I'm slicing the tomatoes so the skin is only around the edges.

I have found that if wetter items are sticking badly when done, it helps if you flip everything over about an hour or two into the drying. So as soon as the top of the tomato is a little dry to the touch, flip them over, and then continue the drying, that is what works for me. The top (now the bottom) forms a bit of a skin this way that doesn't seem to stick.

Some people do mist the trays with "pam" or something like that. I find only the lightest of sprays is acceptable, as it can make the product feel a little oily when done. I prefer not to oil the trays, although I wouldn't rule it out if I needed too.

Slcing thin? You realize that once dried they would shrink A LOT in thickness as well as diameter. I would expect that if sliced thin and dried, you could probably see daylight through them like a piece of paper. Usually dried tomatoes are types with low water content and sliced into halves is only needed. This way, you can also remove some seeds and liquid if necessary.

Yeah, slices would stick badly. Try drying in quarters, not slices. It works MUCH better. ;)

Dave

OK, I'll try quartering the tomatoes next time and putting the skin side toward the tray. I've been slicing them about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thickness and the slices dry very well but they end up paper thin and often stick to the trays. With the current batch (still drying) I used some spray oil on a couple trays and that seems be helping, but I'd rather not use the oil if I can avoid it.

My mom finely chopped sweet green peppers for the dehyrator. They shrunk so much they fell through the slots of the trays. Unless the toms are big, a half would work fine. Anything more and its just added to the prep time. No oil, not a good thing, as it can easily go rancid, spoiling the whole batch.

You can use non-stick sheets coated with teflon. There are generic ones or the Excalibur brand.

Here is a link that might be useful: dehydrator sheets

Some tomato varieties are more suitable to drying, best to stay away from the large watery types. I have always either halved (for large cherries) or quartered (roma style). This year I will be experimenting with some marinades and smoking them too.

I slice mine thin too and I just flip them a couple of times during the drying process. I like being able to crumble them and slicing them thin does that.

A half- or quatered-tomato would never fit between the trays of my dryer. I dry ”slicers” since the taste is so amazing compared to romas or cherries. I slice them 1/2” thick, and though they shrink a lot, there is plenty of ”body” left for handling them. Flipping them early in the process (may take more than once) helps a lot, but does add more effort to the drying. I start on parchment for 4-5 hours, but go direct to the tray after the first flip. Again, amazingly brilliant flavor. I’ve used my Waring DF 415-8, every year, for 45 years, proving one doesn’t need anything special to make excellent, dried food.

PS: my wife also suggested fruit-leather sheets.