Sun Dried Tomatoes

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

AlexM

Oh Sheldon...where are you when we need you? :-)

Alexm said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

AlexM

I've had excellent luck drying tomatoes in a food dehydrator. I can
think of few tools worse for the task than a microwave oven. You might
can use a conventional oven though.

Bob

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Paul

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Paul

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

AlexM

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Paul

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

AlexM

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Paul

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

You can make a food dehydrator with a cooling tray used in baking, a
cardboard box and a 60 watt light bulb. You can also do it in the oven if
you have a pilot light style oven,

Paul

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

AlexM

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?

I am --- and all my neighbours with whom I would love to share. I froze a
batch whole even though I will probably never use. Sun dried in the oven I
can do. Then what? e.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

AlexM

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?

I am --- and all my neighbours with whom I would love to share. I froze a
batch whole even though I will probably never use. Sun dried in the oven
I can do. Then what? e.

Salsa.

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
using a microwave oven?

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Paul

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

AlexM

I saw a TV food show this morning that was showing sun-dried tomatoes in an
oven for a few hours. She had taken all the innards (sp?) out. I didn't
catch the temperature.
Dee Dee

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>
> The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
> reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
> time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
> complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
> away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
> sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
> tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
> insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
> the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
> dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.
>
> AlexM
>

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?

I am --- and all my neighbours with whom I would love to share. I froze
a batch whole even though I will probably never use. Sun dried in the
oven I can do. Then what? e.

Salsa.

I've made salsa many times........how will this last through winter? e.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

>>
>> The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
>> reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
>> time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
>> complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
>> away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
>> sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
>> tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
>> insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
>> the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
>> dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.
>>
>> AlexM
>>
>
> Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
> tomatoes at the moment?

I am --- and all my neighbours with whom I would love to share. I froze
a batch whole even though I will probably never use. Sun dried in the
oven I can do. Then what? e.

Salsa.

I've made salsa many times........how will this last through winter? e.

Depends on whether you heat-process it or not. Can you do that? Canning
jars - that whole routine.

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
> using a microwave oven?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it to
death. They call them dried for a reason.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Paul

Quoted message said:

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

Quoted message said:

AlexM

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

At the moment I have one tomato which I can experiment with.

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Quoted message said:

> >> > Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried
> >> > tomatoes
> > using a microwave oven?

Quoted message said:

> Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it
> to
> death. They call them dried for a reason.

Quoted message said:

> Paul

snip

Quoted message said:

At the moment I have one tomato which I can experiment with.

Yeah! And I mean that in the nicest of ways.............. e.

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>
wrote:
> "Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

>news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

> > Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
> > using a microwave oven?

Quoted message said:

> Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it
> to
> death. They call them dried for a reason.

Quoted message said:

> Paul

Quoted message said:

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

Quoted message said:

AlexM

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

At the moment I have one tomato which I can experiment with.

OK. I see this is going to be difficult. No wonder dentists charge so much.

Now, today, at this moment, you have one tomato. Are you asking how to dry
it because you're curious, or because you will soon have a lot of tomatoes
to deal with?

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>
> wrote:
>> "Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> > Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried tomatoes
>> > using a microwave oven?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam it
>> to
>> death. They call them dried for a reason.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> Paul

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
> reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
> time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
> complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
> away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
> sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
> tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
> insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
> the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
> dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> AlexM

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in extra
tomatoes at the moment?- Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

- Show quoted text -

Quoted message said:

At the moment I have one tomato which I can experiment with.

OK. I see this is going to be difficult. No wonder dentists charge so much.

Now, today, at this moment, you have one tomato. Are you asking how to dry
it because you're curious, or because you will soon have a lot of tomatoes
to deal with?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My question is independent of the number of tomatoes on hand here. I
merely want to know if (rather expensive) sun dried tomatoes can be
prepared at home in a simple and fairly quick manner anytime one
wishes..

AlexM

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 11, 4:43 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> "Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

>news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

> > On Sep 11, 3:16 pm, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>
> > wrote:
> >> "Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

> >>news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

> >> > Has anyone here had any luck trying to produce "sun" dried
> >> > tomatoes
> >> > using a microwave oven?

Quoted message said:

> >> Try using the sun. Works great. All a microwave will do is steam
> >> it
> >> to
> >> death. They call them dried for a reason.

Quoted message said:

> >> Paul

Quoted message said:

> > The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
> > reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
> > time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
> > complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
> > away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
> > sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
> > tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to
> > keep
> > insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
> > the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really
> > sun
> > dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

Quoted message said:

> > AlexM

Quoted message said:

> Whatever. A microwave oven will not do the job. Are you buried in
> extra
> tomatoes at the moment?- Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

> - Show quoted text -

Quoted message said:

At the moment I have one tomato which I can experiment with.

OK. I see this is going to be difficult. No wonder dentists charge so
much.

Now, today, at this moment, you have one tomato. Are you asking how to
dry
it because you're curious, or because you will soon have a lot of
tomatoes
to deal with?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My question is independent of the number of tomatoes on hand here. I
merely want to know if (rather expensive) sun dried tomatoes can be
prepared at home in a simple and fairly quick manner anytime one
wishes..

AlexM

My answer would be "no", unless your time is worth nothing and you get
electricity for free.

Alexm said:

My question is independent of the number of tomatoes on hand here. I
merely want to know if (rather expensive) sun dried tomatoes can be
prepared at home in a simple and fairly quick manner anytime one
wishes..

The answer is yes, but only if you have a food dehydrator.

Bob

zxcvbob said:

Alexm said:

My question is independent of the number of tomatoes on hand here. I
merely want to know if (rather expensive) sun dried tomatoes can be
prepared at home in a simple and fairly quick manner anytime one
wishes..

The answer is yes, but only if you have a food dehydrator.

Bob

O.K., thanks for the tip.

AlexM

"Alexm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The sun does not seem to be an easy option for various reasons. One
reason is that (unless you are in Death Valley) it will take a long
time - I guess much more than one day. Another reason is the
complications which arise by trying to keep flies and other insects
away from the product - which probably means glass plates or plastic
sheets to shield the tomatoes. And then there is humidity. If the
tomatoes are in an enclosure transparent to the sun but sealed to keep
insects out it seems one would need fans, air filters, etc. Perhaps
the indoor oven idea might work well but then they are not really sun
dried. I wonder if the commercial ones are really sun dried.

You can sun dry things by using frames and screen, such as window screen.
You stack the frames one atop another. In this way not only does it keep
the layers from touching, but the screen keeps the bugs out. Of course this
will only work if you live in a hot, dry area. And you must flip the food
frequently to get it to dry evenly.

Another method is to use a needle and thread and string them up. Of course
bugs could get to them, but I presume one could easily make a long bag of
net to put over/around them.