Gardening > Growing FoodSeptember 11, 2008

A year ago or so I bought a fairly simple food dehydrator with six shelves. It has sat for awhile, but this year I decided to put it to work. Work indeed; it has been going almost non-stop since the tomatoes, peppers, and grapes have began producing here in sunny CA. Now there is no such thing as too many tomatoes. And the yellow raisins I have made from our green grapes are delicious.

To make a very delicious harvest of dried tomatoes, just slice any or all of your tomatoes 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and lie them flat on your dehydrator shelves. Dry until completely dry (check them every few hours) and enjoy either plain, in salads, ground into a powder, or drenched in olive oil with basil or rosemary packed in beautiful jars. This makes a delightful gift too. The dried tomatoes have a very rich flavor, so much more enhanced somehow than regular tomatoes.

I also used my dehydrator to dry all those extra soft plums from our plum tree. The results I got were delicious and tasty prunes. Even with the seeds still inside, they are magnificent. My next plan is to use more apple slices and banana slices to dry. Am I glad my dehydrator is off the shelf and in good use daily and so is everyone else who samples the harvest.

By Karen from Davis, CA

Post Feedback

Read feedback for this post below.

• Storing Cherries
• Satisfy Sweet Cravings With Dried Fruit
• Storing Pears

• Drying Fruit and Meat Without a Dehydrator
• Dehydrator Recipes
• Storing Nectarines