When tomatoes are in season, it’s the perfect time to include them in just about every dish (fresh tomato salsa or Caprese skewers, anyone?). If you have a lot of these little red gems on-hand, you’ll want to know how to make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven. It’s a great way to make them last longer and add flavor to so many dishes. But don’t be intimidated — making this homemade sun-dried tomatoes recipe is surprisingly simple!
What Are Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are tomatoes with their excess moisture removed, which brings out their naturally sweet, tangy flavor.
3 Ways To Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for sun-drying tomatoes, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Tomatoes – I used Campari tomatoes, but roma, grape, or cherry tomatoes are great to use. San Marzano tomatoes are also excellent, because they don’t have a lot of pulp or seeds. Small to medium tomatoes have less water and seeds, meaning they dry out faster and hold their shape better after drying, so I don’t recommend using ones larger than roma tomatoes.Sea Salt – Helps get extra moisture out of the tomatoes, and adds flavor.Olive Oil – You can use this for serving or storing, but it’s optional. If you do use it, get a high quality extra virgin olive oil.Italian Seasoning – Optional, but adds extra flavor! Use store-bought or make homemade Italian seasoning. You can also just pick individual dried herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, or basil.
How To Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes In The Oven
This section shows how to sun dry tomatoes using the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes Nutrition
Are sun-dried tomatoes healthy? Yes! They have essentially the same nutrients as fresh tomatoes, making them good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, potassium, lycopene, and dietary fiber [*]. This recipe is pretty straightforward, but make it even better with these tips.
Go light on the salt. Tomatoes will shrink, so you only need a light sprinkle of salt. Add spices, if desired. Dried spices work best for homemade sun-dried tomatoes. You can either add them at the end of sprinkle them in the beginning and bake with them. Use parchment, not foil. Foil will react with the acid in the tomatoes and change their flavor. Press down on tomatoes halfway through to remove juices. Use a spatula to press on the tomatoes after about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. This will help them dry out faster. Just be careful – they can squirt at you! Prop the oven door open and leave tomatoes inside to dry out more. If tomatoes aren’t dry enough but would start to lose their shape if you bake them longer, turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door propped open (use a wooden spoon). This will encourage air flow and they will dry even more. Make sun-dried tomatoes in a dehydrator, if you have one. Sun-dried tomatoes in the oven are awesome, but if you have a dehydrator, it’s a more hands-off option – and saves you turning on the oven during the summer.
That being said, if you are following a low carb diet, be careful with the sugar and carbs in sun-dried tomatoes. Like all dried fruit, they are fairly calorie- and carb-dense, though less so than other dried fruit. They are easy to overeat if you have them plain, but are excellent for flavoring dishes and using in recipes. Carbs and calories in sun-dried tomatoes can vary depending on how dried out they are, and how they are stored (plain or in oil). On average, 1 cup of these tomatoes has 139 calories and 23.5g net carbs [*]. That may sound like a lot, but it’s more typical to use 1/4 to 1/2 of that amount in an entire recipe. This homemade sun-dried tomato recipe has fewer calories and carbohydrates by volume than store-bought versions, because they turn out a little more plump when they are homemade — which is a good thing for both taste and nutrition.
How Long Do Sun-Dried Tomatoes Last?
How long sun-dried tomatoes last depends partly on how you store them. There are several options…
Pantry.
Keep homemade oven sun-dried tomatoes in an airtight container in the pantry (without oil) for 2-3 days. Because there is still likely moisture in them, longer than that is not recommended.
Refrigerate.
Keep homemade oven sun-dried tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week without oil, or up to 3 weeks with oil.
Freeze.
Freeze the oven dried tomatoes right on the baking sheet. Once they are solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and keep in the freezer for 3-6 months. If they are too rigid after thawing, you can reconstitute them in water or oil. The oil will keep the tomatoes plump and they’ll last longer, too. To preserve them this way, place them in a jar, submerge completely in oil, and cover with a lid. You can also throw in some Italian seasoning, minced garlic, or even roasted garlic if you like. However, they still won’t last as long as commercial sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, since the jar isn’t sealed.
How To Use Oven Dried Tomatoes
Now that you know how to make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven, how do you use them? There are many ways! Here are some ideas for sun-dried tomato recipes you can make:
Sauces For Chicken Or Fish – Enhance creamy sauces in sun-dried tomato chicken, creamy tuscan salmon, or creamy tuscan garlic chicken.Omelettes – Add them to a perfect omelette with veggies like spinach, or sprinkle on top of egg muffins and oven baked eggs.Salads – Add them as-is to dishes like chopped Mediterranean salad, or swap for fresh tomatoes in zucchini noodle salad, antipasto salad, and marinated artichoke salad.Soups – They make a mouthwatering addition to creamy chicken Florentine soup, Italian sausage kale soup, or vegetable soup.Sandwiches – Layer your favorite cold cuts with homemade pesto, sliced cheese, dried tomatoes, and lettuce, all between slices of bread (I use keto bread for mine). You can also make wraps in a similar fashion.Pasta Dishes – You can stir them into regular pasta, but I typically make healthier zucchini noodles, baked spaghetti squash, or even keto pasta.Pizza – Top your favorite crust (I make mine using fathead dough) with the dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and goat cheese or mozzarella. Finish with fresh herbs, such as basil.
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it! Entire recipe makes about 3/4 cup. The exact amount will vary depending on how much you dry them and how watery they were to begin with. See blog post above for instructions for drying in the sun or a dehydrator.
