How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

Learn How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes in the oven with just 6 ingredients.  These sun dried tomatoes (also called oven dried tomatoes) are tossed with olive oil and spices then slow roasted in the oven. Add them to soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, scrambled eggs, quiche, chicken dishes, pesto, salad dressings and more. You’re going to love how easy this Sun-Dried Tomatoes recipe is to make!

If you’ve never made homemade sun dried tomatoes in the oven before, you are in for a treat! Not only are they nutritious and delicious, but there are so many ways to use them.

Slow roasting tomatoes brings out the natural sweetness in them. These homemade sun dried tomatoes taste much better than store-bought and they’re less expensive.

What are Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated tomatoes. They’ve either been placed in the sun, a dehydrator or they can be slow roasted in the oven to achieve this sun-dried dehydrated state. Sun dried tomatoes are chewy with a slightly sweet and concentrated tomato flavor. 

Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipe

• Roma tomatoes – I like to use Plum tomatoes for this recipe.  They maintain their shape and have an addictive flavor after roasting in the oven.
• Extra-virgin olive oil – We toss the tomatoes in a little extra-virgin olive oil to boost the flavor.
• Balsamic vinegar – Use a good Modena balsamic vinegar for this recipe. It will add so much flavor to these dried tomatoes. 
• Seasoning  – We use dried thyme and a little salt and pepper for our seasoning. You can swap out the thyme and use an Italian blend of seasoning if you prefer. 

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

How Do You Make Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oven?

This sun dried tomatoes recipe is an easy one to make. The prep time is a breeze and there’s hardly any clean up at all.

• Pre-heat oven. Heat your oven to 200 degrees.
• Prepare tomatoes. Rinse the tomatoes under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the stem end of the tomatoes and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape away the seeds using a spoon or even your forefinger.
• Whisk marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Place the tomato halves in the bowl and toss with the marinade making sure that all tomato pieces have been lightly coated. Set aside for 5-10 minutes while you pre-heat the oven. 
• Slow roast. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer cut side up on a baking sheet and slow roast on the middle rack for 3 hours, or until all moisture has evaporated and the tomato pieces are shriveled.  
• Storage. After the dried tomatoes have cooled, place them in an air-tight container, mason jar or sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

How Do You Make Sun Dried Tomatoes Using a Dehydrator?

If you’re using a dehydrator, just follow the directions provided below, but increase the amount of time in the dehydrator to 6 hours rather than the 3 hours in the oven.

How Do You Dehydrate Tomatoes In The Sun?

This is the classic way to make sun-dried tomatoes. If you want to use this method, just prepare the tomatoes per the directions but omit the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and place on a wire cooling rack, then loosely drape a cheesecloth over the tomatoes. Don’t let the cheesecloth touch the tomatoes though. Set the tomatoes outside in the sun all day and then bring them in at night. This method of dehydrating tomatoes in the sun can take anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks, depending on the weather conditions.

What Are The Best Tomatoes For Sun Dried Tomatoes?

You can use whatever tomatoes you like, but for this sun dried tomatoes recipe, I find that Roma tomatoes, with their slightly sweet and savory flavor, make the best sun dried tomatoes.  They hold their shape and have a great chewy texture after roasting in the oven.

How Do You Choose the Best Roma Tomatoes?

Look for plump, heavy tomatoes with smooth skins free of bruises, blemishes or cracks. Their leaves should look fresh and green. Fully ripe tomatoes are softer and will give a little to the touch. You only want to buy fully ripe tomatoes if you’re planning on using them right away.

How Many Roma Tomatoes in a Pound?

If you’re making a recipe that calls for 1 pound of Roma (or plum) tomatoes, you’ll need about 4 large Roma tomatoes or 8 small per pound. This recipe calls for 5 pounds of Roma tomatoes, so you’ll need about 20 large Plum tomatoes.

How Do You Store Sun Dried Tomatoes?

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in an air-tight glass container and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 1 week. You can also pour just enough extra-virgin olive oil over the tomatoes to cover them and they will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

How To Rehydrate Sun Dried Tomatoes

To rehydrate sun dried tomatoes, add them to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them rest in the water for about 30 minutes, then remove from the water and pat dry with paper towels.

