Reward yourself with your own artisan smokey sun dried tomatoes.
This post is all about sun dried tomatoes. How to sun dry, smoke, and preserve the tomatoes.
As spring approach, I will start to rummage through my seed box to find the types of plants I want to grow that year.
Tomato is a must, and I embarrassingly have a lot of them. I grow them in planters and in the garden as well. I use both seeds, fresh and dry, as tomatoes are easy to grow and doesn’t take much effort for them to flourish.
If you’re already in the habits of growing your own tomatoes in the spring, you know tomatoes grow in abundance. Sometimes we scratch our head as to what’s another tomato recipe we can try. Normally, all my tomatoes goes into spaghetti sauce and salsa.
But now, I got a new recipe for you to try if you have heaps of tomatoes.
I love growing heirloom tomatoes and sometimes they are sometimes crawling all over my garden. This recipe is perfect if you have heirloom variety you love.
And if you don't have a garden, and your only access to tomatoes are the super store kind. This recipe also works well with your everyday Roma tomatoes as well!
Why You Need This
This is the best sun dried tomatoes recipe! It definitely is not your normal recipe because we are adding another level of Unami by smoking them.
After that they usually end up on my neighbour’s door step as gifts. And if you’re not a gardener at all, its okay, you can still buy tomatoes and make this recipe. Though I would recommend you to buy some special heirloom tomatoes for this special ocassion. Smoked sun dried tomato makes a fantastic sauce especially with sausages and olives. It has a light hint of smokey flavour and subtle notes of sweet and savour taste. I also love the texture of the sun dried tomatoes once preserved in olive oil and garlic.
Enter your text Smoked sun dried tomato makes a fantastic sauce especially with sausages and olives....
Propagating Tomato Seeds Indoor
By the end of winter, I usually start to grow the seeds indoor. Its a great way to get a head start of the season. I use potting soil to start my seed, and I grow the seeds in small containers. I leave them by the south facing window, so the sun helps to sprout the seed faster.
Once they poke out and have 3-5 leaves, it’s usually time to replant them into a bigger area.
For me, I have a small area of my garden where I designate all my compose, and it makes excellent soil! Once I settle on the permanent homes for the plants, I add a good layer of compose soil into the hole with some baking soda. Baking soda tends to help tomato have a sweet taste.
Sun Drying the Tomatoes
You will know when your tomatoes are ready for picking. They are red in colour (or whatever colour they come in), and plump. I pick them and wash them with a little bit of soapy water.
I try to slice them as thin as possible so it is easier to dry. I place them on a rack, and I let them sit in the sun. Depending on where you live, find a place where it gets the most sun. If you have birds or other animals you know will try to steal your tomatoes,
I would recommend you to add another drying rack on top to avoid animals picking at it. Give the tomato slices a few turns every few hours so it dries on both sides. I find two days of full hot sun will completely dry the slices. Once dry, we can start the smoker.
Sun dried tomatoes in dehydrator
Yes, you can dry your tomatoes in a dehydrator! Just give the tomatoes a good rinse and again, thinly slice the tomatoes. The thicker you cut them, the longer it will take to dry.
Turn on the dehydrator and put it in the try. Set it to 150F for 10 hours maximum. You will know it is done when it has a leathery texture.
Smoking Tomatoes
Okay, confession time.
I do not have a professional smoker or any devices to smoke anything. I just have a small portable charcoal grill and it does the work for me. It’s not as easy and efficient as a smoker which is designed to smoke things, but it works.
If you have a smoking device or a grill that allows you to smoke food, just follow through their own instructions. Just skip the following instructions below and I will meet back up with you at the section below that says ‘How to preserve sun dried tomatoes .’
How to smoke on a portable grill
Equipments you need:
- wood for smoking
- small portable charcoal grill
Fire Set Up
First, I set up the fire and get the wood smoking. Using a small bbq coal grill, I get the wood hot and ready to go. I am using a small portable grill. I bought mine at Mexico Walmart and the closest one to the one I have is the Cusiniart 14.5" Portable Charcoal Grill.
Wood Type
Choose the type of wood you know will great lots of smoke. I found mine at the side of the road, and I’m not sure what type of wood it is, but some recommendations I can give you are: oak, hickory, pecan, cherry, maple, etc.
Any wood that is consider hard wood will work. Soft wood like pine, spruce, and cedar are not ideal for smoking. You can also add other flavours like adding the peel of an orange or grapefruit. In Chinese smoking technique, we tend to add dried grapefruit and rice to the fire.
Air Flow
When it comes to smoking, most people pay most attention to the equipment and the type of wood is used, and air flow is ever something to think about, but has a huge impact. Air flow helps control the temperature of the smoke. Because the mini charcoal grill has no thermometer, everything is by experience.
Always test and see what works for you. When you find the method that works for you. You can smoke cheese, salt, homemade sausages, and vegetables to be preserved in oil or smoke spices. Once you get the smoke going, its more than just closing the lid and leaving it.
