Oven-roasted chewy tomatoes

I’ve roasted and dehyrated about 10 lbs of tomatoes and have about 10 to go. They really cook down so I’m sure I’ll be replenishing this week. It’s nice to have some cool weather while we have the oven going.

We’ve decided so far that we like the roasted ones better than the dehydrated because of the olive oil and garlic. I’ve been roasting them for about 4-5 hours with olive oil and also adding minced garlic.  The Sun Gold tomatoes are really sweet.  I found this recipe below on the Willow Pond Farm web site from Molly Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven – since I’m still a novice, I’m featuring her tried and true recipe. I also cut my tomatoes in half and then turned them cut side down – she says to keep the cut side up…not sure how much of a difference it makes.. Another recipe said to put a slit in the back so I’ve been doing that as well. I also did not use tin foil, but some tomatoes did stick.

These are the most wonderful little treats. I plan to roast as many as I can for snacks, and also to save for sauces and stews over the winter. I’m going to store some in the frig and the rest in the freezer.

I’m calling this tomato candy as it is so sweet.

Cherry Tomato Chewies
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
 
Olive oil for the baking tray & 1 pound cherry tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil and brush generously with olive oil.

Cut the tomatoes in half, and arrange them cut side up in a single layer on the prepared tray. (It’s okay if they are touching.) Bake for 2 to 6 hours, jostling them loose and moving them slightly every half hour or so, so they don’t stick and/or burn. Don’t actually turn them over. They come out best if left facing up for the duration of the baking.

Transfer the tomatoes to a platter lined with a double thickness of paper towels and cool for at least 30 minutes. Store them in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for softer, moister Chewies, or leave them uncovered and out of the refrigerator, and they will dry out a bit more and become somewhat crispy. They’re lovely both ways.

(Serve Cherry Tomato Chewies as a garnish, for snacks, or on sandwiches or grains. Float them in soups or sprinkle them on top of a platter of roasted vegetables.)

From Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven