Dehydration Assignemnt: Dehydrated tomatoes- Emma and Emma

Dehydrated Tomatoes- Recipe

*** very good

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

·         2 pounds of tomatoes

·         Thyme

·         Oregano

·         Coarse salt

·         Olive oil

·         Basil

Preparation

§  Preheat oven to 175ºC (set for a low temperature depending on the oven)

§  Cut the tomatoes in quarters and place them on a sprayed pan

§  Then sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt on each tomatoes

§  Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes

§  Lightly sprinkle each spice i.e.: oregano, thyme, and basil on the tomatoes

§  Place pan in the oven for approx. 8-12 hours

§  (This step is optional: Put tomatoes on crackers with cream cheese and parmesan sprinkled on top for a tasty snack\appetizer)

 

A simple recipe that although brought some difficulties, was extremely tasty and looked great too

 

Originally, we had planned to do this great big menu composed of extraordinary healthy delights that were all easily done in the dehydrator; we then learned that to dehydrate something- although quite simple and useful, takes a long time to get the end product you so desire. We then decided that since at the time we had no access to a dehydrator, we would choose one of the simplest recipes from our original plan in the oven and elaborate on it in a way. We wanted to add touches of our own recipe that we thought would taste good. Even this idea came along with several difficulties. Primarily, the recipe that we chose for our tomatoes chips was quite vague, as it said to cook the tomatoes for 8-12 hours with the oven door open, and at a low temperature for example 175ºC. It lacked precise measurements of time, heat, and amount throughout the recipe which lead to a lot of guessing and interpreting.  We then decided to cook them for about 8 hours and then check and see what they looked like, and in doing so we were quite disappointed as they were not tomato chips, more like leathery tomatoes. Although we liked how they tasted, we put them in for even longer, which really didn’t make any difference. We later discovered that in opening the oven door slightly like the recipe called for made all the heat escape from the oven, leading to not just plain tomatoes, but cold ones as well. If we were to do this again, we would definitely recommend to anyone to not open the oven door, and also put the tomatoes at a higher temperature for a time of 9 hours. We got excellent feedback on the taste of them however, so we would definitely make this again, perhaps for a camp as they were very delicious, especially on day 30 of a camping trip.