Sun Dried Tomatoes

[skilletlicker]

I ordered 5 lbs. of sun dried tomatoes from Jet, an online store Addie recommended. Now what to do with them? I had been buying 3 or 4-ounce bags from the supermarket - when they had them. Took all they had; never more than a dozen bags. Those were thoroughly dried, almost leathery, and I always reconstituted them in hot water for a few minutes. This 5 lb. bag comes from a company called We Got Nuts. They are very moist in comparison. Cut into juliennes they have the moisture of well-drained pasta. Taste is much more "tomatoey"(sp?) as well.
They are sharing headline billing with canned sardines in tonight's pasta (actually Polenta) sauce.
Suspect there are lots of opportunities for these little beauties waiting to be discovered.
Any suggestions or experiences?

 

[Dawgluver]

Whoa. Five pounds is a lot of dried tomatoes! I dry my own tomatoes, but I usually get a few ounces.

Given how moist they are, I would store them in smaller ziplocks in the freezer, just in case.

Use them for tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, chili, salsa, salad dressing, a nice tomato soup, snacking on, anything you would use undried tomatoes for.

 

[Kayelle]

I agree with Dawg..store them in the freezer. I love sun dried tomatoes for lots of dishes and your experiment with sardines sounds like a good one. I get mine from Trader Joe's, and I often don't reconstitute them, but just throw them into a sauce as they are. They are also nice in salads and as a pizza topping. Love that bit of acidic "chew".

 

[tenspeed]

With a 5 lb. bag I guess you are going to find uses for them!

I toss a handful of julienned sun dried tomatoes in with rice (preferably white basmati), along with chopped scallions. Add the tomatoes before the rice is done to reconstitute them. They also find their way into the scallion olive white wine sauce I use with salmon.

 

[medtran49]

We make our own oven roasted/dried tomatoes and they have a similar texture to them. Yes, the others are correct, you definitely have to store them in the freezer in individual portions or they mold. Ours have basil, parm, S and P and olive oil added to them as well before roasting/drying.

We make a pasta using them sliced, with slices or chunks of grilled or sauteed chicken, fresh basil strips, pearl or cubed fresh mozzarella and drizzles of olive oil, with parm on top. Sometimes we sautee a bit of chopped or sliced onion and garlic and use that too. There are several other things we use them in but brain isn't fully caffeinated yet this a.m. and can't remember right now, though the above is our go to, especially when we need a quick meal.

 

[Mad Cook]

Whoa. Five pounds is a lot of dried tomatoes! I dry my own tomatoes, but I usually get a few ounces.

Given how moist they are, I would store them in smaller ziplocks in the freezer, just in case.

Use them for tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, chili, salsa, salad dressing, a nice tomato soup, snacking on, anything you would use undried tomatoes for.

What about laying some of them down in EVOO? They cost a fortune to buy in tiny jars (at least over here they do). Yummy in salads.

 

[Rocklobster]

Sundried tomato pesto
Mix with cream cheese and herbs for a dip or spread
Toss them with a few sauteed veg and serve on top of fish
Brushcetta ingredient
Rice or risotto
Add to potatoes
Add to soups
Add to beans
Stews
Puree and add to mayo for dip or sandwich condiment(I have a sundried tomato mayo at the deli we use for a Mediterranean chicken sandwich. Quite popular)

 

[medtran49]

Oh yes Rock, they make excellent pesto. We either serve it as kind of a sauce over grilled or sauteed chicken or pork, and also mix it with pasta.

 

[Rocklobster]

Oh yes Rock, they make excellent pesto. We either serve it as kind of a sauce over grilled or sauteed chicken or pork, and also mix it with pasta.

I do a pasta sauce with sd tomatoes, cream, chicken, white wine, and mushrooms that GF loves..It is basically a loaded alfredo sauce...add a small scoop of tomato paste and it becomes a rose'.
I've also added them to pork paprikash type dishes for a nice variation...

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how big a 5 pound bag of dried tomatoes might be. Thinking body bag size!

 

[skilletlicker]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how big a 5 pound bag of dried tomatoes might be. Thinking body bag size!

Naw, 2 quarts, maybe 3.

 

[Addie]

When everyone was touting how great sun dried tomatoes were, I bought a small jar in olive oil. My ancestors used to chew the leather hides of buffalo and got them softer than these sun dried tomatoes. Did I just get a cheap product? Have never bought them since.

