How to Dry & Store Tomatoes In Olive Oil (at room temperature safely)

5 from 1 vote

How to Dry & Store Tomatoes In Olive Oil (at room temperature safely)

Safely dry tomatoes and store them in olive oil at room temperature without canning. It's a great way to preserve tomatoes to use in any recipe calling for dried tomatoes.

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Canning & Preserving

Cuisine: American

Servings: quart

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

Food Dryer (or use optional oven method)

Ingredients

3-5 pounds paste/plum tomatoes (preferably, though you can slice and dry bigger tomatoes)
1/4 cup (or more) red wine vinegar (you can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
2 cups olive oil, or enough needed to cover tomatoes

Instructions

Wash tomatoes, cut the top core off and cut them in half.
Line the tomato halves on a dehydrator tray, cut side up.
Dry at the manufacturer's recommended 135 degrees.* Check at about four hours and then do the first switch: turn them over and turn the trays around. None are usually dry yet, except maybe a few really small ones. Let dry for another 1-2 hours before checking again. At this point, there will be some dry tomatoes and you'll need to remove these (I set them in a bowl) and continue drying the rest.
Your fully dried tomato halves should be dry and leathery with no moisture coming out from them when you push them with your fingers
Fill a small bowl with red wine vinegar and using tongs, dip the fully dried tomato halves into the vinegar. Let the vinegar drip for a minute before placing in a clean, quart jar until the jar is full to the shoulders. It's okay to press down on the tomatoes to remove air and fit more into the jar.
Once a jar is full to the shoulders, pour olive oil over the tomatoes until they are FULLY covered. For safety, the tomatoes should always be completely covered with oil, even when you start using them. *You will need quite a bit of oil, but you will be able to use the oil for salad dressings and cooking as you use up the tomatoes.
Continue drying tomatoes, dipping, and covering with oil until all your dried tomatoes are used up.
Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year (they are best within 6 months, because they darken with time, but still safe to eat and flavorful after that, just not as red).

Notes

*Alternative oven-drying method:

Cook tomato halves in a 170-degree oven for about 3 hours with the oven door left open about 3 inches for moisture to escape. Then turn the tomatoes over, cut side down, and press flat with a spatula. Continue baking, turning the tomatoes every few hours, gently pressing down, until the tomatoes are dried, up to 9 hours more. Check often since some tomatoes will be done quicker depending on the size and moisture content. Aim for a leathery feel that will bend but is not crisp, and no moisture appears when pressed all over with your fingers.

NOTE: the nutrition facts below do not account for the fact that you drain the tomatoes before eating them, so the fat and calories are not really accurate (it's an automatic calculator).

Nutrition