how-to-make-tomato-sauce-from-dehydrated-tomatoes

Tomato Sauce from Dehydrated Tomatoes

how-to-make-tomato-sauce-from-dehydrated-tomatoes

A very effective way to preserve and store fresh garden grown tomatoes is to dehydrate them. Here’s one thing you can do with them afterwards during the winter while you crave the fresh taste of homegrown tomatoes…

Make tomato sauce!


 
There really is no right or wrong way to make tomato sauce, because it really depends upon your own tastes, preferences, and your willingness to experiment with what you have in the pantry!

 
Here are a few recipe conversion assumptions that I use for dehydrated tomatoes…

1 typical size fresh garden tomato will result in about 6 slices, each about one-quarter inch thick – excluding the end pieces.

1 typical ‘can’ of diced-stewed tomatoes from the grocery store is equal to about 30 slices of tomato. (This will vary widely depending on the size of your tomatoes ;))

For example, when a recipe calls for 4 cans of diced tomatoes, I will substitute about 120 slices of dehydrated tomatoes. Or just ‘eyeball’ it…

 
Keep in mind that re-hydrating dehydrated tomatoes will not be as ‘pretty’ as the original, but, believe me, most of that original flavor will be there, just a bit mushy instead. For sauce, it doesn’t matter!

 

Tomato Sauce Recipe Using Dehydrated Tomatoes

 
Dehydrated Tomato Slices (equivalent to about 4-cups, about 120 dehydrated slices), cut into smaller pieces if desired, re-hydrate in 4-cups water for about 30-minutes, strain – save 3 cups strained water for the recipe

Water (3 cups) from strained tomatoes

Tomato Paste (optional, thickness to taste, 3 cans… 6 oz. cans)

Garlic (8 cloves – chopped)

Onion (1 – chopped)

Sugar (1/4 cup)

Worcestershire Sauce (1/4 cup)

Parsley (1/8 cup – dried, or 1/4 cup fresh chopped)

Basil (2 tsp.)

Oregano (1 tsp.)

Sage (1 tsp.)

Marjoram (1/2 tsp.)

Salt (1/2 tsp.)

Pepper (1/2 tsp.)

Olive Oil (1 Tbsp.)

 
If you have any of your own ideas for what to do with your dehydrated tomatoes, we would love to hear from you… leave a comment and let us know…

12 Comments

  1. Ken,
    Thanks for the tip on the conversion of dehydrated tomatoes. I have not yet tried to dehydrate tomatoes. But I plan to give it a shot. This gives me a good guide in planning ahead, or if you prefer ” prepping “.

  2. I dehydrate tomato’s every year. They are great in soups,stews,chili ect. I have never tried to make sauce straight from them but I use them to compliment a lot of other things.

  3. We can tomato’s almost yearly. We save the skins and dry them on our dehydrator. After they are dry, you can grind them to a powder with a coffee grinder. Store away in any jar or bag for later use. Re-hydrate what you need whenever you need it. Taste great.

    1. Excellent idea on the skins, will have to try that next year.

  4. Dan, i am so glad to hear you use the tomato skins this way. i have known a lot of folks who canned tomatos, and i always felt it a shame when they tossed them.

    myself, this past year have discovered the beauty of dehydrating. first effort was bunches of mushrooms (ran accross amazing deal oases of them), and next has been tomatos

    don’t know if you folks have tried this, my favorite with tomatoes, so far, is dehydrate till crisp, and eat as snacks. big hit here. also powdered a bunch, and blended till powder. makes a good add to anything, as well, pretty fair “cup of soup”

    1. I eat dried tomatoes as a snack all the time. I like using the Pear tomatoes for that, they are very sweet, it’s almost like hard candy.

      I try to dry 3 gallons every year and vacuum seal them in 1/2 gallon mason jars.

      I dry Roma tomatoes to make sauce, paste, soup and for throwing in just about anything, even when making bread.

      1. YUM

        yup, i too thought they were like hard candy. when i first made them (we HAVE tapered off) hubby and i must have eat forty pounds (original weight) done like this. and he (hubby) was not a tomato eater prior. i would put a bowl of these in between us on couch, and they would “go”..grin.

        myself, i just dehydrated whatever i could find on sale cheapest. cheapest i have found yet is .88 per pound. i suspect that sure sounds pricey for someone who grows them (still working on accommplishing that)…but often they are two to three a pound here.

        right now i have bags full, dehydrated , still in extra fridge.

        YUM..

  5. I have discovered it is easier and less mess to dehydrate tomatoes than can.
    I have 3 half-gallon mason jars full. I will say I used my dried vegetables for soup last summer with beef bouillon and it was great.
    Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, lima beans, and corn.
    I look forward to more dried vegetables this summer.

    Remember, when drying frozen, like corn and lima beans, no need to blanch. Makes it much easier and one can’t beat the Kroger’s $1 prices.

    Good luck and God bless.

  6. Here in Ky., it is strawberry time. I can honestly say I wasted some berries drying them. They are awful and I tried two batches from different patches.
    YUK!!!

    I love all my dried foods, even beets, but not strawberries.
    I can eat dried onions like popcorn!! :-)

  7. Having dehydrated tomatoes powder is like adding a new spice in the cabinet! I found this blog and hoping to find others who might have used a tomatoe powder with much more experience that myself. I usually can tons of spaghetti sauce so making powdered tomatoe useful is my next venture. Any advise would be welcomed!

    1. @ Laura

      Sorry, I’m like you, I just can cases and cases of tomatoes, and a LOT of Salsa, although I do have 2 cases of Augason Farms DF Tomato Powder for long-term storage.

      NRP

  8. Would be nice if the recipe was step-by-step. You list keeping and using the 3 cups of water from straining the tomatoes, but when? If it’s just added back to the tomatoes with all the other ingredients, why strain in the first place?

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