Hi Lois - are you talking about actually sun drying or will you be using a dehydrator as most do?

Actual sun drying is uncommon now days and difficult to keep the process clean. And it may be impossible to do with standard size tomatoes. It is difficult to do with even paste types as bacterial contamination and damage sets in quickly.

Small pieces, of course, are much easier to do than tomato halves or even quarters. For example, cherry types cut in half will be done in a dehydrator with in 8-10 hours while romas will take 2-4 days, depending on the dehydrator.

But once dried, then yes they can be used to either replace or to supplement the tomatoes called for in the recipe.

As for the easiest way to preserve them to use for cooking? That would be freezing. Tomatoes can be frozen whole, halved, crushed, chopped, etc. and then used for cooking with all sorts of dishes.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Thanks, Dave.

You're right, drying in the sun is not a good option. I have a dehydrator that I was hoping to use.

Will using dehydrated tomatoes change the taste of the chili at all?

I have some cherokee purple , carbon, zogola and earls faux getting ripe now. None of them are typical sauce or chili tomatoes, from what I understand, because they are too watery. I am hoping that partly dehydrating them will help make them firmer wiyhout changing the taste too much.

Will using dehydrated tomatoes change the taste of the chili at all?

Not IME. Tastes better than using canned tomatoes. But it can change the texture a bit depending on how long it is cooked. They are 'chewy' so need enough cooking time.

I am hoping that partly dehydrating them will help make them firmer wiyhout changing the taste too much.

That can work well. Any of the regular sized tomatoes can be cut into chunks and half or 3/4 dried and then frozen until use. Many do that. But you do have freeze any that are only part dried or they will mold quickly. Only fully dried, leathery ones can be fridge stored.

When ready to use you just pull how ever many you want out of the freezer bag and toss them into whatever you are cooking. You can also thaw and dice them for salads and such.

Dave

About half of the tomatoes in our winter chilis come from dried tomatoes. I will often use one pint of tomato sauce, then let a couple of handfuls of dried tomatoes carry the rest.

Juicy heirloom tomatoes do take a long time to dry, though. I put the dehydrator outside so the heat and noise is less bothersome. Tomatoes don't want to come off the dehydrator trays until they are leathery.

Thanks for the encouragement! I am starting my first batch tonight. Should I remove seeds, pulp and skin? I have a feeling I can leave the skin on because I wont be drying to the leather stage and the skins will come off the half dried slices after they defrost, right?

The skins should stay on, because it helps the tomatoes keep some structure through the drying process. The blanching you would need to do to remove the skins would soften some of the flesh, making drying take a little longer.

One of the things I like about drying tomatoes is the easy prep -- thorough washing, clean work surface, and it's slice and go.

Agree. Never heard of removing seeds, pulp and skins when dehydrating tomatoes. You'd have nothing left to dehydrate. :)

Cherry and roma/paste types get washed and cut in half and laid cut side up to dry. Larger varieties can be quartered or thick sliced or chunked. Uniform size gives you uniform drying.

Dave

Thank you so much everyone for answering my newbie questions. I have been half-drying tomatoes in the dehydrator and it is working well. Its a great way to deal with those huge tomatoes that look like 2 or 3 grew into each other.

Because i am only partly drying them before freezing them, and I am doing small batches, i can put them in the dehydrator overnight and they are done in the morning.

The green shoulders of the cherokee purple dry to a very dark green which looks a little unappetizing but hubby said he doesn't care and will use them in chili regardless.