Using Oven as Dehydrator?

[web-collage]

Gardening program on PBS today showed dehydrating tomatoes. Using paste tomatoes (San Maranzo or Roma), cut into fourths or eighths, lay cut side up on olive oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, dry in oven at 200F for 4 to 6 hours. Then submerge in olive oil.

This looks appealing because I would not have to buy another kitchen machine or build something for drying.

Has anyone used this method?

 

[Chef Munky]

If your going to dehydrate a tomato, Roma's are the best to work with. They contain less water then the average Paste Tomato and have more flavor in the long run.

What you have described. Isn't a true Dehydrated Tomato. Those are Roasted Tomatoes. To be used now.

I have yet to see any technique for Dehydrated Tomatoes that says to do it adding Olive Oil. Dehydrating to me is using a product alone. To remove any and as much as possible water content. Olive Oil to me is asking for trouble. Depending on how your planning on using the product, and when.

You can add spices with the Tomatoes beforehand and dehydrate. Then Freeze. Or refigerate in Olive Oil.

The 1/4" cuts have me concerned. The thicker the cut the longer it takes to dehydrate.

It's ok if you planning on using the product within a week. Past that. Personally I'd make them into slices and freeze alone.

When you need them for a specific recipe, Pannini's, or Focaccia bread, Pizza's. Go ahead and do it the PBS Way.

I know it's appealing. So is a new car. Until you drive that Bugger off the lot and lot and watch it depreciate. With every mile and year you have it.

 

[justplainbill]

Many 'Sun dried' tomatoes packed in olive oil are LOADED with salt.

 

[CraigC]

We've been using the oven drying technique for years, except that we add parm and basil. We just bag them up and freeze them. They are used in place of sun dried, which I detest.

Craig

 

[Zhizara]

We've been using the oven drying technique for years, except that we add parm and basil. We just bag them up and freeze them. They are used in place of sun dried, which I detest.

Craig

Would you give us your method, Craig? I'd like to try it.

What else is good for dehydrating? I have a large roasting pan with a flat rack. Since I live alone, I'd just get some mixed vegetables and/or fruit to make a project of it.

 

[medtran49]

Would you give us your method, Craig? I'd like to try it.

What else is good for dehydrating? I have a large roasting pan with a flat rack. Since I live alone, I'd just get some mixed vegetables and/or fruit to make a project of it.

It's pretty much the same as web-college except we slice them 1/4" across, mix in bowl with a little salt, some black pepper, fresh grated parm and dry basil and a minimal amount of olive oil, just enough to nicely coat. Don't really have measurements, just depends on amount of tomatoes and what looks good except I go really easy on the salt. Lay them out on cake/cookie cooling racks in a sheet pan and place in oven at 200. We do let ours go a lot longer though, even up to 12 hours, depending on how fleshy they are to get them dehydrated. You can either then single layer freeze them and then bag or put in portion-size bags and freeze.

Craig and I like to use them in pasta recipes especially. There's one where we use sauteed sliced chicken, onions, garlic, the tomatoes, more basil, white wine, and chicken broth we both really like. Hmmm, I think I'm going to check freezer and see if we still have any left from our last batch.

BTW we try to do a whole bunch at a time (fill the oven) since it is on for so long.

 

[justplainbill]

Would a convection / turbo oven speed up the process?

 

[medtran49]

I don't know, it might since the air circulates. We haven't made a batch since we got our new stove/oven that is a convection after the old one gave out. But, we've got a batch of roma-type tomatos ripening on the vine so may try some in the next few days and use the convection setting.

 

[MostlyWater]

i think people dry all kinds of fruits and veggies too.

 

[Andy M.]

Food dehydrators typically run at much lower temperatures, typically 85º to 155º F. drying at a higher temp may degrade the taste and quality of the finished product.

 

[web-collage]

medtran45: This sounds like a good method. How long do you keep them frozen?

 

[CraigC]

Food dehydrators typically run at much lower temperatures, typically 85º to 155º F. drying at a higher temp may degrade the taste and quality of the finished product.

Since tomatos are the only thing we do this way, not going to spend money on a dehydrator. Why would you make a negative statement when you don't know for sure that it degrades taste and quality? The OP was asking about using the oven and never mentioned a dehydrator directly, but they did mentioned not wanting to buy another appliance.

College-Web, we have a deep freezer so 6 months is probably the max. That is if they can get put up before I eat them as is.

 

[justplainbill]

Food dehydrators typically run at much lower temperatures, typically 85º to 155º F. drying at a higher temp may degrade the taste and quality of the finished product.

Thanks for the info. Makes a lotta sense to go with 125F if you want to dry rather than cook the product.