Serving Suggestions

• Sandwiches and wraps – Layer in slices of tomato the next time you make a grilled cheese sandwich. Or add them to your avocado toast in the mornings. You can also add them to chicken salad for sandwiches.
• Salad Dressings – Add finely chopped sun dried tomatoes to vinaigrettes like this Greek Salad Dressing, Italian Salad Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette or this Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette.
• Pasta Dishes – Stir them into your favorite pasta dishes for a pop of tomato flavor.
• Chicken Dishes – These add incredible flavor to chicken dishes.
• Breakfast – Add them to this Vegan Breakfast Skillet, Simple Spinach Leek Onion Frittata, Tomato Basil Scrambled Eggs, and this Breakfast Salad
• Soups, stews, skillets – Chop the dried tomatoes and toss into soups, stews, skillets, casseroles and one-pot meals like this Italian Lentil Soup, Easy Minestrone, One Pan Italian Chicken and Hearty Lentil Stew, 
• Sandwich spread – Blend sun-dried tomatoes with mayonnaise to make a delicious sandwich spread. Or blend the tomatoes with olive oil, fresh basil and parmesan cheese to make a quick pesto or sandwich spread. Or chop and toss with olive oil, fresh basil and minced garlic and serve with warm crusty bread.
• Pizza – These are great to add as a pizza topping.
• Salads – Toss into leafy green, quinoa, lentil, bean and pasta salads like this Avocado Tomato Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, Romaine Salad, Lentil Salad, Italian Tuna Pasta Salad, Basil Pesto Chicken Salad, Everyday Mediterranean Salad, Best Quinoa Salad, Mediterranean Cauliflower Cauliflower Salad, Celery Salad, Chef Salad, Everyday Tossed Salad, House Salad, Spinach Quinoa Salad, and Mediterranean Lentil Salad.
• Snack – I am completely addicted to these sun dried tomatoes and will snack on them straight from the fridge.

More Cooking Resources

• How to Make Tzatziki
• How to Make Pita Chips
• How to Freeze Tomatoes
• How to Cut a Pomegranate
• How Much Juice in One Lemon
• How to Store Tomatoes
• How to Make Quinoa
• How to Poach Chicken
• How to Make Basil Pesto
• How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies
• How to Cook Lentils

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Print

Yield: 40 pieces

How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Learn How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes in the oven with just 6 ingredients.  These sun dried tomatoes (also called oven dried tomatoes) are tossed with olive oil and spices then slow roasted in the oven. Add them to soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, scrambled eggs, quiche, chicken dishes, pesto, salad dressings and more. You're going to love how easy this Sun-Dried Tomatoes recipe is to make!

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Roma or plum tomatoes (about 20 large Roma or Plum tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
2. Rinse the tomatoes under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the stem end of the tomatoes and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape away the seeds using a spoon or even your forefinger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Place the tomato halves in the bowl and toss with the marinade making sure that all tomato pieces have been lightly coated. Set aside for 5-10 minutes while you pre-heat the oven. 
4. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer cut side up on a baking sheet and slow roast on the middle rack in the oven for 3 hours, or until all moisture has evaporated and the tomato pieces are shriveled but still rosy.

Notes

If You're Using a Dehydrator

If you're using a dehydrator, just follow the directions provided below, but increase the amount of time in the dehydrator to 6 hours rather than the 3 hours in the oven.

How to Dehydrate them in the Sun 

This is the classic way to make sun-dried tomatoes. If you want to use this method, just prepare the tomatoes per the directions but omit the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and place on a wire cooling rack, then loosely drape a cheesecloth over the tomatoes. Don't let the cheesecloth touch the tomatoes though. Set the tomatoes outside in the sun all day and then bring them in at night. This method of dehydrating tomatoes in the sun can take anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks, depending on the weather conditions.

How to Store Sun-Dried Tomatoes

After the dried tomatoes have cooled, place them in an air-tight container, mason jar or sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week. You can also pour enough olive oil over the tomatoes just to cover them and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

40

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 23Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.