Semi-dried Tomatoes

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Delicious, sweet, caramelised, homemade semi-dried tomatoes either as they are, or flavoured with fresh herbs, provide a massive flavour punch and can be used in many and varied ways. Try them tossed in salads or through pasta, blend into hummus or add an extra dimension by blitzing into basil pesto. Scatter onto bruschetta, add to a savoury bread dough or savoury muffins, use in dressings and marinades, blend into soups or scatter, finely chopped, as a garnish. The options are endless.

Whilst I also use shop bought, making your own are, as ever, more delicious and you can control how ‘dried’ you want them to be. I tend not to over ‘dry’ them. My homemade contain more moisture than the shop bought ones so they won’t keep as long, but there again, they don’t last long either and normally get gobbled up very quickly! The flavour is gloriously concentrated yet still fresh and sweet. Once made, they are best stored in the fridge, in a jam jar covered with olive oil and sealed with a lid.

How to make Semi-dried Tomatoes

Collect all your ingredients together:

• tomatoes
• olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• fresh herbs – e.g. basil, rosemary, oregano (optional)

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I chopped the larger tomatoes into 6 wedges and I like to remove the little bit of stem from inside the tomato. (Not sure what it is called!) Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and lay on the baking tray , skin side down. Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary.

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These baby plum tomatoes are halved (no need to remove the stem bit), tossed in oil, scattered on a baking tray skin side down and topped with part of a basil leaf.

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Likewise these cherry tomatoes are halved, tossed in olive oil, seasoning and placed skin side down on a baking tray. I did not add any herbs.

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And below after they have been cooked. The cherry tomatoes were cooked for 2 hours, the baby plum tomatoes were a bit bigger and cooked for 2 hours and 15 minutes and the larger tomatoes were cooked for 2 1/2 hours.

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Leave to cool on the tray and then transfer, along with any oil left on the tray, to sterilised jam jars. Cover with olive oil, seal with a lid and store in the fridge. All done! Covered in oil, they should last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. If you prefer not to cover them with oil and they are stored in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last around 3 days.

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