How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes From a Tenerife Kitchen

The easiest way to make sun-dried tomatoes at home is not to chase a postcard version of the Mediterranean. Use good ripe tomatoes, dry them slowly, and be stricter about storage than your romantic side would like.

Dmitriy and I live in Tenerife, where tomatoes are part of the ordinary kitchen rhythm rather than a once-a-year event. Anastasia is a professional healthy chef and the founder of Greeny App, and this is the method she uses when a tomato needs to become deeper, sweeter and useful for far more than one salad.

The name sun-dried is traditional. In a real home kitchen, the oven or dehydrator is usually the cleaner, steadier choice. The sun is beautiful; a batch of tomatoes growing mould because the night turned damp is less beautiful.

This guide gives you the practical choices: oven, dehydrator or sun; the point when a tomato is truly dry; oil, fridge and freezer storage; and Anastasia’s five-minute Yum Sun-dried Tomato Dressing for vegetables, fish, meat and salads.

Short answer: halve small plum tomatoes, salt very lightly, dry them at low heat until there is no squishy or wet centre, cool them completely, then keep them dry and chilled or frozen. Treat homemade tomatoes in oil as a refrigerated, short-life food—not as pantry canning.

What are sun-dried tomatoes, really?

They are ripe tomatoes with most of their water removed. The result is smaller, chewier and far more intense: a little sweet, a little tangy, and very good at making an ordinary plate taste as though you had planned ahead.

Drying tomatoes is an old Mediterranean preservation habit, but it is not a claim that every dried tomato follows one original recipe. Around Spain and the wider Mediterranean, households adapt the cut, salt, herbs, weather and storage to what is actually on the counter.

Tenerife kitchen verdict: use sun-dried tomatoes as a concentrated ingredient, not a substitute for fresh tomato in every dish. They bring depth; fresh tomatoes bring juiciness.

Choose tomatoes that want to be dried

Plum, Roma and San Marzano-style tomatoes are the easiest because they are fleshy and carry less watery seed gel. Cherry tomatoes work too, especially when they are very sweet, but they dry more quickly and need watching.

Choose fruit that smells ripe, feels firm and has no soft or mouldy patches. Do not mix giant beefsteaks with tiny cherries in one tray unless you enjoy an unnecessary sorting project.

Best choice	Why it works	What to do
Plum or Roma tomatoes	More flesh, less water	Halve lengthways; remove only a tough core
Small cherry tomatoes	Sweet and quick	Halve across the middle and check early
Large juicy tomatoes	Still usable, just slower	Quarter, seed if very wet, and give them more space
Overripe or damaged tomatoes	Drying concentrates flaws too	Use in a sauce instead

For a first batch, start with 1 kg / 2.2 lb of ripe plum tomatoes. It becomes a modest jar, not a warehouse. That is useful: you learn your oven before committing every tomato in the kitchen.

Oven, dehydrator or sun: which method actually suits you?

All three methods can make good tomatoes. The decision is mostly about control, weather and how much heat you want in the kitchen.

Method	Good starting point	Typical time	The catch
Low oven	80°C / 175°F, or your oven’s lowest reliable setting	4–10 hours	Easy and controlled, but every oven runs differently
Dehydrator	About 60°C / 140°F; follow your model’s instructions	6–12 hours	Steady airflow and low fuss, but it takes counter space
Real sun	Hot, dry days on raised screened racks	Several days to two weeks	Weather, dust, insects and damp nights are in charge

In Tenerife, sunshine does not automatically make sun drying the sensible option. Trade winds, overnight moisture and the simple fact that flies also enjoy tomatoes are enough reason for me to use the oven or dehydrator most of the time.

If you want dependable first results, choose the oven or dehydrator. Sun drying is a lovely project when the forecast is genuinely dry and you can protect and bring the trays in each evening.

Prepare the tomatoes: cut, salt, then leave room for air

Wash the tomatoes under running water, dry them well and cut them into even halves or quarters. Remove a tough stem core, but do not scrape out every seed unless a very large tomato is watery enough to slow the whole tray.

Arrange them cut-side up on parchment or a dehydrator tray with room around each piece. A rack set over a tray gives an oven batch extra airflow, but a lined tray is fine when that is what you have.

Salt with a very light hand. Drying concentrates everything, including salt. Add dried oregano, thyme, chilli or black pepper only if you want a flavoured batch; save fresh herbs and fresh garlic for a dish you will refrigerate and eat soon.

• 1 kg / 2.2 lb ripe plum tomatoes
• 1 small pinch fine sea salt—less than you think
• Optional dried oregano, thyme, chilli flakes or black pepper
• Parchment-lined tray, rack or dehydrator trays

How to make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven

Set the oven to 80°C / 175°F, or to the lowest temperature it can hold reliably. Put the tray in the centre and let the tomatoes dry slowly rather than roast.

