The Best Slow Roasted Semi Dried Tomatoes

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Guys…these tomatoes are unbelievable. Slow roasted tomatoes straight out of the oven are one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. The roasting brings out the sweetness and dries them out a bit. It’s almost like a sun dried tomato, but not as dried….we can call it a semi-dried tomato. I like using the big slicing tomatoes (like beefsteak) for some big delicious tomato slices. You’ve got to try these!

We love slow roasting our garden fresh tomatoes (which are way sweeter than store bought) and then we freeze the excess. If you don’t have garden fresh tomatoes, just use store bought. This method of cooking the tomatoes will turn your bland store bought tomatoes into sweet bursts of tomato flavor worthy of eating. They take a while in the oven, but it’s all passive cooking time. I REALLY think you should make these today!

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

This recipe is so easy and passive. Turn on the oven, stick the sliced tomatoes in, and in a few hours you’ll have the sweetest roasted tomatoes ever. It’s so easy.

Semi-Dried TOmatoes (in the Oven)

Basically what we’re doing is half-way drying the tomatoes in the oven. It doesn’t take quite as long, and doesn’t require you to have a dehydrator. Plus, I think the texture and flavor of the finished product is awesome.

FAQ

What tomatoes should I use?

I love using the big beefsteak tomatoes for this recipe so I can put one slice on a burger, or chop them smaller if needed. However, you could use cherry tomatoes or Romas. Use what you have.

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP SEMI DRIED TOMATOES IN THE FRIDGE?

Use what you want the day you make them (it’s hard to stop eating these sweet little pieces of heaven). Store any remaining tomatoes in the fridge or freezer.

For fridge storage, keep in mind that these tomatoes still have moisture inside them so if you just put them in a container in the fridge, they will get moldy after a few days. If you want to keep them in the fridge for longer you’ll need to fully submerge them in olive oil (add some herbs if you’d like).

Another option is freezing them. I’ve successfully frozen containers of these slow roasted tomatoes for months. Just set them out the day before you want to use them (or the morning of) and add them to your dinner at night.

What is the difference between sun dried and semi dried tomatoes?

Sun dried tomatoes are completely dried. There’s no water left in them. Semi dried tomatoes are…well…almost dried, but not quite. They’re dried enough to make them super sweet, but they still have a tomato shape (not totally curled up) and you can use the slices on sandwiches or burgers if you use the big beefsteak tomatoes.

Can you sun dry your own tomatoes in the oven?

Yes! It’s very similar to this process, except you’ll do it for even longer until there’s no moisture left in the tomato.

How to Make Slow Roasted (semi dried) Tomatoes

Step 1: Slice the tomatoes

Try to slice the tomatoes into equal sizes so they cook in a similar time.

Step 2: Lay the tomato slices on a baking sheet

Next, lay the tomato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt over the top of them. Notice in the picture below there are different sized slices. If this happens to you, that’s okay! You might just need to remove the smaller ones before the big slices are done.

Step 3: Bake in 250 (F) oven

Bake them in your 250 (F) oven for a few hours. The exact time will depend on the size of the tomato slices. You’ll need to cook them for 2-3 hours if using big slicing tomatoes and sliced 1 about 1/4″ thick (longer if you have really big slices).

Step 3: Remove from oven and enjoy!

Start peeking at them at the 2 hour mark and see if any of the small pieces are ready to come out. I like to cook them until the skins are shriveled and most of the moisture is gone. If some slices are done early, just remove them and set them aside until the rest are done.

The beauty of cooking them on a low temperature is you don’t have to worry about them getting burnt in the minute it takes you to wash a couple dishes. Start checking them at the 2 hour mark, and every 20 or 30 minutes check again to see if any more are ready to come out.

INgredients

• Tomatoes – buy organic if you can find them and afford them (or just grow your own). Garden fresh tomatoes are going to be your sweetest bet. But even with store bought tomatoes, you’ll get a sweet result from this recipe.
• Olive oil or Avocado oil for drizzling
• Salt and Pepper

Tools Needed

No fancy tools are needed for this recipe, which makes it even better!

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

How to use them

You can use these semi-dried slow roasted tomatoes in a bunch of ways…

• On your sandwich or burger
• Chop them up and sprinkle them on your summer salad
• Use them as a pizza topping
• Blend some up and use instead of tomato paste in this pizza sauce recipe.
• Use it on bruchetta

Now I’m hungry….time to cook!

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