 

[taxlady]

Maybe what the OP was talking about was roasting tomatoes. I have seen many recipes for roasting tomatoes at temperatures of 300-450 F. They all mentioned cutting tomatoes in half, quarters, or eighths, depending on the size of the tomato, not slices. The roasting times were from 45 minutes to several hours.

 

[CraigC]

Maybe what the OP was talking about was roasting tomatoes. I have seen many recipes for roasting tomatoes at temperatures of 300-450 F. They all mentioned cutting tomatoes in half, quarters, or eighths, depending on the size of the tomato, not slices. The roasting times were from 45 minutes to several hours.

Taxlady, the OP was asking about oven drying. A technique used by many folks. We use that technique and it works well. It is a viable drying technique. Mario Batali uses the technique, as do other chefs.
Craig

 

[Andy M.]

Since tomatos are the only thing we do this way, not going to spend money on a dehydrator. Why would you make a negative statement when you don't know for sure that it degrades taste and quality? The OP was asking about using the oven and never mentioned a dehydrator directly, but they did mentioned not wanting to buy another appliance...

It wasn't a negative statement. It was a factor to consider in making a decision.

I was informed by a dehydrator company's representative that the machine I had was not appropriate for drying herbs because it operated at 140º F and herbs needed a cooler temp. - around 110º F. to prevent the loss of aromatic oils. That's fairly reliable info in my mind. I stated that quality MAY be degraded because I didn't know if that information applied to all foods equally.

Considering drying tomatoes - they're typically sun-dried. I'm guessing these tomatoes are sun-dried at temperatures closer to 85ºF than the lowest temp you can get in an oven.

 

[taxlady]

Taxlady, the OP was asking about oven drying. A technique used by many folks. We use that technique and it works well. It is a viable drying technique. Mario Batali uses the technique, as do other chefs.
Craig

I know that is what the OP wrote. But the OP saw it on TV. People often remember details incorrectly. I was suggesting that possibly the show had been about roasting tomatoes.

From what I have seen, roasting makes the tomatoes much less moist and smaller. Many people do this for freezing, since it takes less space than with fresh tomatoes.

I think there is a continuum between what is called oven drying and what is called roasting. I don't know where the line is drawn.

 

[CraigC]

It wasn't a negative statement. It was a factor to consider in making a decision.

I was informed by a dehydrator company's representative that the machine I had was not appropriate for drying herbs because it operated at 140º F and herbs needed a cooler temp. - around 110º F. to prevent the loss of aromatic oils. That's fairly reliable info in my mind. I stated that quality MAY be degraded because I didn't know if that information applied to all foods equally.

Considering drying tomatoes - they're typically sun-dried. I'm guessing these tomatoes are sun-dried at temperatures closer to 85ºF than the lowest temp you can get in an oven.

A dehydrator company representative is going to be biased to his product. Since you made a statement that is not substanciated by actual experience, why put it forth? We are, after all talking about oven dryed tomatos and not herbs. Why imply that there MAY be negative taste and/or quality issues if YOU have never used the process?

Craig

 

[Zhizara]

Drop it, kids! Now! Do I have to get out my wooden spoon?

 

[Chef Munky]

A dehydrator company representative is going to be biased to his product. Since you made a statement that is not substanciated by actual experience, why put it forth? We are, after all talking about oven dryed tomatos and not herbs. Why imply that there MAY be negative taste and/or quality issues if YOU have never used the process?

Craig

The description that the OP gave

"Gardening program on PBS today showed dehydrating tomatoes. Using paste tomatoes (San Maranzo or Roma), cut into fourths or eighths, lay cut side up on olive oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, dry in oven at 200F for 4 to 6 hours. Then submerge in olive oil"

In my own opinion having done it both ways. PBS's way is not Dehydrating (drying) anything. It's roasting/steaming the tomatoes. Then taking the Tomato and submerging it in Olive Oil.To me that now makes them " Sun dried" Packed in Olive Oil. Kind of a gross way to do it. That's quite a bit of Oil isn't it?

Depending on the type and age of the tomato. Temperature's do matter. That's where the quality and taste factor in. And just for kicks safety storing them improperly in oil is a no no.
Some tomatoes have more water content.The older the Tomato the darker the skin will be. You have to use a dehydrator that has a lower temperature setting to achieve the right balance. Ever hear of not mixing oils and water together? You will never achieve removing the water content from a Tomato by doing it in the oven.

It's easier to burn in an oven at that recommended temp and time. I thought it was extremely salty. I ended up tossing out the whole mess.

The oven method that really isn't- You have no room for steam, water to evaporate away. It's trapped in the oven. Meaning you just steamed/ roasted the whole batch.
That's my own personal take on the subject for what it's worth. Sometimes it comes down to " Pics or it didn't happen!" I have no pics. The memory alone still haunts my taste buds.

I'm just sayin'