You Don't Actually Need The Sun To Make Your Own Sun-Dried Tomatoes

No one knows exactly how sun-dried tomatoes came into existence. We do know, however, that people in southern Italy have been drying Roma, San Marzano, and other tomato varieties in the sun, as advertised, since ancient times. When hit with a slow steady dose of heat and salt, tomatoes transform from juicy and acidic to chewy and compellingly sweet. You'll often find them stored in olive oil with various dried herbs and spices, which lends even more flavor and makes them last year-round (until they're opened, that is).

If you don't live in a hot climate and/or you find yourself craving sun-dried tomatoes in the dead of winter, the great news is that you don't actually need the sun to make them. There are a couple of ways to achieve the infinitely snackable treat at home. The first is a dehydrator, and the second is the oven. In the name of convenience, however, you might want to opt for the latter.

When making "sun-dried" tomatoes in the oven, keep two words in mind: low and slow. After all, even the highest Sicilian rooftop hasn't reached higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You can speed up the process a bit by setting your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but these babies take time. You'll want to give them between five and eight hours, depending on your preferred texture. Roma tomatoes are a popular choice for home cooks, but you can choose whichever kind suits your fancy—grape and cherry tomatoes, for instance, are totally fair game, though they'll shrink up more. 

Slice your tomatoes in half lengthwise, place them on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle them with salt, and let them sit for a few minutes while your oven preheats. If you're after puckered edges and super-dry texture, start doing taste tests after the seven-hour mark. If you prefer a hint of juiciness, check on them after five hours. Either way, don't forget to rotate the trays so each tomato gets plenty of faux-sun love. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge and eat them within the week, or submerge them in olive oil for your bunker (or a cute gift). 

Sun-dried tomatoes are great on their own, but their concentrated flavor does wonders for all sorts of savory dishes. Alison Roman uses them in her "Secret-Ingredient" Pasta Salad (hint: the secret ingredient is sun-dried tomatoes) for their sweetness. "They don't dominate, but they do make themselves known — exactly how I like my secret ingredients to behave," writes Roman. Suffice it to say, sun-dried tomatoes will do well in just about any pasta dish, be it hot or cold. 

They're also fantastic on pizza (either as the star or in a supporting role alongside non-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil), blitzed up in a pesto sauce, chopped and mixed into rice, tossed in a salad, or placed on top of avocado toast. The list goes on (drop them in your scrambled eggs, add them to your tomato sauce, hide them in your sandwich), but there's more than a little room for your own experimentation.