Food drying - Dehydrators (merged)

Toxic_Lemon

organic_wanabe wrote:

Hi Toxic Lemon, can I ask where you got your dehydrator as I've been thinking of getting one? Also, let us know how you get on with it. Thanks.

This is the one I bought. I'm REALLY impressed with it. Can you spot the difference between the one I got and the other one I've linked to, apart from the price? They look identical to me!

This is the one I bought

Can you tell the difference with this one?

Angelina-M

It looks the same to me!

I am going to dehydrate some cherry toms to add flavour in sauces for pasta, pizza etc, but whats the best way to store them one dehydrated? Im going to keep them in halfs, not ground up

Toxic_Lemon

Store them in a little oil - same way as you get them from a deli!

Angelina-M

I am so looking forward to this!

Today I shall do some oven dried toms and make a ketchup. I cant wait to have a supply of scrummy toms!

Toxic_Lemon

Angelina-M wrote:

I am so looking forward to this!

Today I shall do some oven dried toms and make a ketchup. I cant wait to have a supply of scrummy toms!

I've got a fab recipe for ketchup if you'd like it. Doesn't involve sun-dried tomatoes, though.

Angelina-M

Toxic_Lemon wrote:

I've got a fab Rachel Allen recipe for ketchup if you'd like it. Doesn't involve sun-dried tomatoes, though.

Ooh i'd love that, thank you!

I've got some cherry toms in the dehydrator at the moment and I shall just put them in a little olive oil and add them whole to foods.

I've got tons of toms to use up and i'm running out of ideas!

Toxic_Lemon

Is there such a thing as too many tomatoes? I'd do what you're doing plus I'd make up tomato-based sauces (same as passata or Dolmio) and freeze, so they can be added to soups, casseroles, pizza bases....anything really. Cook with onions and add either basil or oregano.

Here's the ketchup recipe:

1 large onion chopped
650g very red tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
75ml white wine vinegar
75g golden castor sugar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
pepper

Cook in a saucepan and allow to soften - 30 mins. Blitz with stick blender or food processor and strain through a sieve. Cook again until the mixture becomes a thick pureé (about 20 mins). Will keep for 2 months in preserving jar.

Angelina-M

Thanks TL that sounds great. Ive got most of the ingredients in my store cupboard so i'll give it a go.

What im doing at the moment is oven roasting some whole toms and garlic, then i'm going to shove these through a sieve and freeze in tubs to use in stews etc.

I shall then cook some on the hob with onions, garlic and herbs and use these as pasta sauce. Storing them again in the freezer.

The cherry ones im dehydrating will be left halved and put in a bag in the fridge to pop in everything.

So thats three things going on. I've also got quite a bit of celery that I shall make a powder with some and the rest will be left whole to pop in stews etc.

The whole lot of produce cost me about £1.50 and im going to get some lovely meal bases!:T

Toxic_Lemon

That's a right little cottage industry you've got going on there! Do let me know how you get on!

Angelina-M

Well I made my pasta sauce using this recipe I nabbed off an American website

6 pounds tomatoes (plum are best), cored and quartered
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrots (optional)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
9 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons each fresh thyme, oregano, basil, parley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or less)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

It was really nice, the family enjoyed it with pasta so i'll make it again. I'm off to make your tomato sauce now but I dont have white wine vinegar so I hope its ok to use balsamic

I'll report back after the taste test!