How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Dehydrator Method)
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How to make sun-dried tomatoes at home is worth learning if you love that concentrated tomato flavor but hate what the jars cost at the store. A dehydrator turns a bowl of cherry tomatoes into the same bold, chewy bite you get from the imported kind, arguably better, for a fraction of the price. These aren’t dried in the Italian sun, they’re made right on your counter, and the flavor holds up in everything from pasta to a pot of beans.
Ginger’s Thoughts
I do not preserve food just because I can. I only put up what I would normally buy at the store anyway, in amounts I know we will actually use, this recipe included. These jars go in the fridge and get used within 4 days, made from tomatoes right out of our own garden instead of a $9 jar at the store.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Makes 2 half-pint jars
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (1/4 teaspoon per jar)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (1 clove per jar)
- Fresh basil leaves, a few per jar
- About 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil per jar (1 to 1 1/2 cups total), enough to fully submerge the tomatoes, the exact amount depends on how tightly your dried tomatoes pack
Equipment You Will Need
- Ausegia 12-Tray Food Dehydrator – dries the tomatoes low and slow so they stay chewy instead of brittle
- FORJARS Premium Mason Jars with Lids, 8oz Regular Mouth (12-Pack) – the half-pint jars this recipe is packed into, lids included
- LOVE MOMENT Electric Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer Kit – pulls the air out of the jar for a tighter seal and fresher texture in the fridge
- Cutting board and paring knife
- Microplane or fine grater, for the garlic
- Butter knife, for debubbling
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Step 1: Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes
Wash the cherry tomatoes and slice them in half, or in quarters if they’re on the larger side. Keeping the pieces a similar size means they’ll all finish drying around the same time instead of some staying chewy while others turn brittle.
Step 2: Salt the tomatoes before they go in the dehydrator
Lay the pieces cut side up on the dehydrator trays and sprinkle coarse salt over each one. The salt draws out extra moisture and seasons the tomatoes while they dry, so don’t skip it even though it feels like an extra step.
Step 3: Fill the trays
Keep loading trays the same way until you’ve worked through the whole batch. Give each piece a little breathing room instead of crowding them, air needs to move around the tomatoes for them to dry evenly.
Step 4: Load the dehydrator and run it for 12 hours
Slide the trays into the dehydrator and set it to 135F. Let it run for a full 12 hours, this batch went in overnight so it was ready first thing the next morning.
Step 5: Check for doneness
The tomatoes are ready when they’re shriveled and leathery with no moisture left in the middle. Press a piece between your fingers, if you feel any dampness or the inside still looks juicy, give it more time.
Step 6: Start each jar with a basil leaf
Drop a fresh basil leaf into the bottom of each empty half-pint jar. This is the first layer of what becomes a stack of basil, oregano, oil, and tomatoes.
Step 7: Add the dried oregano
Sprinkle in the dried oregano next, about a quarter teaspoon per jar. It settles down into the basil and gets distributed through the jar as you keep layering.
Step 8: Pour in the first layer of oil
Add a layer of olive oil over the basil and oregano. This first pour coats the bottom of the jar before any tomatoes go in.
Step 9: Add the first layer of dried tomatoes
Start layering in the dried tomato pieces on top of the oil. Don’t pack them in too tight yet, you’ll be adding more oil and more tomatoes in rounds.
Step 10: Add a second layer of tomatoes
Keep building up the tomatoes with another layer. This is the same layering rhythm you’ll repeat until the jar is full, tomatoes, then oil, then basil.
Step 11: Pour oil over the layer
Pour more olive oil over the tomatoes to work it down through the layers. The oil needs to reach every layer, not just sit on top, or you’ll end up with dry pockets.
Step 12: Layer in another basil leaf
Tuck another basil leaf into the jar. Use a whole leaf if it’s small, or tear a big leaf into a few pieces so the flavor spreads through the jar instead of sitting in one spot.
Step 13: Keep layering until the jar is nearly full
Repeat the tomato, oil, and basil layers until you’re close to the top of the jar. Leave a little room, you still need to add garlic and top off with oil.
Step 14: Debubble the jar
Press a butter knife down through the layers to work out any air pockets trapped between the tomatoes. Air pockets are where trouble hides, so take the extra minute here.
Step 15: Grate in the garlic
Grate one clove of garlic straight into the jar, right on top of the tomatoes. Fresh grated garlic distributes better than a whole clove and blends into the oil as it sits.
