So, you’ve just dehydrated the case of tomatoes you got from the local co-op, or your haul from the garden. What on earth do you do with dehydrated tomatoes? I’ll tell you what I do: make tomato powder.
What is tomato powder?
I’ll define tomato powder as pulverized, powdered dried tomatoes, kept in a cool dry place and added to various dishes for an unmistakable tomato flavor without even having to open a can of tomatoes.
Unless, of course, you keep your dried tomatoes in a can. But you shouldn’t really do that…
I keep mine in a pint size mason jar. Sometimes, when I’m really feeling ambitious, I’ll vacuum-seal it with our vacuum sealer. But not usually.
Okay you’re dying for the steps, I know.
1. Put your freshly-dried tomatoes in the freezer to kill off any parasites, not that there are any, because the vinegar you soaked them in before dehydrating should have taken care of them, but just in case. I like to accumulate dried tomatoes in a baggie in the freezer until I’m ready to process a batch of them.
2. Take them out of the freezer and dump them into your blender. Then blend, baby! I like my tomato powder really fine, but beware that you don’t inhale the powder that floats into the air after blending them that finely. You’ll be sneezing for the next hour. Again, just ask me.
Tomato powder tends to clump. I highly recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder when blending to help absorb any moisture your tomato powder might encounter.
3. Pour the powder into an airtight container. (I love and use these.) Store in a cool, dry place.
Add a tablespoon or two to soups, sauces , dressings, casseroles, dips, roasts, pretty much anywhere your heart desires. I love adding it to quacamole. Be creative. And if you already use tomato powder, be sure to let me know how you like to use it! I’d love to hear new ideas.
Until next time, one more thing to love: dehydrated tomato powder.
xoxo,
Dandy
Yum! I am certainly going to try this.
Hello! Just discovered your blog, and I have to say I love the idea of powdered tomatoes! What a great way to preserve that flavor for later in the year. I wonder how easy it would be to use for tomato soup in the winter? However, I did want to mention that freezing food won’t kill many bacteria, it will only slow or stop their growth. That means if they are there they can start growing again once they come out of the freezer. The only way to kill them in food is with high heat or a treatment like your vinegar soak (less effective but still a good option). (Source: Microbiology classes)
Hi Andria! Thanks for your comment! I bet tomato soup would be perfect, that sounds so good right now. 🙂 Yes, the freezing is actually to kill any parasites, not for bacteria itself – that’s why I do the vinegar soak. I didn’t make that very clear in my post and I will change it; thanks for letting me know! <3 And thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I dried two jars of tomato powder now I,m worryed about it I washed them very well but not in vinegar well I have to throw all of it a way now or can I put the powder in the freezer and kill all of the parasites in there please e-mail me and let me no about this Thank you
Hi Terry, you can definitely put the powder in the freezer for a week or two. You could always store it permanently in the freezer, but I think it should be okay. The fact that the tomatoes have been dried and there is no moisture means the bacteria have no water to survive on. I think you will be just fine!
How do you put the tomatos in the vinager do you cut them in halve or do you put them in the vinager hole and I didn,t get to put my tomato powder in the freezer yet I was whaling to here from you is it still ok to put them in there or should I throw it away it,s meen about two months please let me no as soon as you can Thank you very much
Hi Terry! When you put them in the vinegar, they are whole. You just leave them in there for a few minutes and then rinse them. I think it would be fine if you put them in the freezer for a few weeks and then used them! Hope that helps you! 🙂 <3
I recently came across a package of tomato powder in the mark down bin at my local grocery store. I bought it and have been using it and I am amazed by how sweet it is. The package is from Portugal and the ingredient lists only tomatoes. So glad I decided to do a search to see how to make tomato powder and glad you gave Terry detailed instructions. =)
So cool you found tomato powder at your grocery store! I’ll have to look for some next time I go shopping. 🙂 🙂
Good Morning. I made tomato powder for the first time this year..
(that is, after decades of canning tomatoes)
What I did was use the skins and seeds that come out of my Victorio Strainer. I dried them and then ran them thru my food processor and then thru my coffee grinder. I didn’t know about the freezer trick but will do that next time and so forth…
From the skins and seeds from 2 bushels of tomatoes, I got 2 qts of tomato powder !!!! And just think how much more I could have had if I would have done this with the first 4 bushels of tomatoes I canned this year AND all of the years prior !!!!
Thank You for the freezer tip, not just for the bug thing but for getting a finer powder.
Toodles !!!
Patti! Great idea to use the skins and seeds! And 2 quarts – WHOA!!! You rock!! Now you get to figure out all kinds of ways to use tomato powder – what a tasty job! 😉 Thanks for letting me know! <3
Thank you for the great tip on how to make tomato powder. I'll be using this in our everyday cooking but i really wanted to have tomato powder on hand to use in our meals in a jar recipes.
I use tomato powder when making flavored homemade noodles
I tried this the Other Day but omitted the freezing. The blender could not handle the tomatoes and there was a waxy residue on the blades after a Minute or so.what was that stuff and Did it happen because i didn't freeze the tomatoes beforehand?
Cool trick that I learned while powdering my dried peppers. A quart mason jar has the same threads as a blender. Fill your jar with whatever your powdering, thread the blender blade, gasket, and base right onto the jar. Then turn the jar upside down and fit right into the blender. You blend right in the jar you'll store the powder in, and no dust in the air during transfer.
Thanks for the great tip, Will!
I hate wasting the puree leftover from when I make roasted tomato soup and strain it (it includes the garlic/onions/spices from the soup), but I can’t use it as a spread or sauce because of all the skin/seeds which keep it slightly unpalatable. So I strain as much liquid as possible out, spread it on a tray and dehydrate that which yields a gorgeous full flavored tomato powder. It takes a little longer than raw vegetables but adds a great taste to any dish. Also a spice grinder works better than a blender to get a really fine consistency.
Genius! Thanks for the tip!!
Hello,
I recently made tomato powder but did not soak them in vinegar or freeze them. I just washed, dehydrated very well and blitz them up really well in my spice grinder. Do you see any harm coming from not using vinegar/freezer?
Hi James, I’m sure they will be fine. The vinegar and freezing are to kill off any microscopic eggs that might come to fruition. I do like to include the vinegar soak and freezing process to be doubly sure, but I’m sure you’ll be fine this time. 🙂
I have been drying mine for years, and just came across this blog. I have never used vinegar or freezer, and mine is just fine.
I love adding mine to soups and sauces, especially ones where you have to reduce the liquid.
I also use it as a base for a “veggie powder mix” that I make with whatever dried veggies I have sitting around. Tomatoes make up about 1/3 of that, and I add mushrooms, celery, carrots, spinach, pumpkin, bok choy, zucchini….. whatever I can find in my dehydrated stash.
I am just about to have a go at doing my first lot of dehydrated tomatoes and making the powder appealed to me. But, what I don’t really understand is where are the parasites from/could be from? We’ve washed and dried the tomatoes, Dehydrated them, then couldn’t you just blitz them up? What is the benefit of the freezing (apart from trying to kill off parasites but I don’t know where they’d be from?)
thanks – just a bit confused!