Sun Dried Tomatoes

This summer, I have had a huge crop of cherry tomatoes (and other small varieties). My son planted seeds given to him from a garden show in San Francisco. These were the result. Standard cherry, pale yellows that were very tasty, and small oblong heirloom looking ones.
I decided I wanted to take advantage of the HOT sun, and dry them. But first I had to make a drying system.
This is where my neighbors came in. An old man was selling odd sized pallets for $2, and other neighbors were redoing all their windows - so I asked for their old screens.

First, I tore apart the plallet and built a frame. I also made sure the screen would fit.  The second frame was made to rest inside the first. I simply laid the first frame down and built the second by laying the pieces inside. I used small nails, but I found that after a few drying sessions, I had to replace the nails with screws with washers and nuts.

Screen was tacked on with a staple gun to the tops of both frames. This created a space for the tomatoes to sit.
How To Dry Tomatoes:
1. Cut tomatoes 1 1/2 inch thick, or in my case cut small tomatoes in half
2. Lay on screen without touching one another, air circulation is key!!
3. Place screens in a sunny location that will not get any moisture.
4. Within a few days, tomatoes should no longer be "tacky". They will be easy to move around the screen and slightly crunchy if you pop them in your mouth (yum).
5. Store in an airtight container and freeze, or pack in sterile jar with olive oil. Use within a year.

I chose to freeze my tomatoes. So far, they are the best snack loaded with flavor. They are also great when added to soups in the winter.

Dry Happy!