Name: Homemade Oven "Sun-Dried" Tomatoes Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 kg ripe tomatoes or the desired amount ((35.3 oz), preferably Roma or San Marzano); Salt; Herbs de Provence (optional); Dried thyme or oregano; 3 garlic cloves or garlic powder; Extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Jump to Recipe Save

Dried tomatoes with olive oil and herbes de Provence recipe Homemade oven-dried tomatoes are the quintessential all-rounder: they can be used in just about anything, and they’re extremely flavorful! They add a fragrant Mediterranean touch to every dish. Very simple to prepare, they take no more than 10 minutes.

This is the season for long, fleshy tomatoes, like Roma tomatoes, so you might as well make the most of it. As the price of store-bought dried tomatoes is quite high, making them yourself is not only more economical, but also tastier.

Once dehydrated, the tomatoes are packed in an airtight jar and covered with olive oil and dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, herbes de Provence and dried garlic. This keeps them soft and fragrant.

For an express aperitif, they’re perfect for making bruschetta! On slices of toasted baguette, spread with roasted garlic and a little guacamole, add 2 or 3 sun-dried tomatoes… a real treat!

dried tomato in jar

Table of Contents

Ingredients:

NB: You can print out the recipe card at the end of the article.

1 kg ripe tomatoes or as many as you like Roma or San Marzano tomatoes preferred
Salt
Herbes de Provence (optional)
Dried thyme or oregano
3 cloves garlic or garlic powder
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

oven-dried tomatoes on bruschettas

Preparation steps

Preheat your oven to 120°C.

Wash and dry the tomatoes with kitchen paper, then cut them lengthwise into quarters.

Arrange the tomato wedges on a baking tray covered with baking parchment, cut side up. Depending on the size of the tomatoes, cut them into quarters and then each quarter in half. If they contain too much juice, drain them, but this is generally not necessary with fleshy Roma tomatoes.

Sprinkle with salt, sugar, herbs and chopped or powdered garlic to taste. You can sprinkle them with just salt and sugar and add the herbs and garlic powder after drying with olive oil.

Place in the oven and leave to dry for 5 to 7 hours, checking regularly.

Note: Depending on your oven, the juice content of the tomatoes and the thickness of the pieces, drying time may vary. The tomatoes should be wrinkled but still soft to the touch. For example, cherry tomatoes cut in half will take less time to dry, so adjust the time accordingly.

When the top of the tomatoes is dry, turn them over to dry the other side.
preparation of oven-dried tomatoes

Open the oven occasionally to let off steam.

The tomatoes should be dry and juicy when squeezed between your fingers, but still supple.

Note: If you dry them too long, they will become hard and unpalatable. However, if you don’t dry them sufficiently, they won’t keep as long and may quickly go mouldy.

Before the end of the drying time, remove the tomatoes from the baking sheet and allow them to cool. Place open jars and lids in the oven for 15 minutes to sterilize.

Fill the sterilized jars with the dried tomatoes and cover to the brim with olive oil mixed with herbes de Provence, dried thyme or oregano and garlic powder (if you didn’t use enough at first).
recipe oven-dried tomatoes in virgin olive oil

Close the jars and turn them upside down to distribute the oil, then turn them right-side out.

Keep refrigerated. If you want to preserve them without oil, you need to dehydrate them further by extending the drying time.

Dried tomatoes in olive oil recipe

Using Sun-dried tomatoes

Dried tomatoes are an incredibly versatile ingredient in the kitchen. They can be used in a variety of dishes.

Salads: Add them to your salads for an burst of flavor. They go particularly well with arugula leaves, feta cheese and olives.

Pasta : Incorporate them into your favorite pasta recipes, spaghetti, lasagne etc.

Pizzas: Sprinkle a few pieces of sun-dried tomato on a margherita pizza for a gourmet touch.

Sauces and Pestos: Mix with walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil to create a rich, flavorful red pesto, perfect with pasta or grilled vegetables.

Tarts, Quiches and Cakes: Their intense taste enhances savoury tarts and quiches, offering a unique Mediterranean flavour. They add an enormous amount of flavour to savoury cakes such as feta.