Step 16: Top off with a final layer of oil
Pour in oil until everything in the jar, tomatoes, basil, and garlic, is fully submerged. Any piece poking up above the oil line is a mold risk, so push it down and add a little more oil if you need to.
Step 17: Debubble one more time
Run the knife through the jar again to release any last air bubbles before you seal it. This is your last chance to catch trapped air before the lid goes on.
Step 18: Wipe the rim clean
Wipe down the rim of the jar with a clean paper towel before adding the lid. Any oil or food residue on the rim can keep the lid from sealing properly.
Step 19: Set the lid on top
Place the lid on each jar. Don’t tighten the ring down hard yet, just get it seated so you can move to sealing.
Step 20: Vacuum seal and refrigerate
Run the jars through your mason jar vacuum sealer, then move them straight to the refrigerator. From here you’re on the clock, these jars need to be used within 4 days.
Tips / Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the salt before dehydrating, it draws out extra moisture and seasons the tomatoes as they dry.
- Cut the tomatoes a consistent size so they all finish drying at the same time.
- Keep every piece of tomato fully under the oil line. Anything poking above it is a mold risk.
- A butter knife works fine for debubbling, you don’t need a special tool.
- Only make what you’ll use in 4 days, or freeze the extra. Small batches like this 2 jar recipe are easy to scale up once you know how much you’ll actually go through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular oven instead of a dehydrator?
Yes, if your oven goes as low as 170 to 200F. Prop the door open a crack so moisture can escape and check the tomatoes every hour or two, oven drying tends to be less even than a dehydrator and can take longer.
Can I water bath can these instead of refrigerating them?
Some rebel canners do process oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in a water bath, but water bath temperatures don’t get hot enough to kill botulism spores, and oil-packed garlic and tomatoes create exactly the low-oxygen environment that bacteria needs to grow. USDA and NCHFP don’t consider this method safe. I’m not willing to walk you through a process that could make you or your family sick, so this recipe stays a refrigerator recipe, not a shelf-stable one.
Can I freeze these instead of eating them within 4 days?
Yes. NCHFP guidance allows freezing garlic in oil for several months, so if you want a longer window than the 4 day refrigerator limit, pack the jars leaving about a half inch of headspace and freeze them instead. I didn’t freeze this batch since I only made 2 jars and knew we’d eat them fast, but it’s a solid option for a bigger batch.
Do I have to use cherry tomatoes?
No. Roma or plum tomatoes work well too, just slice them thinner since they hold more water than cherry tomatoes and take longer to dry.
What if some of my tomatoes are poking up out of the oil?
Push them down with a clean knife or spoon and top off the jar with more oil until everything is submerged. Oil-packed pieces exposed to air are a mold risk, so don’t skip this step.
Can I use a different herb instead of oregano?
Sure, dried thyme or an Italian seasoning blend both work well here. Use about the same amount, a quarter teaspoon per jar.
Do I need to peel the garlic before grating it?
Yes, peel each clove first, then grate it straight into the jar with a microplane or fine grater.
How do I know the tomatoes are dry enough before jarring them?
They should feel leathery and bendable, not sticky or wet in the middle. If you press a piece and any moisture beads up, give it more time in the dehydrator.
How to Store
Room Temperature
Do not store these at room temperature. Oil-packed, low-acid ingredients like tomatoes and garlic are exactly the environment botulism needs, and shelf-stable storage requires processing this recipe isn’t set up to do safely. Straight to the fridge once the jars are sealed.
Refrigerator
Store in the refrigerator at 40F or below and use within 4 days. This is the safe window for homemade oil-packed garlic and vegetables per NCHFP guidance, not a suggestion to stretch if the jar still looks fine.
Freezer
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil freeze well for several months. Pack the jars with about a half inch of headspace to allow for expansion, and thaw in the refrigerator before using.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Dehydrator Method)
Ingredients
Method
- Halve or quarter the tomatoes, salt them, and dehydrate at 135F for 12 hours until leathery.
- Layer basil, oregano, oil, and dried tomatoes in each jar, repeating until nearly full.
- Debubble with a knife, grate in the garlic, and top off with oil until everything is fully submerged.
- Debubble again, wipe the rim, add the lid, and vacuum seal.
- Refrigerate immediately and use within 4 days.
Notes
Final Thoughts
If you’ve got a dehydrator full of garden tomatoes, don’t stop here. The same dehydrator does great work on preserving fresh herbs from your garden, which pairs well with these jars if you’re stocking a pantry from what you grew this summer.
More preserving is coming, I’ll be canning salsa and pickling jalapeños from the garden soon too!
