# Dehydrated tomatoes, put away in oil?



## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

I have 5-8 pounds of dried tomatoes here from this summers bumper crop (first greenhouse meant I couldn't help but overplant).

I've dried slices until crispy as most instructions suggest.

24 hours ago I stuffed a jar full of slices, poured olive oil over them then left them on top of dehydrator where it's warm.
The tomatoes are still crunchy.

Does it take awhile to soften them, or did I do something wrong?

Thanks for any tips!


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

............gaining instant notification...


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## Canning Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

I'm sure it would take a little while for them to soften. BUT just to make sure, you aren't truly canning these, right? I assume you are going to keep them in the refrigerator. My understanding is that canning them in oil would not be safe.


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

No not canning, just hoping to soften them in a jar.
I've bought sundried tomatoes in oil before and they were very soft. I'm wondering if maybe they should be dehydrated less before adding oil. Time will tell!


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## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

They need to be re-hydrated first, then placed in the oil.


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

Ok that makes sense, thank you!


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Interesting post........would you worry about a partially re hydrated tomato in an anaerobic environment at room temperature--creating toxins, like garlic would do? Garlic will create botulism if stored at room temperature in oil. I have no idea about the tomatoes and would like to hear more about this.

I store my dry tomatoes in freezer bags in the the freezer (just for good measure). l am going to grind them in the food processor this year (so they pack smaller) because I almost always use them for sauce and just add water. This saves me the step in cooking, where I put a handful of dehydrated tomatoes in the blender with a few cups of water and create the sauce.


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

See, botulism never occurred to me. I imagined garlic would be immune to botulism for some reason as well. 
Not sure what to do then, maybe make sauce as needed as above is safest.


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## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

You are right about the botulism factor. I keep mine dehydrated and stored in an airtight jar. When I want to put them in oil, I rehydrate and put in oil to use that day. If I want to keep for a few day they get placed in the fridge.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Botulism spores live in the soil, so things that grow in the ground are more likely to have the spores on them. Any vegetable could have botulism spores on it through.


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## Catalpa (Dec 18, 2011)

I've never tried to keep my dehydrated tomatoes in oil, or even to use oil to soften them up... what would you use them for, when they're in oil?

I put mine in a ziploc bag with a paper towel, and let them sit for a week or two to condition them and then store them packed tight in a extra-large mason jar. When I transfer them over I weed out any that didn't dry properly or seem a little off. I have some upwards of three years old and they're still good.


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

Catalpa, I have bought sundried tomatoes packaged in oil and had them on pizza, was amazing!


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

fireweed farm said:


> Catalpa, I have bought sundried tomatoes packaged in oil and had them on pizza, was amazing!


Yes, this........that concentrated tomato-ee flavor is so very good.When you smell dehydrated tomatoes, dried at peak season, it is like summer tomatoes all over again. In the mid of winter, that is fantastic.

The botulism problem.....what to do? They would need to be rehydrated a little, and some acid, like vinegar, or lemon juice, or citric acid in order to acidify them before putting them in oil. Maybe a little salt too.

I don't have an approved university extension recipe for you for any long term storage. There may be recipes out there, even from a university extension service--I just haven't found them. If you find anything, please clue me in on it.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

#1 rule: just because it's done commercially, doesn't mean you can do it at home.


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## standles (Apr 12, 2013)

I am running a similiar experiment right now.

Dehydrated Tomatoes till Crispy.
Dipped each in vinegar
Packed jar and topped with Oil.

Letting sit 6 months then evaluate.

Steven


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

standles said:


> Letting sit 6 months then evaluate.
> 
> Steven


Steven, who will you be testing this on?
(I'm stifling a laugh here.)

Botulism is tasteless and colorless, how will you identify it?
Seriously, I'm asking, since I am a little bit smart and I couldn't identify it.


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## standles (Apr 12, 2013)

Lets just say I have access to these....

botulinum-toxin-detection-kit


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

standles said:


> Lets just say I have access to these....
> 
> botulinum-toxin-detection-kit


More power to you! $375 for a kit like that is quite an investment.


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## standles (Apr 12, 2013)

Didn't say i bought it just I had access to it..


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## The_rpp (Oct 19, 2013)

Here is a great article on how to dry and store tomatoes in olive oil. It discusses the current informaiton regarding botulism risk. Still it has a really yummy looking recipe.

http://www.anoregoncottage.com/drying-tomatoes-and-storing-in-oil/


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