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Hi KathyKath, I believe that if you buy them already dehydrated then you run the risk of them having been dehydrated at an excessively high temperature – thus killing all of the live enzymes and sort-of defeating the purpose of the rawness of the tomato.
But you could always ask the shop clerks at your health-food store if they know how the tomatoes were ‘sun-dried’.
Hope that this info helps!
BTW—I love your J.L. picture :)
thanks, greenghost! that does help. so does that mean my best bet would be to just dehydrate my own tomatoes? i suppose that seems simple enough :)
You can also buy sun-dried tomatoes from raw websites so you know where they come from.
Dry your own is the best and freshest way (and fun!). However, if you buy them in the store, like at Whole Foods, you’ll find them in the bulk section.
Cheers, Kristen Suzanne
Also in most recipes, these are an easy soak—about 1 hour tops in cool water. you know, don’t soak them in hot water.
you know, do call the company. lots of people told me that frozen berries aren’t really raw but when I did the research I found several brand that were. so just give it a try before you do and buy a whole bunch of really expensive tomatoes and dehydrate them.
The difference between sun dried and mechanical dehydration is important. To be authentically labeled “sun dried,” tomatoes must be dried over several days by the sun’s natural heat. Dehydrated or tunnel dried tomatoes may be artificially dried at temperatures up to 200Á F. in a matter of hours, a process which may burn or scorch the fragile tomato.
Also, many store brands use a chemical peservative to keep the color and freshness.
Like KristensRaw said, dry your own, it is fun and they taste so much better, especially if you make cherry, grape, yellow or cherokee heirloom varieties.