# Dried Tomatoes



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

I am not going to have enough tomatoes to can.....so I am going to dehydrate.

I am going to pack them in olive oil w/ a clove of garlic and some salt.

How long will they keep?


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## tlrnnp67 (Nov 5, 2006)

Laura, 

Only a few days and then only in the refrigerator. It's not a safe way to prepare tomatoes. Dehydration won't destroy the Clostridium spores. The oil makes a perfect anaerobic breeding ground for botulism.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Sounds like it should work doesn't it? A couple of years ago I wanted to do that they don't last long. I ended up dehydrating them and softened them up when I wanted to use them by placing in oil and seasonings. That way they lasted dried and were ready for use.


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## pmondo (Oct 6, 2007)

unopened they will last 6-9 months


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

tlrnnp67 said:


> Laura,
> 
> Only a few days and then only in the refrigerator. *It's not a safe way to prepare tomatoes. Dehydration won't destroy the Clostridium spores.* The oil makes a perfect anaerobic breeding ground for botulism.


Ball Canning book says it's OK to dehydrate tomatoes. Dry at 145 degrees until crisp. 

I dry tomatoes, when I want to use them in a sauce I just toss some in and let it simmer. I'm sure if you wanted to use them in oil, after drying just toss some in with your garlic and use within a few days.


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## Solar Geek (Mar 14, 2014)

Laura, there have been many recent warnings about "sundried tomatoes" in oil kept in the fridge.

BUT! You can do that - dehyrate till tender but NOT crisp, cover with oil and FREEZE THEM. I do this and they are wonderful in the dead of winter. I package them in individual sandwich baggies as a container is too much for DH and I to eat in the 4 days after I defrost them. To keep them well, I put the little bags into 1 bigger freezer safe Ziploc.

You can dump them, oil and all, into chilis, sauces, on top of pizzas or bruschetta; you name it. 

But you must freeze them. The person above who said they keep for months is dead wrong re botulism.

I also grind them up (the soft but dehydrated) with Parmesan and basil to make small amounts of tomato pesto. Beloved as Christmas gifts. These I put into small plastic containers and freeze.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I finally got mine dehydrated (Excaliber 9 tray) and they all fit into one quart jar! They look so pretty I might leave them on a shelf in the kitchen LOL, It is about 12 tomatoes


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

I dry mine until they are brittle, not leathery. I store them in old gallon canning jars (the kind you're not supposed to use for canning any more) and keep them in the pantry, away from heat and light. They would last for years if we didn't keep eating them.

I grind them into powder and use instead of tomato paste, or toss them whole or broken into bits into whatever I'm cooking. I rehydrate them a bit and make dried tomato pesto.

The dried tomatoes in oil are factory processed so they last; we can't achieve safe results at home due to botulism, as has already been mentioned. Make a small jar as you need it, and keep it for only a week in the refrigerator.


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