Yes I have many bags of dehydrated Sungolds. It was a lot of work. I will get back to you next year if it was worth it. :)

You'll find any number of discussions about drying tomatoes over on the Harvest Forum (the food preservation forum here). Pull up all the 'brokenbar' discussions on the various methods and varieties that work best. Plus NCHFP provides several different sets of instructions on 'how-to'.

Dave

I dried a ton of cherry tomatoes last year (various varieties). They were great in spaghetti-like sauces, but I found they were too sickly sweet when added to things like noodles and cheese sauce! Most disappointing!

Linda

I oven dried/roasted cherry tomatoes last year and they were amazing when eaten with toast and cream cheese or a thick yogurt spread we call labneh. They are also delicious on pizza and pasta but they definitely have a taste that doesn't fit every type of palette or recipe. Again, I did some this year, but I don't know how much I feel like investing in time or energy!

Thanks a bunch ye'all for commenting.

My first small trial batch turned out pretty good.

What I like about drying are 2 things:

== keeps more flavor in, since it is not cooked/boiled. My machine's temp was about 145F near exit. So I think it should retain more of the fresh tomato flavor.

== It has the smallest finished weight and volume compared to all other preserving methods (freezing, saucing, and canning whole).

About PRESTO Dehydrator:

It has two simple short coming:

1- lack of on/off switch. You have to plug and unplug.

2- It has no temperature setting option, ie, it works at a factory set temperature of approx. is at the lowest point.160F. This seems to be more targeted at making things like jerky rather than drying fruits and vegetables. Too bad.

I would've preferred 135F.

Sey

I have a dehydrator but haven't used it for a couple of years. Prefer oven drying my tomatoes. They are delicious both used months later or right out of the oven.

I am so desperate that tonight, I chopped a ton of tomatoes, threw in some herbs and garlic, and will see what happens. At worst, I suppose I'll have a sauce. But I'm hoping they reduce so much that I can pack them in jars, cover them with olive oil, and call it a day.

I always plant too many tomato plants. I just love them so much.

<I chopped a ton of tomatoes, threw in some herbs and garlic, and will see what happens. At worst, I suppose I'll have a sauce. But I'm hoping they reduce so much that I can pack them in jars, cover them with olive oil, and call it a day.>

Are you talking about dehydrating them this way? All those things have different drying times and I can't see how they would result in a sauce or will "reduce".

Or are you talking about roasting them? That mixture could then be stored in the fridge for a short period or frozen but it couldn't be canned as is. But packing them in olive oil? Wow! Very risky.

Dave

Talking about roasting them, and refrigerating in OO, to be consumed quickly, as in a salad or over rice and beans, etc. Not canning. Yes, that WOULD be risky.

By the way...they came out great. Cooked way down. Perfect for spreading on crusty Italian bread.

Yeah, roasting is another way for refrigerated short term use.What the oil does it to seal and block the air/bacteria reaching the tomato. With that and refrigeration , i think it should be safe . As long as you cook and keep at the boiling temperature at the time use time , to further assure safety.

I also canned couple of quarts (BWB method). That is for long term, winter use.

When my maters on the counter get ripe and the next harvest , I will dehydrate some major batches (4 trays full per batch). Depending on how thick/thin you slice them takes about 5 to 8 hours.

I have also quite a bit of hot peppers (medium to super hots) that I will dehydrate. I have no other vegetables or fruits of my own to dehydrate, unless I find something on sale at the stores

Any tips and/or tricks ???

Sey

I love homemade dehydrated fruit/vegetables especially tomatoes, apples, persimmons, and pineapples. Usually I prepare the trays at night, let it do its work in the covered patio overnight (cheaper electricity), and next morning I collect them. Five trays can make into 1 sandwich bag, and off it goes to the refrigerator, freezer or plain shelf. I think low seed tomato gives the best result, so I don't use cherry. To use them I cut with scissors first then put in many cooked dishes. Very very good! Oh, here is what I have, the first one died after 6 years.

Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_yuu8vb2E0EDFH

Sey

The 2 Nesco dehydrators that I have purchased at Walmart over the years have a temperature setting that goes from about 100-155 degrees. Jerky gets the highest setting and stuff like herbs get the lowest. Tomatoes I use about 125 degrees. I guess Wally World might have switched to selling the Presto brand.

I have a Nesco. It was $60. Far from a fully loaded high end thing, but it works great and has adjustable temperatures. No on-off switch. I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond. http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-American-FD-61WHC-Snackmaster-Dehydrator/dp/B0002WSQHU/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1441893289&sr=1-6&keywords=nesco+food+dehydrator

Thanks guys about Nesco.

I think I will return my Presto to Walmart , tomorrow and order a Nesco instead..

The literature on specs is also very terse.Only in one obscure place on the box says : 120 V , 600W. NO UL approval anywhere either. They have tried to cut so much corners : No shut off switch, NO thermostatic setting, NO specs sheet. AND 165F pre set temp is TOO high for fruits and vegetable. Maybe it it fine for making Jerky.

Sey

the fast way to speed up the process is to use a vacuum pump to take off the moisture. this is what the commercial people do. the water will evaporate very easy and quickly under vacuum. thus the quality of the original stays high and is not "cooked" although the vacuum is used under high temperature.

the problem with cooking tomatoes in a pot to reduce it is that the tomato sauce gets a "cooked" taste because of the long time the tomatoes are under very high temperatures. You will also see the sauce take on a brown color from the cooking.

I returned the PRESTO.

I am going to get a Nesco (like Peter's) .

Vacuum drying sounds good but you have to use a VACCUM pump. I have thought of building one for some time now. But it will cost a lot more. in just materials cost.

Sey

Sey - I have a very simple dehydrator similar to your Presto that works fine for my limited usage. I use it for both tomatoes & peppers. I have done tomatoes right after cutting them, and I've also marinated them in wine first. Both were good. Be that as it may, most of my tomatoes go into sauce along with peppers & herbs. It then goes into quart containers in the freezer.

John A

I have a 300.00 Excalibur and it is great.however it is a lot of work to finely slice things.the full nine trays reduce so much.I have a bushel of pears that needs to be dehydrated today.it concentrates the flavors.it takes a long time I don't use any temps over 135.also make yogurt in it. Accidentally made cheese last night when the tray bumped the temp dial from 110 to 135.oops very disappointed about my two quarts of Greek and bulgarian yogurt.

I also have an Excalibur dehydrator. Last year I made a ton of cherry tomatoes. This year, I filled it up with eggplant and zucchini (the latter was an attempt to make zuke chips, but I didn't dry them out enough. At least they are incredibly tasty).

I splurged and bought a mandolin slicer, and made a lot of sweet potato chips last year which were excellent!

Linda

I have been looking to buy a mandolin as well.I just feel like I'm accumulating more and more kitchen tools and since I'm preserving more food, space is a commodity.lol