Southwestern Dried Tomatoes

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  We received no compensation for this post; however, the link for our dehydrator is an Amazon Affiliate link.  

We had a good bit of leftover tomatoes from last weekend's Scenic City Eggfest.  We didn't want them to go bad so we broke out the handy-dandy dehydrator and created a batch of Southwestern Dried Tomatoes.

The possibilities for using these have my mind spinning.

• Turbocharge your rice - Chop some of these up and throw them in with rice when you add the liquid.
• Add color and pop to seasonings - Grind these up into a powder to add to your seasonings for a boost of red and a depth of flavor.
• Reconstitute them by steeping them in hot water and toss with oil, black olives, cilantro, fire roasted corn, roasted poblanos, sliced grilled chicken and hot pasta.
• Spectacular stone ground grits - Chop and mix in with your slow-cooked grits, add some Chihuahua cheese at the end for killer New Mexican Cheese Grits.

The process is simple and easy.  Not quick, but it's just 8-12 hours of ignoring it so still simple and easy.  

Southwestern Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds medium-sized tomatoes
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup Albukirky Seasoning's Green Chile Rub
• 4 teaspoons fine salt

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain tomatoes.
2. Cut tomatoes in half, top to bottom, and remove the core from each half.
3. Slice each half into 6 to 8 slices, about 1/4-inch or less each. 
4. Place in a bowl with oil, 1 ounce of the seasoning, salt and toss to thoroughly coat.
5. Place them one layer deep in your dehydrator and sprinkle with the remaining ounce of Albukirky Seasoning's Green Chile Rub.
6. Dehydrate at 135°f for 8 hours.  Check and remove any that are fully dried.  They will be shrunken, slightly tough but pliable like rubber.  If they are still soft, squeezable, or sticky, they aren't ready yet.  Let 'em ride.
7. Keep checking on them until done.  They should be finished by 12 hours.
8. Store them in a zip top bag for 2 months or so.  For longer than that, you can vacuum seal them in small batches.

We use an inexpensive Nesco dehydrator.  We bought it several years ago and use it more than most households but it has held up.  I really didn't think it would last this long and if it died tomorrow (knock on wood), I would have gotten my money's worth out of it.

Some variations.

• Fire roast them at 350°f on a kamado grill for an hour before dehydrating to add a sultry smokiness.
• Toss the tomatoes in Italian dressing and Italian seasoning instead.