Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes represent one of the most dramatic transformations in cooking: a ripe summer tomato, already sweet and fragrant, concentrated by the sun over several days until its water content is reduced by ninety percent and its flavour multiplied accordingly. The result is small, dark, chewy, and intensely sweet-tart — nothing like a fresh tomato and yet unmistakably…Sun-dried tomatoes represent one of the most dramatic transformations in cooking: a ripe summer tomato, already sweet and fragrant, concentrated by the sun over several days until its water content is reduced by ninety percent and its flavour multiplied accordingly. The result is small, dark, chewy, and intensely sweet-tart — nothing like a fresh tomato and yet unmistakably tomato in a way that no cooked tomato product can match.The best sun-dried tomatoes come from the same regions that produce the best fresh tomatoes: the volcanic soils of southern Italy and the Mediterranean islands. In Cyprus and Greece, sun-drying tomatoes is an ancient practice — the dried tomatoes (preserving the summer harvest for winter use) are a staple…Read more