Quick Summary: Dehydrate fresh summer tomatoes and grind them into powder for year-round tomato flavor. One tablespoon can replace a can of tomatoes in stews and sauces. Includes 18 ways to use tomato powder, ratios for converting to paste and sauce, and storage tips. Prep: 10 min | Dry time: 8-24 hours
Jump to: RECIPE | Why Make Tomato Powder? | Method for Drying | 18 Ways to Use Tomato Powder | Tomato Powder in Pastes & Sauces | More Preserving Methods | FAQ
There’s no comparison between the sad, tasteless grocery store tomatoes of winter and the fresh summer tomatoes packed with umami, sweetness, and a touch of acid. But there’s a way to capture that summer flavor for year-round use.
At HeathGlen Organic Farm, I grow heirloom tomatoes for the farmers market, and dehydrating the surplus into tomato powder is one of my favorite preservation methods. The flavor concentrates as the tomatoes dry, so you don’t need much to add a punch of real tomato taste to winter dishes.
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Why Make Tomato Powder
In it’s simplest form, tomato powder is simply dried tomatoes that have been ground into a powder for long term storage and use. As with other dehydrated fruits and vegetables, the sugars concentrate and the flavor tends to intensify so you don’t need to add very much to get a lot of punch in return.
Tomato powder is typically just one ingredient (the tomatoes), but adding some salt to the powder will enhance the flavor and also keep it from clumping over time.
Salt is a preservative and will keep the powder fresh longer, as well as preventing clumping. If you do add salt, just be sure to modify your recipe if it also calls for salt. You don’t want to oversalt.
If you happen to be a tomato aficionado and grow or buy different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, you can also add nuanced flavor to the powder by choosing heirlooms with specific flavor profiles.
**Tip: Tomato powder is rich and a bit sweet and it pairs well with paprika and/or garlic
Check out this collection of popular tomato recipes for a range of tomato recipes, from fresh salsas to slow cooked stews, to tomato martinis.
How to Dry the Tomatoes?
While extremely easy to make, just know that tomatoes do take some time to dry, especially the juicier ones. Roma tomatoes won’t take as long because they are meatier, but I find many Romas don’t have the robust flavor that I like in a tomato. I opt for the meatiest beefsteak-type tomatoes I can find.
Most often the tomatoes are dried in a dehydrator, but it is possible to dry them in the oven or outside in a warm, dry climate.
It is also possible to dry tomatoes in an oven. Most ovens won’t go under 200 degrees however, so if you are drying in an oven, make sure and check them more often. Also know that they will probably be a darker color if you are drying in an oven.
Dehydrator Method:
The beauty of the dehydrator is control. A dehydrator allows you to control the temperature and sometimes the time, depending on the dehydrator.
I generally cut them into 1/2” slices (they will shrink a lot) and place them in the dehydrator at 135 degrees F for 12-24 hours. The lower heat allows the tomatoes to preserve their bright color, adding a nice visual element to your dish. Higher temperatures will render darker tomatoes and can also burn them, resulting in a bitter taste.
Check them every so often until they are no longer pliable and then grind them up in a coffee grinder and you’re good to go.
**Pro Tip: Don’t oil the dehydrator racks. Oil on the fruit or vegetable being dried can cause spoilage and rancidity during long term storage.
How to Make Tomato Powder
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short, slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick (no need to peel or seed). Lay slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays and dry at 130-135°F for 8-24 hours until completely crisp with no pliability. Grind the dried tomatoes in a blender or coffee grinder until they become a fine powder. Add salt while grinding if desired. Store in an airtight container.
18 Ways to Use Tomato Powder
Let me count the ways. It’s a perfect option not only for replacing tomato juice, paste, and sauce, but if you get a bit more creative, the uses are endless.
Here are some of my favorite ideas for using tomato powder. Remember to add salt to these ideas to bring out the best of the tomato flavor (if you didn’t add salt to your original powder).
