Dehydrating Cherry Tomatoes
This post is all about dehydrating cherry tomatoes in a food dehydrator.
If your garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes, dehydrating them is one of the easiest ways to make sure none of them go to waste.
Cherry tomatoes always seem to come in faster than we can eat them.
One day you’re picking a handful for a salad, and the next you have bowls of tomatoes sitting all over the kitchen counter.
Dehydrating cherry tomatoes is such a simple way to preserve that abundance.
Once dried, they’re sweet, intensely tomato-flavored, and perfect for adding to soups, pasta, homemade bread, sauces, and so much more.
And unlike canning, you don’t need a bunch of jars or a big pot of boiling water.
Just slice the tomatoes, put them in the dehydrator, and let it do most of the work.
Why You’ll Love Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes
- Easy way to use an abundance of cherry tomatoes
- Helps prevent garden produce from going to waste
- Takes up very little pantry space
- Concentrates the sweet tomato flavor
- Great for soups, pasta, sauces, and breads
- Uses just one ingredient
- Perfect for stocking your pantry for winter
If you’re new to dehydrating, check out my Dehydrating Food for Beginners guide for everything you need to know before getting started.
What You’ll Need
One of my favorite things about dehydrating is how little equipment you actually need.
Ingredients
- Fresh cherry tomatoes
That’s it!
You can add seasonings if you’re making tomatoes specifically for snacking, but I usually leave mine plain.
Keeping them plain makes them much more versatile when I want to cook with them later.
Equipment
You’ll need:
- Food dehydrator
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Dehydrator trays
- Airtight jars or containers for storage
I use my food dehydrator constantly during garden season. It’s one of my favorite ways to preserve smaller amounts of produce without pulling out all of my canning equipment.
What Are the Best Cherry Tomatoes for Dehydrating?
You can dehydrate just about any cherry or grape tomato.
The best tomatoes are ripe and flavorful but still firm.
Avoid tomatoes that are moldy, spoiled, or badly damaged.
You can use:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Grape tomatoes
- Yellow cherry tomatoes
- Roma-style grape tomatoes
- Small heirloom tomatoes
You can even mix different varieties together.
The sweeter your tomatoes are when fresh, the sweeter and more concentrated they’ll taste once dehydrated.
How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes
The process couldn’t be much easier.
Step 1: Wash the Tomatoes
Wash your cherry tomatoes thoroughly under cool running water.
Remove the stems and discard any tomatoes that are spoiled or damaged.
Dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
Step 2: Slice the Tomatoes
Cut each cherry tomato in half.
Try to keep the pieces relatively similar in size so they dry at about the same rate.
For larger grape or cherry tomatoes, you can cut them into quarters if you want them to dry faster.
There’s no need to peel them.
Step 3: Arrange on the Dehydrator Trays
Place the tomato halves onto your dehydrator trays in a single layer.
I like to place them cut-side up.
Leave a little room between the tomatoes so air can circulate around them.
Don’t pile or overlap the pieces.
Good airflow is one of the keys to even dehydrating.
Step 4: Set Your Dehydrator
Set your food dehydrator to approximately 135°F for vegetables.
Dehydrate the cherry tomatoes until they’re completely dry.
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, your dehydrator, humidity, and how much moisture the tomatoes contain, this can take roughly 8 to 14 hours.
Start checking them toward the earlier end of the range.
Some pieces will probably finish before others.
Simply remove the finished tomatoes and allow the remaining pieces to continue drying.
How Do You Know When Cherry Tomatoes Are Done Dehydrating?
This is more important than following an exact number of hours.
The tomatoes should feel dry and leathery rather than wet or juicy.
There shouldn’t be any obvious moisture when you tear or squeeze a cooled piece.
Larger pieces may remain slightly pliable, but they shouldn’t feel moist inside.
If you’re unsure, let them dry a little longer.
Extra moisture left in dehydrated food can shorten its storage life and encourage spoilage.
