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To: Gabz

I have the same issues w/freezer and crops!!

I simply cut the tomatoes in 4ths or 8ths, depending on size, slit the skin side just a bit for the length of the piece, layer them in the dehydrator and let them go. I can get 5-6 tomatoes per tray and I have 5 trays. Mine is the cheaper version that doesn’t rotate on its own, so when I think about it, I give the trays a quarter turn. I also will turn the pieces over every once in a while and take the driest ones and place them in a higher position while placing the ones that need more drying on the bottom, when I think about it. After about 24+ hours, they will be dried, but still moist and since I am afraid they will mold, I then put them in the oven on a foil lined tray at 170 for several hours. I usually recharge any of the silica gel pacs I have saved over the years from medications and vitamins, etc at the same time....just put them in the 170 degree oven for 2 hours in a small bowl and then, after the tomatoes are dried hard and cooled, I bag them w/the gel pacs.

I have made some tomato powder, but the tomatoes have to be very, very dry and the food processor blade needs to be really sharp. I have decided to just dry them hard for now and when the weather is arid this winter, I will use a small dedicated processor to grind them to powder. Then, all I will have to do is add the tomato powder to whatever I am cooking or to water (up to 50%/50%) to either take the flavor up a notch or make tomato sauce. I am growing basil in an indoor hydroponic unit right now and I think I will add that to some dried tomatoes and cover with olive oil later, when the harvest lets up somewhat.

I did a quick and dirty sauce yesterday: I just processed the entire tomato, skin, seeds and all, and then left it to simmer all day...maybe abour 6-7 hrs. That took a gallon down to 5 cups and I will have to reduce it further when I use it.
Takes up too much freezer room right now, too. I have some huge tomatoes that are still green and I expect I will have to wrap some of those and store them in a cooler for a week or so just before frost...it has been a great tomato year, here, even on my North-facing farm way down in a valley. I had 17 plants, plus about 20 volunteer cherry tomato plants from seeds the birds *planted* for me from last year and I have been drying and we have been eating them for about a month, already. My 59-day plants had ripe fruit at 55 days....a first here, where I am usually 2 weeks behind the ridge farmers.

Now, I have to figure out if we are just going to eat the sweet corn til it turns to starch or if I will try and freeze some. I haven’t decided. I have to get another chest freezer by deer season and I just do not have the room right now for frozen corn. Maybe next year.


202 posted on 08/16/2007 12:14:55 PM PDT by reformedliberal
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To: reformedliberal

Thanks for the info on the drying of the maters.....

I need to scoot for a couple hours, but will further reply to you when I get home later.


204 posted on 08/16/2007 1:04:28 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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