1. Start checking after 3½ to 4 hours. Smaller pieces can finish much earlier than the rest.
2. Turn the tomatoes once when their surface has dried and they lift easily. If your oven holds steam, leave the door very slightly ajar only if your appliance guidance permits it.
3. Remove finished pieces one by one. Do not wait for every tomato to match the slowest quarter.
4. Cool the batch completely before you judge storage. Warm tomatoes in a closed jar make their own unwanted little weather system.

A low oven is not meant to brown the tomatoes hard. If the edges are racing toward dark and brittle while the centres are wet, the oven is too hot or the pieces are too thick. Lower the heat, open the door briefly to release steam if safe for your oven, and keep going.

Common mistake: calling them done because the edges look dry. Break or press the thickest piece. If it is still soft, juicy or sticky in the middle, it needs more time.

How to dehydrate tomatoes

A dehydrator is wonderfully boring in the best way: steady low heat, airflow and no need to keep borrowing the oven back for dinner. Set it around 60°C / 140°F, unless your manufacturer gives a different tomato setting.

Place cut tomatoes in one layer, rotate trays if your machine dries unevenly, and begin checking small pieces after about six hours. A thick batch may need ten or twelve hours. Time is a clue, not a finish line.

Do not overcrowd the trays. Drying needs air, and tomatoes are much better at patience than they are at sharing a damp pile.

Can you really sun dry tomatoes?

Yes, but only with steady heat, genuinely dry air and a raised food-safe screen that lets air travel underneath. Cover the tomatoes with fine mesh to keep insects away, protect them from dust, and bring them inside every evening.

If rain, heavy humidity or a cool damp night arrives, move the batch to the oven or dehydrator instead of trusting optimism. Outdoor drying is the least controlled method, so it is not the method I would use for a first batch or for tomatoes you plan to store in oil.

A local practical note: Tenerife can feel endlessly sunny from the beach and still be damp or windy where your tray is sitting. Watch the tomatoes, not the holiday brochure.

How do you know when sun-dried tomatoes are done?

The safe useful test is not a perfect number of hours. A finished tomato is dry all the way through, with no wet pocket, juice or squishy centre. It may be pliable at the thinner edges, but it should not feel sticky or moist when squeezed.

For the most conservative long storage, keep drying until the pieces are leathery-to-crisp with no residual moisture. If you want a softer tomato for tonight’s pasta, stop earlier and treat it as a refrigerator food rather than a pantry preserve.

What you see	What it means	What to do
Soft, juicy centre	Not dry enough	Return it to the heat
Pliable but dry through	Good for short chilled use	Cool fully, then refrigerate or freeze
Leathery or crisp, no moisture	Best for dry storage or careful oil packing	Cool fully before sealing
Dark, brittle edges	Overdried or oven too hot	Still edible in soups or dressing; lower heat next time

Storage and food safety: keep the romance out of the jar

Cool fully dried tomatoes on the tray before sealing them. If you see condensation in the container later, the batch was packed too warm or still held too much moisture. Dry it again or use it promptly from the fridge; do not simply close the lid tighter.

For the most forgiving storage, keep fully dried tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Freeze them in small portions so you can take out what you need without thawing the whole batch.

Tomatoes in olive oil are delicious, but oil is not a home-canning method. Food-safety guidance is deliberately cautious because moisture can hide in the jar. We do not keep homemade tomato-in-oil jars at room temperature.

• Dry tomatoes completely before any oil goes near them.
• Use a small clean jar and keep every piece covered with oil.
• Refrigerate homemade oil-packed tomatoes; freeze for longer storage rather than betting on a pantry shelf.
• If you add fresh garlic or fresh herbs, keep the jar refrigerated and use it within four days, or freeze it.
• Discard any batch with mould, fizzing, a strange smell or a suspicious wet texture. Taste is not a safety test.

If you prefer the small flavour lift of acid before oil, use bottled lemon or lime juice rather than a casual splash of whatever is open. But the simplest home rule remains: dry thoroughly, refrigerate, and make small jars.

Anastasia’s Yum Sun-dried Tomato Dressing

This is the five-minute reason I like having a jar of tomatoes ready. It is not a miracle sauce; it is a small, loud Mediterranean dressing that makes baked vegetables, fish, meat and salads feel finished.

Makes about 180 ml / ¾ cup	Use	Notes
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves (about 45 g)	Deep tomato flavour	Or soak dry tomatoes in warm water until supple, then drain well
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil	Body	Use the jar oil if it smells fresh
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar or lemon juice	Lift	Add more only after tasting
2–4 tbsp warm water	Texture	Add gradually
1 small garlic clove, parsley or basil, black pepper	Freshness	Optional capers add a salty edge

1. Blend the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar or lemon and garlic until mostly smooth.
2. Add warm water a spoon at a time until it pours like a thick dressing.
3. Fold in herbs, taste, then add pepper before adding any more salt.
4. Spoon over roasted aubergine, courgettes, grilled fish or chicken, a grain salad, or plain tomatoes and beans.

