Tomatoes are used in cooking all around the world in various ways. In India they are used to prepare traditional style tadka and curries for many dishes, Italians use pureed tomato sauce as the base sauce for pasta, and the list goes on. But washing, chopping and cooking tomatoes, every single time we cook can be challenging. For those who want a quicker way to add the tangy and sweet flavour of tomatoes in their dish, this dried tomato powder can be a saviour. It is a versatile addition to any dish and is packed with flavour. All you need to do is put in efforts once to prepare the dry tomato powder at home and you can use it to season any dish.
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Here Are 7 Steps To Make Tomato Powder At Home:
1. Buy Tomatoes In Bulk
To make tomato powder, you will need tomatoes in bulk, which is around 2-3 kgs. This is because when the tomatoes will be dehydrated and formed into a powder, the quantity will reduce.
Use fresh tomatoes to make dry tomato powder. Photo Credit: unsplash
2. Wash Tomatoes
Start with washing tomatoes properly in water and with the help of dry kitchen towel, clean dry the tomatoes one by one. Keep them aside to dry them naturally in the room temperature. Ensure that there are no over ripe tomatoes in it.
3. Slice Them Up
Once the tomatoes have naturally dried, slice them in thin pieces and put them on a tray. The reason we use thin slices of tomatoes is because they dry up faster than thick slices, which will make the process of drying-dehydrating the tomatoes faster.
Sliced tomatoes dry faster. Photo Credit: unsplash
4. Placement of Tomato Slices
When you arrange the tomato slices, make sure there is sufficient space between them. If you don't leave enough space between them, there are chances that the sides of the tomatoes won't dry and only the middle portion will dry.
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5. Sun Dry Or Bake Tomatoes
The best way to dry tomatoes is by naturally sun drying them. Keep the tray with tomato slices outside in sunlight and cover it with a thin cloth to protect it from dust. Let it be there for 1-2 weeks, meanwhile keep checking if they have completely dried. Keep the tomatoes inside on rainy days, because we don't want to wet them. Another way is to bake the tomatoes in oven till they have fully dried. This method is faster than sun drying method.
Dry tomatoes naturally in sun light. Photo Credit: unsplash
6. Make Powder
When the tomato slices are fully dried and brittle, that's when they can be used to make powder. Put the slices in the grinder or food processor and blend them into a fine powder. Now sift the powder through a sieve and use the fine powder.
Make fine powder of dried tomatoes. Photo Credit: unsplash
7. Storage
It is important to store the powder correctly. Store it in an airtight container, and keep it in a dry place. You can also store it in a plastic bag, but ensure to take out as much air as possible before sealing it.
Tomato powder has a shelf life of 4-5 months. Use it as a seasoning for any dish and enjoy the yummy tomato flavour.