Here’s a flavor-packed recipe for homemade oven-dried tomatoes in olive oil — perfect for pasta, salads, sandwiches, or antipasto boards. 🍅✨
🍅 Homemade Oven-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
🛒 Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs ripe Roma or cherry tomatoes
- 1–2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, enhances sweetness)
- 1–2 tsp dried oregano or thyme (optional)
- 2–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil (enough to fully cover tomatoes)
- Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil, black pepper
👩🍳 Step 1: Oven-Dry the Tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 225°F (105°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice:
- Roma tomatoes → lengthwise halves
- Cherry tomatoes → halve
- Arrange cut-side up on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt, sugar (if using), and herbs.
⏳ Bake
- Bake 2½–4 hours, depending on size.
- Tomatoes should look shriveled, slightly leathery, but still pliable (not crispy).
- Let cool completely.
🫙 Step 2: Pack in Olive Oil
- Sterilize a clean glass jar (wash with hot water and dry completely).
- Layer dried tomatoes into jar.
- Add garlic slices and optional herbs/spices between layers.
- Pour olive oil over tomatoes until completely submerged.
- Gently tap jar to release air bubbles.
❄️ Storage
- Store in the refrigerator.
- Use within 2–3 weeks.
- Always keep tomatoes fully submerged in oil.
⚠️ Important: Because garlic and oil can create a low-oxygen environment, refrigeration is essential to reduce risk of bacterial growth.
🍴 Ways to Use Them
- Toss into pasta with Parmesan
- Blend into pesto or spreads
- Add to scrambled eggs or omelets
- Top homemade pizza
- Mix into salads or grain bowls
- Serve with crusty bread and cheese
💡 Pro Tips
- For deeper flavor, add a splash of balsamic vinegar before sealing.
- Use the flavored olive oil for dressings or marinades.
- If tomatoes become firm in the fridge (olive oil solidifies), let jar sit at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
If you’d like, I can also give you a quick 90-minute “semi-dried” version or a sun-dried traditional method.
