Homemade Sundried Tomatoes

Wash the tomatoes and drain. Slice the tomatoes in half across the belly, so that all the seeds are exposed. Using a teaspoon, remove all the seeds and discard. Remove the green pith at the top of the tomato using a small sharp knife.

Dry the tomatoes in kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture. Cut each tomato half in half again.

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar, salt & pepper.

Place the tomatoes on a tray lined with baking parchment. Spread out the tomatoes so they do not touch.

Place the tray in the oven and allow to slowly bake on a low heat of 80oC for approx 3hours and turn off the oven. Check the tomatoes to see if they are the desired dryness you would like to achieve. I like to keep them a little moist so that I have semi sundried tomatoes. these can also be made in the air fryer and take less time to achieve the same results.

When the tomatoes have cooled completely, place them in a large, sterilised jar, alternating with layers of sliced garlic and bay leaves until they all fit into the jar.

Pour olive oil on top until the tomatoes are covered completely.

Store in the cupboard until needed. These tomatoes are delicious in creamy pasta sauce, served with chicken or fish. Also delicious on an artisan board. Enjoy!

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• 2kg ripe tomatoes
• 300ml olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp Cracked black pepper
• Pinch salt