Need help with oven "dried" cherry tomato recipe!

So, I’m growing several tomatoes in self watering containers, and among others, the Maglia Rosa are doing great.


I can’t eat them fast enough, and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t if I could. I hate to admit it, and feel a bit silly since I grow so many plants, but I don’t really eat a lot of tomatoes. I much prefer roasted tomatoes, but need them to “keep” awhile.

So I have researched oven dried cherry tomatoes, and the ones that dry the tomatoes with no other ingredients are pretty clear about how to keep them.
The Spruce Eats

The ones that are “semi-dried”, or include seasonings, like garlic, herbs , and olive oil, not so much.
Genius Kitchen
Smitten Kitchen

This one for “semi-dried” from Food 52 says one week, if not submerged in oil.
Food 52
I know most folks don’t recommend keeping garlic in olive oil .

Do any of you folks have an opinion on this? Would granulated garlic be any different? Any thoughts about how long you can keep partially tried tomatoes in oil in the fridge?

I guess @ccj will be able to answer this.

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Thanks! Is this the right forum for this question? The current batch is almost, but not quite dry.

Lovely!

Garlic powder or granulated garlic are exempt from the olive oil concern. Plus, the acid in the tomatoes should prolong the put-up tomatoes’ life. I would keep the entire batch refrigerated, or even frozen.

Got it!

Did I not get into trouble bec of that topic last year?
Let me try very briefly
Raw garlic can be contaminated with botulism spores, It is dangerous to use raw garlic in olive oil although CDC’s report is that the outbreak is not as common, has diminished in the last 50 years, but if there is an outbreak, it is very virulent, meaning high fatality.
Suggestion is to cook the garlic till it is brown, . Personally, I might do that but would not store them as clostridium has no odor, and is tasteless . Would use it and that would be it as clostridium is anaerobic and would grow in olive oil which is anaerobic.
Consensus is that it is OK to use garlic powder or granulated powder as it has been processed.
However, if interested, read this article, their conclusions is in a nutshell:

The results of our studies suggest that garlic, regardless of the preservation method, may be a source of contamination with technologically detrimental microflora, mainly lactic acid bacteria and anaerobic spore-producing bacilli.

I do like to use smashed garlic in cider vinegar and soy sauce as dip for my duck, spring rolls etc.
I keep them overnight if I need it the next day for left overs. However, the medium of cider vinegar is acidic, and aerobic.

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Thank you!

So what about semi-dried tomatoes (no garlic) in olive oil? How long can I plan (not chance) keeping?

Do you have a vacuum sealer? Or a friend you can borrow one for the afternoon? Then you can vacuum seal just the dried tomatoes as is, no oil needed, and keep in the fridge or freezer.

I might have three (vacuum sealers, not friends) !

Good idea! For this purpose, I like the Vacuvita, which let’s me take stuff out and close it bac up!

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Now that i think about it no reason you couldn’t add oil in the vacuum pack too if you want, but certainly optional.

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I have had good results freezing oven-dried tomatoes. Now I need to make a batch. :slight_smile:

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Tomato Raisins from Serious Eats

Whoah… blanching and then peeling that many cherry tomatoes is definitely an Act of Love!

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Yes…but I’m trying it! Maybe just 1/2 pound or so.

This version is less fidly.

http://www.nikibfood.com/cherry-tomato-raisins/

But…

https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/diggin-it/2009/0908/tommacio-an-experiment-with-tomato-raisins

Hopefully it’s worth the effort! I think the other one without peeling will be as successful- unless your tomatoes are the kind with a weird thick skin i think after roasting so long they will be hardly notica a at all

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That’s a gorgeous bounty!

When I’ve oven dried cherry or grape tomatoes, they don’t last that long… because they taste so good and I end up eating them within a couple of days :roll_eyes:

I’d suggest freezing if you end up with a lot after they’ve shriveled down (they do by a lot).

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