than will still air. That's what wind-chill is all about. The moving air will place cold air against your skin continuously, drawing heat out of you more quickly. It feels colder than still air at the same temperature.

The same thing happens in a convection oven, but with heat.

I could have explained this more concisely.:ermm:

Anyways, I hope that explains the difference between a toaster oven and a convection oven. If not, there is someone around here that will explain what I said more succinctly.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the north
 
Awesome really. So there is radiation transfer from local heat, and convective heat due to heat and air transfer. If I get it right.
I like learning all this, as truly, I didn't get it before.
So the radiation is infra-red. Then microwave is?????????
 
Awesome really. So there is radiation transfer from local heat, and convective heat due to heat and air transfer. If I get it right.
I like learning all this, as truly, I didn't get it before.
So the radiation is infra-red. Then microwave is?????????

Microwave energy and infra-red are cousins. Infra-red is a part of the light spectrum that includes infra-red, all the way to X-ray. Where infra-red is in the lower frequency of the spectrum, and produces photns that can be seen by some creatures, and by special instruments, visible light ranges from the colors of the rainbow (visible light), to higher frequencies that are again invisible to the human eye, starting at ultra-violet light, and up. The photons are both paticles, and contain energy that react with materials in accordance with their own specific frequency. Infra red light has little sustaining power. That is, it's energy is easily absorbed by matter and converted directly into heat energy. Ultra violet, on the other hand, maintains it's energy and penetrates things like skin, poking microscopic holes, thus damaging tissue. The damage is sensed by the skin as heat, though it isn't the same thing. Blood flows to the damaged area, turning it read. Chromosomes are damaged by the ultra violet radiation, and the nerves tell your brain that your skin hurts. you have a sunburn.

Microwave energy is a form of electro-magnetic energy that also moves as a wave. The frequency of the wave determines the length of the wave. Microwave energy doesnt' poke holes in things like ultra-violet light. Instead, it affects the molecules of matter, causing them to become excited, which creates friction between molecules, which creates heat. One myth about microwaves is that they penetrate matter and heat from the inside out. This is a wive's tale. The food in a microwave is heated from the outside in, but due to the focused beam, the energy isn't transmitted evenly to the food surface, creating hot spots. That's why most microwave ovens contain a turn-table, to move the food through the focal points of the microwave energy. Radio waves are the same kind of energy as produced by a microwave, as are the electro-magnetic waves produced by a radar. Lasers use light to transmit energy. Masers use Microwaves, as do radio and radar antennae, and as do the magnetron's that produce the microwaves in your microwave oven.

Infra-red is a kind of light. Microwaves are a kind of electro-magnetic energy. Both are radiated from some source and affect the things they come into contact with.

Nuclear radiation is more like light radiation than it is to microwave radiation. High energy particles are emitted by the radioactive elemental source that punch holes through your body, just like with X-rays, Gamma-rays, and ultra-violet radiation. But unlike ultra-violet, the particles have enough energy to pass completely through your body and do damage all the way through, causing radiation sickness. Radioactive substances can deposit minute amounts of themselves onto other things, and continue to cause damage. Microwaves, and infra red can't.

I need to go home now.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I need to go home now.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Longwind, as much as I would like to say I understand what you just said, and I did try, I am not dull, it's just very complicated to me, and I don't understand it all. I do so appreciate that you answered my questions and I'm honored to be in your presence, with all your knowledge. I mean that sincerely.

And, thank you for coming over, I was so impressed with your knowledge I forgot to offer you some coffee or sweet tea, before you decided to go home. :)
You are a peach, I'm sure you already know that.
 
Longwind, as much as I would like to say I understand what you just said, and I did try, I am not dull, it's just very complicated to me, and I don't understand it all. I do so appreciate that you answered my questions and I'm honored to be in your presence, with all your knowledge. I mean that sincerely.

And, thank you for coming over, I was so impressed with your knowledge I forgot to offer you some coffee or sweet tea, before you decided to go home. :)
You are a peach, I'm sure you already know that.

There are probably some around here, that would categorize me as ugly fruit.:ROFLMAO:

Me, I think I'm more of a key lime, a little to strong for direct consumption, but great when diluted and sweetened a little.;)

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
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