If you have the small grill, there’s small exposure to air flow, therefore, I recommend you to open the vents, and fan air into those vents at the bottom of the grill. Also occasionally, open the lid and fan some air into the wood as well to create more smoke.
Sea Salt
I love placing natural sea salt at the bottom of the pan and placing the sun dried tomatoes at the top. Why? Tomatoes are naturally not salty. When you’re smoking the tomatoes, the sea salt naturally gives off the salt to the tomatoes and it makes it just so much more special.
You also get a batch of smoked sea salt to sprinkle on anything. It is literally the best duo combined, and its deadly.
How to preserve sun dried tomatoes
Once you sun-dried and smoke your tomatoes, its time to preserve it.
To store the sun dried tomatoes, use a 236ml glass jar, we will be using it as a vessel to preserve the tomatoes. You don't necessarily need to go out and buy an empty jar. Sometimes after I finish a bottle of small jam or hot sauce, I wash it and keep it. Please make sure the jar is glass.
At the bottom of the jar add 2 mashed up garlic cloves. Now fill the jar up with your dried tomatoes. Use your thumb or spoon and try to jam pack them in. Add some sea salt at the top, and fill the jar up with olive oil.
Sun dried tomatoes uses
There's many ways of using sun dried tomatoes. My favourite is making a pasta with olives, shrimp, and olive oil. You can also dice it up finely and put it into a salad. Sun dried tomatoes flavour is intense, so be wary about how much you add into your food.
Chicken with sun dried tomatoes is also a favourite for my kids.
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Equipment
- smoker / smoker device / small portable charcoal grill
- hard wood like
Ingredients
- 1 pound organic heirloom tomatoes
Smoking
- 2 TBSP natural sea salt no table salt, find the good salt
Preserving
- 1 cup virgin olive oil
- 1 TSP smoked sea salt
- 2 clove garlic smashed
Instructions
- hauled and wash the tomatoes. I use some soapy water and give it a good rinse. Dry them.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the tomatoes in thin slices. Discard the seeds and place them on a cooling rack. If you have some seeds stuck to the tomatoes, its okay too. Give it more texture and visibly it is more aesthetically more pleasing. Place a baking sheet under to catch the juices or extra seeds that may fall. Give them enough space where they are not touching each other.
- Place them on a table or a place that is off the floor that has the most sun in your house and away from insects that may get to it. If you think bird or other animals may get to it, place another cooling rack on top to avoid animals contaminating it. Flip and check on them every couple hours. Depending on where you are, it may take 1 -2 days for the tomatoes to fully dry.
Smoking with a small portable charcoal grill
- Assemble the grill in an area not close to anything flammable, and have all your essential items ready: wood pieces, tongs, fire starter, fan, and fire extinguisher (if possible).
- Start your fire as you normally would. I like to build the wood from small pieces of wood first and then larger pieces. The small piece will catch fire easier, and I sometimes add extra plain card board (with no tape or prints on it), or egg cartons made from paper. Then I add the liquid fire starter or oil. keep the heat and fire going and slowly build larger pieces of wood on top until you get a stead heat and fire.
- Once the fire slows down and the wood is exerting heat without large flames, similar to how charcoal is ready for bbq, you're ready to begin smoking. Using a non reactive bowl, place the sea salt onto the pan and spread it out evenly.
- Place the sun dried tomatoes on top. Add some extra smoking wood chips to the fire and close the lid.
- This is where the trial and error part comes in. Open the vents on the grill and occasionally use the fan and fan some air into the grill. Also have the vent open at the top of the grill. Air circulation is important here and this is the fine line between success and failure. If there's not enough air in the small grill, it will kill the fire. If there's too much air it will cause the temperature to rise and burn the salt and tomatoes. How I test is if I can place my hand near the pan and not need to jerk my hand away from the heat, its too hot. And if I can see lots of smoke and still have my hand near the pan at a comfortable heat, you're good.
- Smoke with the lid on for 1-2 hours. Remember to check on it every 20 minutes to see if you need to feed the smoke or add/minus heat.
- Once ready, you'll see the sea salt is a mixture of black and brown colour. The tomatoes will be also slightly brown, and when you smell it, you'll smell some smokey flavour on it.
- Let it cool, and immediately jar it in a clean mason jar, or whatever vessel you choose.
- Add the smashed garlic and 1 TSB smoked sea salt on top. Pack the tomatoes in, and fill to the top with olive oil. You may or may not need the full 1 cup of olive oil depending on the size of the jar you choose. make sure the tomatoes are all under the olive oil and no tomato is poking outside the surface of the olive oil.
- Preserve the smoked sun dried tomatoes in a dark place and out of sunlight for 1 month. The more time you give it, more flavours will be extracted and enhanced from the tomatoes.
- For the extra salt, put it in a jar and use it for other food as salt garnish.
Smoking with device
- Follow through the device instructions on how to activate smoke.
- Using a non reactive pan, place sea salt at the bottom and spread evenly. Add the sun dried tomatoes on top, and release the smoke into the compartment. Close the lid and trap the smoke inside.
- Smoke the sea salt and tomatoes for 1-2 hours. If you want more smoke flavour just add more time.
