Yesterday, I had some eager little pickers in the garden, and as we know, many hands make light work. This morning has been a whirlwind of taking care of all the produce they helped gather. As I’ve been working through the tomatoes, I’ve realized how much my preservation methods have evolved over the years. Canning used to be my go-to, but now dehydrating and even fermenting has made their way into my routine.
Here are my 3 favorite ways to preserve tomatoes for the winter months—canning for chunks, dehydrating for powder, and even fermenting for a little probiotic boost.
1. Tomato Powder: The Space-Saving Secret
Most of the sauce tomatoes are heading straight for the dehydrator to make tomato powder. This has become my favorite way to store tomatoes for winter. It’s way less messy and takes up so much less space! I love that I can work at it throughout the season, in small batches, instead of feeling overwhelmed with massive canning sessions.
To turn tomatoes into powder, start by coring and washing them. Next, place the tomatoes in a large roasting pan and roast them in the oven at 275°F (135°C) for about an hour. You'll know they're ready when the skins start to wrinkle and crack. Roasting helps to release some of the water, making the dehydrating process faster.
After roasting, blend the roasted tomatoes into a smooth puree. Pour the puree onto lipped dehydrator trays and dehydrate until it turns into a crisp sheet. Once it’s dry enough to peel off the tray, flip it over onto a mesh sheet to finish drying evenly. Here is the affiliate link for the trays I have.
When the sheet is fully dried and crisp, break it into pieces and blend them into powder using a dry blender or food processor. Store the powder in a jar and give it a shake every day to prevent clumping. If you notice any moisture, return the powder to the dehydrator for a bit more drying.
This method ensures you get a fine, shelf-stable tomato powder that’s perfect for adding to your recipes!
Tomato powder is a real game-changer in the kitchen. Need tomato paste for a recipe? Just mix a bit of powder with water to the right consistency, and you’re good to go. Need pizza sauce? Just add tomato powder, water and spices and mix to the desired consistency. No more buying cans of paste or sauce and taking up precious pantry space—one jar of tomato powder can replace countless cans.
fermented ketchup
1 Cup tomato paste (I use my tomato powder)
about 1/3 cup of sweetener of choice (just don't use a synthetic)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
add any spices you may want like:
1/8 teas cloves and cinnamon
1 teas fine salt
2 Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp of a live culture (this could be lacto-fermented sour kraut brine, kombucha or whey
check consistency to make to make it like a ketchup
Fill a fermenting jar completely to eliminate air
sit on the counter for 6-10 hours to ferment
refrigerate
2. Canning Tomatoes: For Chunky Dishes
Even though I’ve switched to dehydrating a lot of my tomatoes, I still like to have a good supply of stewed tomatoes on hand. There’s just something about having ready-to-go chunks of tomatoes for dishes like spaghetti sauce, chili, or beef and macaroni tomato soup. Sure, I could use my dehydrated cherry tomatoes for these dishes, but nothing beats the convenience of pulling a jar of stewed tomatoes off the shelf.
This morning, I decided to can a batch of stewed tomatoes to make sure I’m stocked for the winter. Canning tomatoes is super easy—just core them, dunk them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, until the skins crack, then move them into an ice bath. The skins practically fall off, and you just have to pack the tomatoes into hot, sterilized jars. Once the jar is packed, the liquid from the tomatoes usually covers the tomatoes. There is no need to add water to the jar. You can add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar for seasoning, but I have found over the years that adding salt shortens the lid lifespan and I would just as soon add salt when I cook. Even the skins from my sauce tomatoes get saved and dehydrated, then added to my tomato powder. I’ve learned that dehydrating is a no-fuss way to make sure nothing goes to waste, and it gives me so many options for quick meals later on.
Quick Tip: When canning tomatoes, you’ve got to add lemon juice or citric acid to each jar to keep the acidity levels safe. This prevents botulism—2 tablespoons of lemon juice or ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart does the trick.
You can process your tomatoes using either a pressure canner or a water bath. The major difference? Time. If you pressure can, it’s 25 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure for quarts, but if you go the water bath route, you’re looking at 85 minutes. Either method works, but if you’re short on time, pressure canning is definitely faster!
3. Dehydrating Cherry Tomatoes: No Waste, All Flavor
Our favorite way to eat "fresh" tomatoes in the dead of winter is by making a "sun dried tomato". I have found that the prolific cherry tomatoes are the best to use, so I collect them all summer. I slice them in half and lay them on trays to dehydrate until crisp. I then store them dry, in sealed jars for winter use. I have a working jar in the pantry that I fill when it gets low. You want to dip the dried tomatoes through lemon juice. This will help to soften them. Then I put them in a jar of olive oil and put them in the pantry. We love these on winter salads, pizza or even in pastas. Every couple of batches I use the oil for salad dressing and get new. This ensures that the oil stays fresh and doesn't get old.
Final Thoughts: Canning, Dehydrating, and Fermenting for the Win
The fall harvest is in full swing, and it’s the perfect time to get your pantry ready for winter. Whether you're canning, dehydrating, or trying your hand at fermenting, having a mix of preservation methods gives you so much flexibility. The beauty of dehydrating is that it frees up storage space and gives you the ability to make things like tomato paste on the fly. Canning, on the other hand, keeps those chunky tomatoes ready for soups and sauces. And don’t forget—fermenting adds probiotics and flavor while making things last even longer. Time to stock up and get those shelves ready!
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