Here it is folks. That time of year where you have made every conceivable thing that you could ever want to eat out of cherry tomatoes. What delighted you when they first started ripening has turned into a never ending plague. What on earth are you going to do with all of those cherry tomatoes???

It started innocently enough. You remembered last year and planned accordingly. Then you thought that maybe you should plant a few extra starts, just in case. It would be awful if the few you started died and you didn’t have any! Then your mother has extras, and you can’t just let them dies can you? Or sometimes they just pop up where you planted them last year, and who has the heart to kill such intrepid little plants? (Ok fine. Everyone but me. I accept it.)

Regardless of how it happens, now you have bowls of cherry tomatoes all over your kitchen and no plan.
Eating them fresh is best, but we are past that. Canning isn’t my favorite option, because there is so little flesh in them. I have been known to toss a few handful’s in while I am doing a big pot of salsa, but that wasn’t in the cards this year.

My favorite option is actually dehydrating. It is quick, easy, and shelf stable. I just rinse my tomatoes, slice them in half, and fill the dehydrator trays. Personally I like to put them skin side down. I find that they take longer that way, but they don’t stick to the trays the same.

I leave mine until they are very dry. The top ones that almost look a bit cooked are what I am aiming for. (The lower ones that are a brighter red are still flexible and aren’t done yet.)Then they are perfect to toss into soups or slow cooker recipes all winter long.
Have you gone down the dehydrating rabit hole yet? It is a great tool to have! What do you like to dehydrate best?

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