What are Tomato Drying Methods?

Latin name Solanum Iycopersicum Tomato is a vegetable belonging to the nightshade family. Tomato, whose homeland is Central and South America, also has the feature of being the most produced vegetable in the world. As it is used in almost all kinds of dishes, it is also consumed too much as a side dish or raw.

Lycopene, which gives tomato its red color, also has a very strong antioxidant feature. It contains plenty of vitamins C, A, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, beta carotene, alpha tomatine, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus in its structure. In addition, the chromium substance in its content regulates blood sugar.

Benefits

It is known to have a reducing effect on the risk of prostate cancer, especially due to the alpha tomatine component in its content. In addition, lycopene has antioxidant properties in cardiovascular diseases, and vitamins C and E also strengthen cardiovascular health.

In addition, it has been observed that tomato has a beneficial effect on strengthening hair, joint and rheumatic pains, balancing high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Tomato Drying Methods

Before drying the tomato There are some things to consider when purchasing. It is necessary to pay attention to the color of the tomato is dark red. It is also possible to dry tomatoes in orange or yellow colors. The peel should be hard and not wrinkled. If the skin is thin, not too juicy, and the fleshy part is too much, you will get a more effective result when you dry the tomatoes. One of the most preferred methods is to buy tomatoes organically in the summer and dry them by exposing them to sunlight immediately. However, if you wish, you can also take your tomatoes and dry them in the oven in autumn.

Drying Tomatoes in the Sun

After washing and drying the tomato thoroughly, you can cut the tomato into quarters or slices into three equal pieces, if you wish, together with the peel.

Salt the tomatoes to cover them with rock salt or regular salt, but not too much. If possible, arrange your tomatoes on a grid-shaped surface in such a way that they do not touch each other and place them in an open air location that will be exposed to direct sunlight. If you are going to dry it on the balcony or in the garden, you can cover it with an umbrella-shaped tulle protector that you can find in the market. In this way, you will keep it away from harmful insects and bacteria. With this method, your tomatoes will be dried in 1-3 days.

Drying Tomatoes in Solar Cooker

You can dry your tomatoes in a very short time in solar cookers, which are widely used in Anatolia. If you place your tomatoes on a thin tray, which you prepared with the same processes, a trivet and the tray on the stove facing south, in the early morning, you will see that your tomatoes are seriously drying in the evening. It is possible to collect the dried ones and collect the remaining ones in the evening of the next day.

Drying Tomatoes in the Oven

After slicing the tomatoes, removing the seeds, place them on the greaseproof paper you placed on the baking tray.

Leave it like this in the oven for at least 5 to 8 hours. Be sure to check it from time to time. You can tell when your tomatoes are dry by checking with your hand. If it is not wet and moist, your tomato is dry. You can store dried tomatoes in a glass jar or cloth bags. Apart from that, after drying your tomato, you can put it in a glass jar and store it with olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, a sprig of fresh thyme, and use it in your salads and meals.