Preserving the Harvest
Before canning changed the face of food preservation, the most common method for preparing tomatoes for winter storage was dehydration. Left in the sun for a few days, the popular summer fruit became dry, leathery and could be stored for many months. The ancient preservation method also packs 100% of the flavor of a fresh tomato into 9% of the space. Sun dried tomatoes have become a pricey fixture in the gourmet aisle for use in salads, on pizzas or in antipasto, but are surprisingly easy to make at home without any special equipment (even on a cloudy day).