How to Make and Store Tomato Powder
Turning tomatoes into a powder is a great way to condense them while preserving a lot of their flavor and nutrients. There are a couple of different ways that you can go about dehydrating tomatoes, and both can help you to maximize space and minimize waste. Let’s take a closer look at how you can make the most of these options in order to get a lot more tomatoes into your food stockpile.
Dehydrating Whole Tomatoes
The most common method to turn tomatoes into powder is to dehydrate them first. The first step is to choose ripe, healthy tomatoes. Some people say that Roma tomatoes are ideal for the dehydrator, and you can test this yourself, however, you can achieve the same results with any type of tomato. Just remember that the quality of the tomato will be directly related to the flavor and nutritional value of the finished product.
Dig out the head of the tomato where the stem is attached, and cut out the butt end as well. Rinse the tomatoes and cut them into slices that are less than ¼ inch thick. You can vary the level of thickness based on your preferences, but if they are too thick, the tomatoes will take longer to dehydrate and process. Place the slices on the drying rack in a single layer, making sure that they don’t overlap. Set the temperature to no less than 125 degrees. Let them dehydrate until all of the water is removed and the slices can be broken with minimal pressure, without too much bending.
Next, place them into a blender, food processor or coffee grinder. If you decide to use a coffee grinder, you may want to break up the slices into smaller pieces first in order to fit as many inside as possible. All you need to do is grind them up, pulsing occasionally to ensure that all of the bits are pulverized into a consistent powder. Once finished, store them in a vacuum-sealed mason jar or bag and place the date on the label. As long as there is no oxygen or moisture in the container or bag, you can expect to be able to store the powder for years.
Dehydrating Blended Tomatoes
Another option is to blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30-60 seconds so the skin will start to detach from the meat. Quickly place the tomatoes in an ice water bath until they are cool enough to handle. Remove the skins and place the meat in a blender. Blend until the newly-formed tomato sauce is consistent throughout. Carefully pour the liquid over a lined dehydrating rack and dehydrate at 125 degrees until the tomatoes have completely dried. The liquid will harden and turn into a solid piece that you can pick up, break into smaller pieces, process and store in the same way outlined above.
Dehydrating Tomato Skins
You have a couple of different options when it comes to dehydrating the skins. You can use a dehydrator by placing the skins atop the drying rack, or you can also microwave them. If you choose to use the microwave, use a microwave-safe plate that is lined with a couple of paper towels. Open the skins so they are spread flat on the paper towels atop the plate. Repeat until the surface is covered, but don’t let the skins overlap. Place in the microwave and cook for about 3½ – 4 minutes.
If they are still a little moist, keep microwaving and checking every 30 seconds. The aim here is to get the skins as dry as possible without over-cooking them. All you need to do now is let them cool down on the counter before checking to ensure they are dried before processing and storing them as directed above.
As a general rule of thumb, 1-2 tablespoons of powder equals 1 tomato. To rehydrate, simply add water until you achieve the concentration that you are aiming for and you’re good to go.
Try these techniques out for yourself today. You can produce a condensed stockpile that can be rehydrated as necessary while freeing up valuable storage space at the same time.
