Tomato Basil Garlic Salt is an end result of my dehydrated tomato flakes but "dehydrated tomato flakes" didn't seem like an appetizing title .....
Over the last few weeks I have dove, head first, into the world of food dehydrating. My Tomato Basil Garlic Salt is one of my first completed projects. I am so happy with the results that I wanted to share them with you.
Can't wait for you to try this.
I don't think I've met a tomato I didn't like. Family and friends always had them in their gardens and I knew I would one day have them in mine. Summer just wouldn't be the same without fresh maters! All their beautiful colors and shapes.... I love them in salads, on sandwiches, in soups, on eggs, as salsa, pretty much anything and sometimes right off the vine. In the previous years that we have been growing tomatoes I only saved them by making and freezing salsa and pasta sauce. This year I wanted to do more! I wanted to try new ways to save our food! We are also trying to be more aware of the foods we eat, where they come from and save money. So after a few hours of research I bought my first dehydrator. You do NOT need a dehydrator to make my Tomato Basil Garlic Salt, but that is how I achieved my results. This all started as I was processing the tomatoes to make pasta sauce (I will add that recipe later). So if you're a tomato lover, like trying and using different seasonings and herbs, looking for more ways to use what you have and or you want to save money... I believe you're going to love this recipe. This is the first recipe I have written in this format so I apologize now if I am missing something. Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Garlic Salt
Ingredients:
You're going to need a food dehydrator and or an oven (broiling function needed) and a food processor, blender, or coffee/spice grinder. This makes 8oz of seasoning flakes. You can play around with other ingredients to your liking. I know I am going to try other variations as well.
Dried skins from about 15 pounds of tomatoes. I mainly used Romas and a variety of cherry type tomatoes.
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
Directions:
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is prepping the tomatoes but you're actually prepping them to make my Homemade Pasta Sauce. You don't have to make my sauce. You can use the tomatoes for something else but this is what I was making when I wrote these recipes.
Turn on the broiler function of your oven. If you use that as a storage area, make sure you take all the pans out first! We can adjust the temp on ours, so I went to 450F. If you have a broiler with high/low function and you aren't familiar with it, I would go with low to start. I also moved the rack I would be using to the highest space under the broiler.
Wash up your tomatoes. Cut off any bad spots and slice the tomatoes in half. You can leave the seeds in if you want. They will blend well in the sauce and leaving them in saves time.
Place the tomatoes cut side down on an ungreased baking sheet or baking pan.
I would use something with a lip especially if you leave the seeds in because juices will be generated.
Broil the tomatoes just until the skins start to blister. About 5 minutes or so. You don't want to cook or burn them. You just need them to be able to slide off the tomatoes. I had a few get crispy and I just threw them in the saucepan with the whole tomatoes.
Very carefully separate the skins from the rest of the tomato and put them into a bowl. The tomatoes will be HOT. I used a pair of tongs to remove most of my skins.
Place the rest of your tomatoes into another container for making your sauce, soup, etc.
Repeat the cooking and skinning process until all your tomatoes are done.
Take your skins and gently spread them out on the racks of your dehydrator. You do not need to rinse them. It's okay if they have a little bit of tomato meat still on them, it will add flavor. You just don't want too much as it will affect the drying process.
Dehydrate skins in the dehydrator at 135F for 6 to 12 hours. Mine were done in 6hrs. I have 5 trays and I loaded them twice (one batch was drying overnight). You can and should rotate your trays around at least every hour to make sure all are getting good airflow. You want them to be dry and no wetness. Dehydrating time can vary based on many things such as the type of tomato skins used, the temp and humidity where the dehydrator is being used and of course the brand of dehydrator.
In a regular oven it is recommended to bake at a temp between 125F and less than 200F. Using a regular oven will take less time! Don't burn them. You just want them to be dry. Dehydrators are made to be used while you are away, asleep, etc. I do not advise anyone to use their oven or any other appliances without supervision and or without reading the instructions for that device.
Store them in a container until you are ready for them. They will be brittle. I stacked my first batch in a quart mason jar until the rest were done. LOOK HOW PRETTY!!!
Once you are ready combine the dried skins, basil, salt and garlic powder in a food processor and blend until well mixed! If you don't have a food processor you can use a blender (not a hand mixer, a blender). You could also use a coffee grinder but your flakes will be more like powder.
Empty your Tomato Basil Garlic Salt into an airtight container that will hold at least 8oz. Don't forget to label it! It should be good for at least 6 months.
If you love it like I do it won't last that long! You could also store it in an old (washed and dried) seasoning/herb shaker container if you would like.
I toasted and lightly buttered some slices of italian bread and then sprinkled it on top (as pictured above). OMG! It's so good. It was great alongside my peppered cottage cheese. I look forward to using this on pizza, and sandwiches. I think I might try adding it to the top of fresh baked bread or with olive oil to dip bread in. It would be great for a sauce or soup that needs some extra zing. I can't wait to try it on some chicken with pasta!!
After writing this I sprinkled about a tablespoon over some microwave popcorn and I enjoyed it very much!
This would be a great gift for a foodie or those who like to try new things. The colors are perfect for the holidays.
I really hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. Thanks for making it to the end. When you try this let me know! Did you like it, love it? Did you add anything to it like red pepper flakes or thyme?
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