Curzio's Recipies!

 

Dear Friends:

Save the flavor of sweet tomatoes to enjoy in the Winter.

Cherry tomatoes are perfect to dry.

 

It isn't easy ... but worth the effort!

We can grow very sweet cherry tomatoes in Wisconsin ... but we miss the main ingredient for sun dried tomatoes: the sun heat.

We have tried. It takes 3 - 4 days of Wisconsin's full sun.

Some folks have used a dehydrator and it should work fine. Alternatively you can put the tomato halves on a cookie tray in the oven. Set the temperature to the lowest possible. Crack the oven door open for ventilation. And monitor! Check often as they might burn. The process still takes a couple of days in the luke warm oven.

 

Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes

We have tested many varieties of cherry tomatoes and got the very best results with Sun Gold.

You must use a tall trellis to stake them up. One plant can develop dozens of branches with many clusters of tomatoes. All tomato variety have the tendency to rot as they reach maturity; keep them high over the soil to increase the yield and to facilitate the harvest.

The first tomato of the cluster will reach full maturity as the last one is still green. The cherry tomatoes you see in grocery stores have matured on the vine ... but not attached to the plant!

 

The tomato halves are exposed to the sun. Clothes dry faster on a windy day? We tried to use a fan.

-- note of 2005 -- we don't have enough sun to dry them outside here in Wisconsin. It works better to put them in the oven - lowest temperature possible (maybe just the pilot) - leave the oven door cracked open!

 

 

It takes a long time but eventually they dry on one side; flip them over to accelerate the process.

They must feel leathery to the touch before they can be stored.

 

 

 

These cherry tomatoes in the freezer bag are the crop of 2001 - we have stored some for over 2 years. As long as they stay dry and cool they could store for a long time.

Use them to make a paste with olive oil or drop a few in your pasta sauce.

 

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Looking forward to meet you at the Harbor MarketPlace in Kenosha this Saturday, or some day.

Your friends will be under the white tent,

Curzio

 

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