One of my greatest dilemmas has been the fact that I grow a lot of tomatoes each year and yet have still been unable to figure out a way to realistically preserve tomato paste. I tried patiently standing by the stovetop stirring a pot of sauce until it reduced down. I failed. We ended up with a batch of very burnt tasting tomato sauce and no tomato paste. I just haven't the patience for it.
Then this past autumn as I was bringing in the last of the tomato crop I decided to dehydrate them instead of canning them up. I'd already put up gobs of tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and even ketchup. I was tired of canning tomatoes.
So I sliced them thin and put them on trays. I ended up with 11 trays of sliced tomatoes.
I consulted the guidebook for my dehydrator and dried them at 120 degrees Fahrenheit for about 26 hours.
After they were thoroughly dried I carefully removed them from the mesh liners and placed them in a large bowl.
Then I ground them up in small batches using my food processor.
The end result was about a pint and a half of powdered tomatoes. I jarred them loosely in two jars so that I could periodically shake them to loosen them up. They are still somewhat sticky and I don't want to end up with a hardened lump of tomato powder in a month or two.
My plan is to add some of the tomato powder to tomato sauce to create a thicker sauce for various dishes.
I linked this post up at the Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Wednesday Blog Hop.
I really like this idea and plan on trying it this summer! I usually dry a batch of tomatoes, and then never find enough ways to use them up!
ReplyDeleteHave you already started using this? I'd love to see a follow up post on how it compares in a recipe and how to reconstitute it to the consistency of paste
ReplyDeleteMelody, I have used it but my plans aren't to reconstitute it into a paste. Rather, I add it by the tablespoonful to my spaghetti sauce, kind of like you might add flour to meat juices to make a gravy.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know if you could use this product to make tomato paste outright.
Genius! Can't wait to get my food dehydrator and try that this year. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you used one of those food saver things to suck all the air out of the jar- would that help in preserving? Hmmm
ReplyDeletePatti,
DeleteI'm sure it would help! I have a foodsaver jar attachment, but never use it. In the case of this batch of tomato powder I doubt it will be around long enough for us to worry about long-term storage, though. :)
Great idea! I wonder if my dehydrator will be powerful enough (I just bought a cheap one). I dehydrated silverbeet this year, and I think I will used it in the same kind of way, just sprinkled into things that need a little flavour. I currently also freeze any excess cherry tomatoes, they seem to do ok like that, but then I have lots of freezer space :)
ReplyDeleteHow has the powdered tomato worked out? Wanted to make some myself, could also use it with other spices to make your own bbq potato chips
ReplyDeleteMommaMary,
DeleteI love it! It thickens nicely and makes a rustic style sauce. Since I didn't grind the dried tomatoes very finely there is a bit of texture to the finished product. I add it to my home-canned tomato sauce to make a thicker spaghetti sauce.
Love to try this. Don't have a dehydrator yet. If I cant find one to use I may try doing it in the oven. I dehydrated meat in the oven for dog treats for my dog who had cancer a couple years ago and I put her on all real food diet! Deer Meat was free and that way worked. Wonder if it would work for tomatoes. He doesnt have a green thumb but somehow the tiny garden he fixed is full of all tomatoes, none cherry like I wanted and some hot peppers. I want sweet peppers and have bought cucumber plants. He doesn't seem to care what I say a 'Hill" is for them.;) Hope we get luck this year! Say they are for baby and maybe he will try harder. His Dad got a new digger thingamabob so maybe he will make more space, in the middle of the yard where he put first spot! ;)
ReplyDeleteI made tomato powder this last summer. While canning tomato juice, I decided to try to dry the leftover skins and seeds and what pulp remained. When dry, I put each batch through the blender. I store it in large spice jars in the freezer to keep it from clumping or molding as we have very high summer humidity. We even like it sprinkled on salads.
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