Naturally Jamie Tip
Don’t judge your tomatoes while they’re still warm.
Warm dehydrated food can feel softer than it actually is.
Take a piece out of the dehydrator and let it cool completely before checking it.
I also like to cut one of the thicker pieces open to make sure there isn’t any moisture hiding in the center.
Do You Need to Remove the Seeds?
No.
There’s no need to remove the seeds from cherry tomatoes before dehydrating them.
Simply wash, slice, and place them onto your dehydrator trays.
That’s one of the reasons this is such an easy way to preserve them.
Should You Season Cherry Tomatoes Before Dehydrating?
You can, but I usually don’t.
If you’re making dehydrated cherry tomatoes to use as a snack, you could lightly season them before drying.
But if your goal is long-term pantry storage and cooking, I recommend leaving them plain.
Then you can decide exactly how you want to season them when you use them.
Plain dehydrated tomatoes can go into Italian recipes, soups, bread, sauces, casseroles, and plenty of other dishes.
How to Condition Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes
Once the tomatoes are completely dry and cool, loosely place them into a clean glass jar.
For the next several days, check the jar daily.
Shake the jar occasionally so the pieces move around.
Watch closely for any condensation or moisture inside the container.
If you see condensation, the tomatoes need more drying time.
Put them back into your dehydrator until completely dry.
This extra step is called conditioning and can help you catch unevenly dried pieces before putting everything into long-term storage.
How to Store Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes
Once you’re confident the tomatoes are completely dry, transfer them to an airtight container.
I love storing dehydrated foods in glass mason jars because I can easily see what’s inside.
Keep the jars somewhere:
- Cool
- Dark
- Dry
Light, heat, air, and moisture can all reduce the quality of dehydrated food over time.
For the best quality, make only as much as you expect to use within about a year and check stored foods periodically for any signs of moisture or spoilage.
Can You Vacuum Seal Dehydrated Tomatoes?
Yes.
Vacuum sealing can be a great option if you’re dehydrating a large amount of tomatoes.
Removing more air from the package can help protect the quality of dried food during storage.
You can vacuum seal them in bags or use a mason jar vacuum-sealing attachment.
Just make sure the tomatoes are completely dehydrated and cooled first.
Vacuum sealing doesn’t make improperly dried food safe to store.
How to Use Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes
This is where these little tomatoes really shine.
Dehydrating concentrates their flavor, so a small amount can add a lot of tomato flavor to a recipe.
Try adding them to:
Soups and Stews
Toss dried tomatoes directly into soups and stews.
They’ll absorb some of the cooking liquid as they simmer.
Pasta
Rehydrate them and toss them into pasta with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and herbs.
Homemade Bread
Chop dehydrated tomatoes and add them to homemade bread or sourdough.
Tomato, garlic, herbs, and cheese make such a good combination.
Pizza
Rehydrate the tomatoes and use them as a pizza topping.
Eggs
Add chopped rehydrated tomatoes to scrambled eggs, omelets, or breakfast casseroles.
Sauces
Rehydrate them and blend them into homemade tomato sauces.
Tomato Powder
One of my favorite options is turning completely dried tomatoes into tomato powder.
Put the dried tomatoes into a high-powered blender or spice grinder and process them into a fine powder.
Tomato powder takes up almost no pantry space and can add concentrated tomato flavor to soups, sauces, chili, and other recipes.
How to Rehydrate Dried Cherry Tomatoes
Place the amount of dried tomatoes you need into a bowl.
Cover them with hot water and allow them to soak until softened.
Drain off any excess water and use them in your recipe.
You can also add dried tomatoes directly to recipes that already contain plenty of liquid, such as soups and stews.
Can You Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes in the Oven?
Yes, although I prefer using a dehydrator.
A dehydrator is designed to maintain low temperatures while continuously circulating air, which makes the process much easier.
If you’re using an oven, set it to its lowest available temperature and arrange the sliced tomatoes on baking sheets.
Because many ovens don’t go as low as a dehydrator, you’ll need to watch the tomatoes closely.
