OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

They're like sun-dried tomatoes, but better! Super slow roasted; these oven-dried tomatoes are irresistibly delicious!

INGREDIENTS

Tomatoes (we love using the early Early Girl variety)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Heat oven to 250°F.  Slice the tomatoes in half, along the "equator". Place them cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and a light drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 3-6 hours (depending on the size of the tomatoes, or until the tomatoes are dried out, keeping an eye on the tomatoes so that they don’t burn. Remove from the oven.

To store, transfer the oven-dried tomatoes to a jar and fill with olive oil until the tomatoes are completely submerged. Transfer to the refrigerator. Make sure they stay completely covered with a layer of olive oil on top to protect from oxygen. How long they last depends on how dry they are - both moisture and oxygen exposure leads to spoilage, ~1 to 8 weeks. Or freeze by spreading the dried tomatoes out in an even layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet or plate.  Then transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until the tomatoes are frozen.  Remove and transfer the tomatoes to a freezer-safe bag (we love using Stasher silicone storage bags), squeeze out any extra air, then freeze for up to 6 months.