Keep this fresh dressing chilled and use it soon—within two days is our easy rule, especially if it contains fresh garlic or herbs. It is a make-a-small-jar sauce, not a shelf-stable project.

Kitchen verdict: the dressing should taste bright first, tomatoey second and aggressively garlicky never. Give it one minute to settle before you decide it needs more anything.

How to use sun-dried tomatoes without making every meal taste the same

Their job is depth. Chop a few into a salad, blend them into the dressing above, tuck them into omelettes, stir them through warm beans, or use them with olives and herbs in a quick pasta sauce.

They are especially good with roasted vegetables, grilled fish, chicken, feta, white beans and eggs. Rehydrate dry tomatoes in warm water, stock or wine when a recipe needs softness; keep the soaking liquid for a soup or sauce if it tastes clean and good.

They also belong in a Spanish-style kitchen without pretending to be the whole story. If you want a proper island dinner around them, use a small handful alongside a fresh tomato base or make our Tenerife seafood paella on a day when a big pan and a long table sound right.

• Blend into the Yum dressing for vegetables, fish, meat and salads.
• Chop into a warm white-bean, rocket and lemon salad.
• Add to scrambled eggs or a frittata with herbs and feta.
• Stir into pasta with garlic, greens and a spoon of pasta water.
• Tuck into roast-vegetable trays near the end so they warm without burning.

Are sun-dried tomatoes healthy? A sensible answer

They are still tomatoes, just concentrated. That means a small amount gives a lot of flavour, so you can build a satisfying dressing or tray of vegetables without needing a heavy sauce.

The practical watch-out is salt and oil, especially with shop-bought jars. Taste before seasoning, and blot or rinse oil-packed tomatoes when a dish is already rich. Healthy cooking is not a moral test; it is simply easier when the ingredients are doing their real jobs.

Troubleshooting

Most problems have a boring cause, which is good news because boring causes are usually easy to fix next time.

Problem	Likely reason	What to do
Tomatoes are dark but wet	Oven too hot or pieces too thick	Lower the heat, cut more evenly and keep drying
Batch turned mouldy	Packed with moisture or stored warm	Discard it; dry the next batch further and cool before sealing
They taste too salty	Salt was heavy before drying	Use fewer in a dish and do not salt the next batch early
They are tough	Overdried	Rehydrate for sauces or blend into dressing
Oil looks cloudy	Moisture or cold oil	Keep refrigerated; if there is any spoilage doubt, discard rather than guessing

Useful conversions and a realistic yield

Drying is not exact because tomato size, ripeness and your appliance matter. The useful numbers are starting points, not a promise printed on a jar.

Metric	US	Use it for
1 kg tomatoes	2.2 lb	A first home batch
80°C	175°F	Low oven starting point
60°C	140°F	Dehydrator starting point
15 ml	1 tbsp	Dressing measurements
180 ml	¾ cup	Approximate dressing yield

Expect a kilo of fresh tomatoes to become a small amount of dried tomato. That is the point: the water leaves, the flavour stays, and suddenly one spoonful has something to say.

Sun-dried tomato questions

These are the questions that matter when the tray is still warm and you are deciding what happens next.

How long do homemade sun-dried tomatoes last?

That depends on dryness and storage. Keep fully dried tomatoes chilled or frozen for the most forgiving home approach, and check for moisture or mould before use. For oil-packed tomatoes, keep small jars refrigerated and make fresh-herb or garlic versions short-life foods.

Do sun-dried tomatoes need to be refrigerated?

For this home method, yes is the easy answer—especially for any tomatoes in oil. Cold storage is a safer, calmer choice than trying to make a homemade jar behave like a commercially processed shelf product.

How do you rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes?

Cover dry tomatoes with warm water, stock or wine until supple, usually around 20–30 minutes. Drain well before salads or dressing; add them straight to soups and sauces when they will soften as they cook.

Can I use fresh garlic in the oil jar?

Only as a refrigerated, short-life mixture. Fresh garlic and herbs add moisture, so use the jar within four days or freeze it rather than leaving it on the counter.

What can I use instead of sun-dried tomatoes?

For a sauce, cook down tomato paste with olive oil and a small splash of water. For a salad, roasted cherry tomatoes give sweetness, though they will not have the same concentrated chew.

If you make a batch, tell us where it ended up. In our kitchen, the answer is usually the dressing first, then the mysterious disappearance of the rest while somebody is standing at the fridge.