How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes

Dehydrate cherry tomatoes to preserve the garden bounty in the summer. Use them to make this awesome DIY Sun-Dried Tomato hack all year long!

Do you plant more cherry or grape tomato plants thinking you'll never have enough, then find yourself with those tiny tomatoes flooding your kitchen during the height of harvesting?

Here's a simple way to preserve those tiny sweet globes of goodness and keep them for use all year long!

How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes

This works so well on most small tomatoes such as cherry, grape, Roma, Sun Gold, Super Sweet 100's, etc.

Dehydrator Directions Tips:

Step One:

Wash and remove any debris and over-ripe tomatoes.

Fun tip: I soak mine in my OXO salad spinner, dump the water into my garden, then spin them to help dry them more quickly. They aren't damaged and it helps remove that excess water making them more slippery when cutting (though, after the 5th one...there's no chance things are staying dry!).

Step Two:

Cut tomatoes in half (half again if needed)

Step Three:

Place on dehydrator trays skin side down. It can be helpful, but not necessary, to put a fruit leather sheet or parchment paper down on top of your tray to protect from any juice.

This is important because you want as much surface area to be exposed to release that moisture (especially if you are putting these on fruit leather sheets), and to help mitigate sticking.

Step Four:

Dry at 125°F/52°C for 10-18+ hours

Step Five:

Condition

Step Six:

Store in airtight container for up to a year. Tomatoes have a shorter shelf-life because of the acids in them, so be sure to remember to mark them to rotate through a little more quickly.

How to Dry Tomatoes in the Oven

1. Wash
2. Cut in half
3. Place tomato halves skin-side down on parchment-lined cookie sheets
4. Dry in an oven at its lowest setting - or 170°F - leaving the door cracked with a heat-proof spoon or silicone pad if possible.
5. Dry for 4-8 hours being careful to look for signs of overdrying/browning/burning of tomatoes
6. Condition
7. Store in an airtight container for up to one year

Related: How to Make and Use Tomato Powder

Uses for Dry Tomatoes

• Toss into any salad for a sweet bite
• Eat as snacks on their own - they are yummy like raisins or dried cranberries!
• Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes (see recipe card below for instructions)
• Throw into spaghetti sauce, stews, chilis, or casseroles for some texture
• Chop and add to bread, muffins, etc.
• Add to any pasta dish
• As a topping on pizza
• Mix into scrambled eggs
• Create savory muffins by mixing Italian seasonings and chopped dried tomatoes and sausage into a basic muffin recipe
• Rehydrate in good olive oil, salad dressing, or even water to add to sandwiches and salads without the chewier texture of just dried.
• Make sun-dried tomato pesto
• Chop into smaller pieces and add to hummus

Commonly Asked Questions