Sun-dried tomatoes from the store do the job. But they’re not the same thing.
No preservatives. No mystery oil. Just real tomatoes, slowly dried until every bit of water is gone and nothing but pure, concentrated flavor is left behind.
Use them in scrambled eggs, chop them into compound butter, or keep a jar in the fridge to finish off a bowl of pasta in under 10 minutes.
To make sun-dried tomatoes at home, halve Roma tomatoes, remove the seed pockets, and dry them cut-side up at 200°F (93°C) for 6 to 8 hours. A food dehydrator at 135°F (57°C) for 10 to 12 hours gives the same result with less monitoring. Store in olive oil in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Why Make Sun Dried Tomatoes at Home?
Store-bought versions come packed in cheap oil, loaded with sulfur dioxide as a preservative, and priced at $6–$8 a jar for maybe 20 tomatoes.
When you make them at home, you control everything. The salt level. The herbs. The oil you pack them in.
The cost drops to under $2 for the same amount using fresh Romas in season.
And the uses go far beyond pasta. Chop them into salad dressings. Press them into pizza dough. Blend them into tomato sauce for a deeper, smokier base. They pull weight in almost every savory dish.
What You Need
Prep Time: 10 mins | Drying Time: 6–8 hrs| Serves: 1 cup
Tomatoes
- 2 lbs (900g) Roma or plum tomatoes about 10–12 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
For oil-packed storage
- 4–5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil enough to fully submerge the tomatoes
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Equipment
- Sharp paring knife
- Large baking sheet
- Wire rack that fits inside the baking sheet
- Food dehydrator
- Airtight glass jar, 16 oz (475ml)
- Paper towels
How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes at Home?
Three ways to do this: oven, sun, or dehydrator.
The oven method works year-round and gives you the most control. Sun-drying costs nothing extra but needs the right climate.
1. Prep the Tomatoes
Rinse your tomatoes and dry them completely with a paper towel.
Cut each one in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed pockets just the watery gel, not the flesh. This alone cuts drying time by up to 2 hours.
Pat dry, set cut-side up on the wire rack, then sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, a light dusting of oregano or thyme if using, and no more than ½ tsp of olive oil per tomato.
2. Oven Drying Method
Set your oven to 200°F (93°C). If it only goes as low as 225°F (107°C), that still works tomatoes will just finish closer to the 5-hour mark.
Arrange the halves cut-side up on the wire rack inside the baking sheet, leaving at least ½ inch (1.25cm) between each piece.
- Don’t open the oven for the first 4 hours. Consistent low heat is what pulls the moisture out steadily.
- At the 4-hour mark, check once. They should be roughly one-third their original size, edges dry and curled, centers soft but not wet.
- From hour 5, check every 30 minutes. You are done when the center feels leathery, slightly sticky, and springs back slowly when pressed.
- Total drying time is 6–8 hours. If not done at the 8-hour mark, give them another 30–60 minutes.
- If the edges brown before the center is dry, your oven runs hot. Drop the temperature by 15°F (8°C) and add an hour.
Let everything cool on the rack for 30 minutes before packing. Warm tomatoes trap steam in the jar and mold can form in as little as 48 hours if you skip this step.
The leathery-but-not-brittle texture is the target. Brittle means overdried and the flavor turns sharp rather than sweet.
3. Sun Drying Method
You need 3–5 consecutive days of full sun, temperatures above 85°F (29°C), and humidity below 60%.
Prepare your tomatoes as above, lay them cut-side up on a wire rack, and cover with cheesecloth to keep insects off. Bring them inside every evening night air carries enough moisture to undo a full day of drying.
By day 5 the texture should match the oven result. If the weather breaks, move them into a 200°F (93°C) oven to finish.
The Italian-Style Method: Packed in Olive Oil
The Italian approach is simple. Salt well, dry low and slow, finish in good olive oil. That combination is what gives them the deep, savory flavor you find in Italian cooking.
Once dried, I pack them into a clean jar with dried oregano, a pinch of chili flakes, and 2–3 thinly sliced garlic cloves.
Pour extra virgin olive oil over the top until every tomato is fully submerged and refrigerate for 24 hours before using.
That resting time is what makes the difference the oil pulls in all the herb and garlic flavor and the tomatoes soften just enough to be perfect.
Don’t throw away the jar oil either. It works brilliantly as a pasta drizzle or bread dip.
Always refrigerate oil-packed tomatoes and use within 2 weeks.
According to the USDA, fresh garlic stored in oil at room temperature creates conditions that can support the growth of Clostridium botulinum — refrigeration is not optional.
These tomatoes shine on pizza, in salads with rocket and parmesan, chopped into pasta with fresh basil, or pressed into focaccia. Every single time, they taste better than anything from a store jar.
How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes Without an Oven?
Not everyone wants to run an oven for 8 hours. Fair enough. A food dehydrator gets you the same result with less effort.
Set it to 135°F (57°C), arrange your tomato halves cut-side up on the trays with space between each piece, and leave them for 10–12 hours.
The airflow pulls moisture out evenly from all sides more consistent than an oven and far less checking.
If you make sun-dried tomatoes more than once or twice a year, a dehydrator is worth having.
No dehydrator? The sun-drying method in the section above covers everything you need. It costs nothing it just needs the right climate and 3–5 days of patience.
What Can Go Wrong?
Most mistakes with sun-dried tomatoes happen before the tomatoes even go into the oven.
Use underripe tomatoes and the flavor falls flat. Slice unevenly and half the batch dries wrong.
Run the heat too high and the skin toughens before the inside is done. Get these three things right and the rest takes care of itself.
- Use fully ripe Roma or plum tomatoes underripe ones dry bitter with no sweetness.
- Slice everything the same size so the whole batch finishes at the same time.
- Keep the heat at 200°F (93°C) too high and the skin toughens before the inside dries.
- Add fresh herbs and garlic to the jar when storing in oil the flavor deepens noticeably by day three.
Conclusion
Making sun-dried tomatoes at home comes down to picking the method that fits your kitchen.
The oven works year-round. The dehydrator gives consistent results with less effort. Sun-drying costs nothing but needs the right climate. Italian-style in olive oil takes the flavor further.
Each method gets you to the same place real, preservative-free tomatoes that taste far better than anything from a store jar. Try one method, then try another.
You will quickly figure out which one works best for your cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Long Do Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes Last in the Fridge?
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes last up to 2 weeks in the fridge when fully submerged in olive oil.
2. Can You Freeze Sun Dried Tomatoes at Home?
Yes, dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes freeze well in an airtight bag for up to 12 months.
3. Do You Need to Blanch Tomatoes Before Drying Them?
No, blanching is not required and can actually soften the flesh too much before drying.
4. What Is the Best Tomato Size for Sun Drying?
Medium Roma or plum tomatoes around 2–3 inches long dry the most evenly and consistently.
5. Can You Rehydrate Sun Dried Tomatoes if They Get too Dry?
Yes, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes or submerge in olive oil in the fridge overnight.
