Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Leave it to the good old fashioned sun to be so useful!  Not only does it provide light and heat, just 15 minutes a day gives you a dose of Vitamin D, and hanging your white laundry out will leave it whiter than ever.  Not to mention the glow we get from a nice summer suntan.

Fortunately for those of us who do not prefer to use free and natural things, there are amazing inventions that you can buy - dryers, light bulbs, vitamin supplements, and food dehydrators!  Their best feature: they still work when it's raining or dark outside.

Inspired by Lisa Goodling, I thought I'd try to make sun-dried tomatoes with my multi-functional food dehydrator.  Lisa uses the common household appliance called an oven, saving space and I am guessing time as well.  She suggests slicing Roma tomatoes in half, placing them on a pan and popping them in the oven at a very low heat all day.  Be sure to check on them every once in awhile to see if they are done.

While using a food dehydrator does not save space or time, I would be willing to bet it saves energy, as it heats at a much lower temperature in a smaller contained space.

I sliced whatever tomatoes I could find from my garden (they sure did not do well this year!), placed them on the trays and in just under 24 hours, they were done!  I am considering experimenting with spicing them beforehand - garlic maybe?  Some basil?  Should I sneak in some jalepeño?