Drying time can vary significantly depending on your oven.
For long-term storage, make sure the tomatoes are truly dried rather than simply roasted.
Dehydrated vs. Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Dehydrated cherry tomatoes and traditional sun-dried tomatoes aren’t exactly the same thing.
A food dehydrator gives you much more control over temperature and airflow.
It also protects the tomatoes from insects, weather, and changing humidity.
That’s why I prefer the dehydrator for preserving tomatoes at home.
You get that concentrated tomato flavor without needing several hot, dry days outside.
Can You Dehydrate Frozen Cherry Tomatoes?
You can dehydrate previously frozen tomatoes, but the texture will be much softer once they thaw.
For the best-looking dried tomato halves, I prefer starting with fresh cherry tomatoes.
If I’ve already frozen a bunch of tomatoes, I usually save those for sauces or other cooked tomato recipes instead.
How Long Do Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes Last?
Properly dried and stored tomatoes can maintain good quality for many months.
For the best flavor and quality, I like to rotate through my dehydrated produce and use it within about a year.
Always inspect dehydrated foods before using them.
If you notice moisture, mold, an unusual odor, or anything else that seems wrong, discard them.
Why Dehydrating Is One of My Favorite Ways to Preserve Tomatoes
Canning tomatoes is wonderful, but sometimes I don’t want to pull out the water bath canner for one bowl of produce.
That’s where my dehydrator comes in.
I can take a bowl of cherry tomatoes that might otherwise sit on the counter too long, slice them in half, and have them drying within a few minutes.
And once they’re finished, an entire tray of tomatoes takes up hardly any room in the pantry.
It’s such a simple way to make the most of what we’re growing instead of letting good food go to waste.
More Ways to Preserve Tomatoes
If your garden is producing more tomatoes than you know what to do with, try some of these other preservation ideas:
Canning Whole Tomatoes – An easy way to keep simple tomatoes on the pantry shelf for soups, chili, sauces, and winter meals.
Canning Marinara Sauce – Turn a big tomato harvest into ready-to-use homemade pasta sauce.
Canning Pizza Sauce – One of my favorite pantry staples for making homemade pizza night easier.
25 Foods You Should Be Dehydrating Instead of Throwing Away – More ideas for turning extra garden produce into shelf-stable pantry food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you dehydrate cherry tomatoes at?
I dehydrate cherry tomatoes at approximately 135°F, which is a commonly recommended temperature for dehydrating vegetables.
How long does it take to dehydrate cherry tomatoes?
Plan on approximately 8 to 14 hours, although drying time varies considerably.
The size and moisture content of your tomatoes, humidity, dehydrator model, and thickness of the pieces can all change the drying time.
Always judge doneness by the tomatoes themselves rather than the clock.
Do you have to blanch cherry tomatoes before dehydrating?
No. Cherry tomatoes can be washed, sliced, and placed directly into the dehydrator.
Do you have to peel tomatoes before dehydrating?
No.
Leaving the skin on makes this preservation method incredibly simple.
Can I leave cherry tomatoes whole?
I recommend cutting them.
The skin creates a barrier that makes it much more difficult for moisture to escape from a whole tomato.
Cutting them in half exposes the inside and helps them dry much more evenly.
Why are my dehydrated tomatoes still soft?
Some dried tomato pieces can remain somewhat pliable, but they shouldn’t contain pockets of moisture.
Let a piece cool before testing it.
If you’re unsure whether it’s sufficiently dry for storage, continue dehydrating it.
Don’t Let Extra Cherry Tomatoes Go to Waste
If you’re staring at another bowl of cherry tomatoes from the garden and wondering what you’re possibly going to do with them, put your dehydrator to work.
This is one of the simplest food preservation projects you can do.
Wash.
Slice.
Dehydrate.
Store.
That’s really it.
And when you’re adding those little bursts of summer tomato flavor to a pot of soup in the middle of winter, you’ll be glad you saved them.
