What is the process for this?  Can sun-dried tomatoes be achieved in a home dehydrator?  What type of tomato is best used for this finished product? I appreciate any help Dianna

'Sun-dried' tomatoes are easiest in a home dehydrator.  I find that all tomatoes work.  Slice large ones, halve small ones.  A dehydrator with a fan is essential.  The type with only a puny heating element just produce the perfect environment for mold.  True sundrying is hardly ever done - even those you buy.  This requires a very dry environment, with no night-time dew.  And the flies, rodents, dogs, bit's of milkweed fluff, etc. are a problem.  Many commercial sun dried tomatoes are often salted, but you don't have to.  Many are also preserved in oil, but this is also an optional and perhaps dangerous method (botulism) that I wouldn't recommend for long term storage. You can eat them out of hand - delicious. You can rehydrate them in water or soak in olive oil for a day or two and then chop and put on salads, pizza (dried chopped ones can also be used), soups (either at the beginning or at the end of cooking - again dried can be used straight).   A pesto can be made with them, just rehydrate them, put in a mortar or food chopper, add some garlic, olive oil, salt, and nuts (pine, walnuts, almonds etc.)  and process.  The measurements are approximately Tomatoes=4 Oil=1 Nuts = 1, salt and garlic to taste. Use on pasta or as a sandwich topping etc.  Mix with softened butter and   use as a spread  for bread, meat accompaniment, or cooked vegetable topping, Sauces can be made with them too.  Make a cream sauce and add chopped rehydrated tomatoes at the last minute.  Pasta = put some olive oil in a hot pan add chopped garlic, a little salt, perhaps some hot pepper flakes, then rehydrated tomatoes, add pasta and toss.  Add parmessan just before serving Ummm. .....

What is the process for this?  Can sun-dried tomatoes be achieved in a home dehydrator?  What type of tomato is best used for this finished product? I appreciate any help Dianna A food dehydrator works great. It is best to use a roma or paste type tomato as they are meatier and have much less water. If you can grow or locate the variety called Principe Borghese they are excellent for drying. Cut them in half, dip the pieces in a solution of half water and half white vinegar. Place on the dehydrator racks skin side down. Dry them to the point where they are leathery but still somewhat pliable, you don't want them to crack when bent. If you wish, spray the dehydrator racks with vegetable oil which will make it easier to remove the dried tomatoes. Store the dried product in an airtight container, an excellent use for a Tilia FoodSaver if you have one. Ross.

decide how much use I am going to get out of it. I have the American Harvest with a set of expansion trays. One unusual item we discovered by mistake is to dry sliced mushrooms to the max.  Medium temperature for 24 hours.  Powder them, put them in a shaker jar and add to anything that needs a little (or allot) of richness. mjb