I Got Two Questions

First one is how do I sun dry tomatoes? I just love em and was wondering how can I do it myself.

Second is are the shampinion mushrooms found in stores are raw?(the ones in salt water in a sealed jar), the manager told me that from what she knows they take em fresh and put em in those salt water, but figured I’ll ask around here first.

Comments

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    you can easily sun dry tomatoes on a hot and sunny day(cut them in half and lay them out on a board or cookie sheet).

    I seriously doubt that the mushrooms at your store are raw. If they are sealed in a jar then they had to be canned which involves boiling. So I’d skip on those if at all possible.

    Hope this helps:)!

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    you can “fake” sun dry your tomatoes by putting them in the dehydrator in slices. i like to “half” dehydrate them so they just get tender and “cooked.” they have the sweetest flavor.

    anything you buy in a jar has been pasteurized, and the sealing process involves heat.

    good luck!

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    I have a question for people who use dehydrators to dry tomato halves. I did several trays a while back. I had little grape tomatoes, strawberry tomatoes, the small cocktail tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. I dehydrated at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. They turned out spectacular, but it took 5-6 days to truly dry them out. I would have taken them out sooner, but I read that if there’s any moisture in them, they’ll go bad over time in a sealed jar. Mine have kept wonderfully, but I was shocked that it took almost a week to dry them. Did I do something wrong?

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    “anything you buy in a jar has been pasteurized, and the sealing process involves heat”

    Not always true, I buy raw olives from Sunfoods that are raw, I also get raw Kombucha as well.

    Your best bet is to check the label. It will saw Raw if it is. FDA regulates that. It can’t saw raw unless it is. If something doesn’t saw it’s raw, it likely isn’t.

  • sweetpea-how big are the sizes you are dehydrating? a couple of summers ago, my boyfriend and i made sun dried tomatoes in the sun, and the bigger ones took longer to do, so we cut them up smaller. I wonder if you do smaller sizes it would take less time.

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    Well, the grape tomatoes are literally the size of oblong green or red seedless grapes. The biggest ones (cocktail tomatoes) were probably about 1.5 inches or so in diameter. They definitely took the longest. Part of the problem, I’m sure is that this type is quite juicy and seedy, unlike plum or Roma tomatoes, which are typically what you’d find in a commercial package of sun-dried tomatoes. I don’t use any salt or oils. The result is these little ruby red gems that taste more like candy than tomatoes. They’re awesome! They do wonders for my marinara sauces.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    i do slices, rather than halves. it takes less time. you can start them out for 3 hrs at 145 degrees and then take the temp down to 115. gabriel cousens swears the inside temp doesn’t go up to 145 in the first 3 hrs.

    caleb—clearly if you buy from a raw food source that statement doesn’t hold water. i HIGHLY doubt the FDA regulates the term “raw” since the almonds at whole foods still say “raw” even though i called them and they have to pasteurize them like everyone else. cashews are also commonly called “raw” but in raw foodist terms that’s a lie.

    raw usually just means not roasted.

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