 

[skilletlicker]

When everyone was touting how great sun dried tomatoes were, I bought a small jar in olive oil. My ancestors used to chew the leather hides of buffalo and got them softer than these sun dried tomatoes. Did I just get a cheap product? Have never bought them since.

You might call them a little chewy but not buffalo hide.
If you want to try them again maybe get a little bag of dried. They seem expensive at about 2.50 for a three or 4 ounces but remember that drying takes most of the weight out and there are maybe a dozen tomatoes in that little bag. I like the halved better than the smaller pieces. They will be tough but there will be directions for reconstituting on the bag that amount to pour boiling water over them for a minute or two, then drain. Suggest you save that tomato flavored water for later use.

Doing it that way you'll get at least 3 or 4 times as much "dried" tomato as you would in the little jars for about the same price as the jars. Depending on the brand, some of those jars are ridiculously expensive.

The 5 lb. bag worked out to be about half the price of those little bags and I like the product a lot better.

 

[Addie]

You might call them a little chewy but not buffalo hide.
If you want to try them again maybe get a little bag of dried. They seem expensive at about 2.50 for a three or 4 ounces but remember that drying takes most of the weight out and there are maybe a dozen tomatoes in that little bag. I like the halved better than the smaller pieces. They will be tough but there will be directions for reconstituting on the bag that amount to pour boiling water over them for a minute or two, then drain. Suggest you save that tomato flavored water for later use.

Doing it that way you'll get at least 3 or 4 times as much "dried" tomato as you would in the little jars for about the same price as the jars. Depending on the brand, some of those jars are ridiculously expensive.

The 5 lb. bag worked out to be about half the price of those little bags and I like the product a lot better.

Aha! Nowhere on that jar were there any instructions regarding reconstituting them. And even watching cooking shows, I never heard about that step. Will have to get some next month.

 

[skilletlicker]

Freezing: The bag says they keep 6 months in the fridge but I"ll defer to your experience and freeze in smaller bags. Thanks.

I like the rice idea a lot.

A jar of tomato pesto will probably become a regular thing in the fridge.

The "loaded alfredo sauce" appeals a lot. I don't keep cream on hand, but was thinking last night while making the tomato sardine stir fry sauce that some butter and milk would be interesting. Would have added it then if it was going over pasta instead of polenta. Which made me think of SOS, which I like but most people turn their noses up at. It's essentially bechamel with dried beef. These tomatoes would make that special.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and advice.

 

[skilletlicker]

Aha! Nowhere on that jar were there any instructions regarding reconstituting them. And even watching cooking shows, I never heard about that step. Will have to get some next month.

I don't think you can reconstitute the ones in jars with olive oil. But sometimes I soak the whole bagful in hot water for a minute, then drain and store them in the fridge with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That gives me a product I like better than the jars in the store for a fraction of the price.

 

[larry_stewart]

Sometimes Ill make a sandwich with Italian bread, fresh Mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, basil, and drizzle of garlic/ olive oil, S & P.

I prefer the tomatoes I dry myself over the ones I buy at the store, because they aren't fully dried, they still have a little ' burst' of tomato when biting into it. Its a nice concentrated tomato flavor. I also pack them with garlic/ olive oil and fridge them.

 

[Kayelle]

Freezing: The bag says they keep 6 months in the fridge but I"ll defer to your experience and freeze in smaller bags. Thanks.

I like the rice idea a lot.

A jar of tomato pesto will probably become a regular thing in the fridge.

The "loaded alfredo sauce" appeals a lot. I don't keep cream on hand, but was thinking last night while making the tomato sardine stir fry sauce that some butter and milk would be interesting. Would have added it then if it was going over pasta instead of polenta. Which made me think of SOS, which I like but most people turn their noses up at. It's essentially bechamel with dried beef. These tomatoes would make that special.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and advice.

SL, if you are lucky enough to have a Trader Joes, this is an item I'm never without in my pantry.

 

[Addie]

Sometimes Ill make a sandwich with Italian bread, fresh Mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, basil, and drizzle of garlic/ olive oil, S & P.

I prefer the tomatoes I dry myself over the ones I buy at the store, because they aren't fully dried, they still have a little ' burst' of tomato when biting into it. Its a nice concentrated tomato flavor. I also pack them with garlic/ olive oil and fridge them.

I did dry a couple in the oven on very low a few years back. You are right. They have a ton of tomato flavor. I should do that again. I love tomatoes.

 

[GotGarlic]

When we went out for our anniversary Thursday, my appetizer was fried green tomatoes with sun-dried pepper aioli and goat cheese. It was really good.