drying tomatoes

[hollychap]

i have just put some of the glut of tomatoes in the dehydrator , i did a few last year and then put them in a jar with olive oil they were very tasty . does anyone else dry toms ? if so how do you go about it ,how long do they keep etc etc etc

[Alison]

I dry them to "tacky" in my dehydrator to give the sundried feel. I then soak in vinegar and store in oil as the River Cottage preserve book. The recipe says that they'll keep for 6 months (I think) but I've kept them much longer and found an old jar the other day that was fine and I'm pretty sure was from 2011. Did a batch of cherry toms yesterday so have a couple of jars already for this winter. Love a handful of them in with stir fried courgettes and a splash of balsamic vinegar, really good.

[redser]

I've been reading up on this lately but it looks like dehydrators are very very expensive. ie. hundreds. Are there reliable cheaper options for dehydrators?
Thanks

[mrswadders]

i've not tried it but have just had a look at this, has anyone got one? I've a couple of andrew james gadgets and i'm quite impressed. Didn't think it was too pricey, whadya think?

http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/35827680/680676387/Andrew-James-Food-Dehydrator-with-Temperature-Control/ListingDetails.html?_%24ja=tsid:13315%7Ccat:35827680%7Cprd:35827680&$$ja=cgid:7025685177|tsid:48121|cid:136751817|lid:54128923977|nw:g|crid:22605510297|rnd:9364219331755914601|dvc:c|adp:1o3

[rustylady]

Your link isn't a link MrsWadders. Is it this one? Andrew James Food Dehydrator With Adjustable Temperature Control - 5 Levels: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

[Alison]

I've got the Westfalia one which is very good and I'm sure it only cost about £30. Just tried to do a search and it looks like their website is down at the moment so can't do a link. It is a bit noisy but works well.

[redser]

Thanks, I just googled it and found it. Good to know they can be got for that price.
Just discovering halogen ovens now

[PyreneesPlot]

Yes. I'm lucky enough just to be able to halve them, sprinkle with a little salt and stick them outside covered with some muslin. I dry them totally and then just store them in a jar - I still have some from last year and still smelling fantastic.
I grow Prince Borghese just for drying.
They get re-hydrated in water or oil depending on the recipe and eaten just as is from the jar, too.

[mrswadders]

oops yes, what do you reckon, worth the money?

[snakeshack]

I have the westphalia dehydrator,and it works well,both for tomatoes and apples and is great value but quite noisy,I tend to vacuum pack when they are dried and the apples keep for over a year,the toms never get the chance,tried strawberries and pineberries this year and found them a little strange,suprisingly intense flavour but strange chewy texture.

[Feral007]

Interested to see all these dried things. Once it's done then it's more space and electricity thrifty than freezing.

[veggiechicken]

Has anyone dried grapes in one of these dehydrators? I have lots of small, pippy grapes - could they be used as currants?

[muddyfeet]

Your link isn't a link MrsWadders. Is it this one? Andrew James Food Dehydrator With Adjustable Temperature Control - 5 Levels: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

I've got that one and it is good so far. I haven't figured out how to make fruit leathers in it though.
I just dried quarters of tomato and didn't have to worry about how long they kept, because they were snacked on immediately! They keep for a couple of days, I know, but any longer? never got there!

[muddyfeet]

Has anyone dried grapes in one of these dehydrators? I have lots of small, pippy grapes - could they be used as currants?

I tried grapes but they were big ones and took ages. They were like a soft raisin, but not so sweet. Also very snackable

[muddyfeet]

Interested to see all these dried things. Once it's done then it's more space and electricity thrifty than freezing.

I dried half a bucket full of runner beans and they went into a quart bag comfortably.
I rehydrated some to see what they were like and they weren't very nice by themselves, they wouldn't replace frozen ones, but they would work in stews and soups.