- Add a tablespoon to savory winter stews or pasta sauces (flavor-wise, a tablespoon of the powder can replace a can of tinned tomatoes
- For a tomato sauce, use 1 part powder to 2 or 3 parts water, And 1/4 tsp salt
- Shake it up with an oil and vinegar salad dressing
- Use it as a secret ingredient in dry rubs or BBQ rubs. Mix tomato powder, salt and your other favorite dry rub ingredients, apply to chicken or beef and grill or roast as a sheet pan dinner
- Reconstitute tomato powder with hot water, add some herbs and then add it to your pizza as a sauce (or fold it into the dough if you make your own pizza dough)
- Rehydrate the powder with heavy cream and add to your scrambled eggs
- Use it as a rub for roasted vegetables. Shake on, toss with oil and roast in a 350 degree oven.
- Make a homemade spanish rice
- Add more robust flavor to your salsa by adding some powder to the chopped grocery store tomatoes
- Mix it with parmesan or powdered cheese and sprinkle over popcorn
- Make a homemade spanish rice
- Add it to your Bloody Mary
- Add it to mayonnaise for a zesty, creamy sandwich spread.
- Mix tomato powder and herbs into some cream cheese to use as a spread for crackers
- Add it to a meatloaf recipe
- Stir it into bread doughs or pastry dough (sourdough bread anyone?)
- Add to deviled egg toppings
- Sprinkle on top of hummus
**Tip: If the dish you are making does not have added salt, be sure and add 1/4 tsp or so. It will really enhance the flavor profile of the tomato powder. Some people ad a little bit of sugar also, but that is usually not warranted unless you have tasteless tomatoes to begin with.
Converting Powder to Paste and Sauce
In the following recipes (except for the spice blend), always simmer the powder with the water while stirring or whisking to fully dissolve the powder and thicken the sauce.
Tomato Paste: Start with a 1:1 ratio of powder to water and then simmer it down to the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Tomato Sauce: Depending upon how thick you want your tomato sauce to be, you will want to add somewhere around 1 part of water to 1 part tomato powder. 1/2 cup tomato powder + 1/2 cup hot water + salt to taste makes about 8 ounces
Enchilada sauce or pizza sauce: For a thinner sauce for something like enchiladas or a pizza sauce, you will want to add more water. 1/2 cup tomato powder + 1 – 1 1/2 cups water + salt to taste
Italian Spice: For 3-4 T of mix, blend 1 T tomato powder with 1 1/2 t dried onion, garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano, and 1 t salt
How to Store Tomato Powder
Store the dried and ground powder in an airtight containers. If you store them in plastic bags, remove as much air as possible before sealing them.
You can store the dried tomatoes at room temperature if they have been thoroughly dehydrated. If you haven’t got them completely dried, you will need to store in the fridge to help keep mold from forming on them.
I don’t recommend storing in oil. It can go rancid and it is not as safe as storing them in dried form.
One of the really nice things about tomato powder is that it doesn’t take up much room and it can last indefinitely if it was thoroughly dehydrated.
More Methods for Preserving Summer’s Produce:
Check out this preserving category for more guides on drying, pickling and preserving fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Easy Green Tomato Pickles
- Preserving Fresh Herbs as Herbal Infused Salts
- Freezing Compound Butters made with Fresh Herbs
- Salt & Vinegar Cucumber Chips
- How to Make Shrub Syrups (cold process vs. hot)
FAQ
Meaty beefsteak-type tomatoes have the best flavor. Roma tomatoes dry faster but often lack robust flavor. Use heirlooms if you can.
Indefinitely if thoroughly dried and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If not completely dried, refrigerate to prevent mold.
Yes, but most ovens won’t go below 200°F, so check frequently. The tomatoes will be darker in color than dehydrator-dried ones.
About one tablespoon of powder can replace a can of tomatoes in stews and sauces. Adjust to taste.
Salt enhances flavor and prevents clumping. If you add it, adjust salt in your recipes accordingly.
Yes, but homemade powder from fresh tomatoes has brighter flavor. Store-bought sun-dried tomatoes often contain oil, which doesn’t grind well.
Completely crisp with no flexibility. If they bend at all, keep drying. Any remaining moisture causes mold during storage.
No. Tomato powder is for dry storage. For canning, use established canning recipes with fresh or reconstituted tomatoes.
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Tomato Powder
Equipment
- serrated knife Or just a sharp knife
Ingredients
- 5 Med Tomatoes Use meaty tomatoes, beefsteak if possible
- ¼ Tsp Salt Optional
Instructions
- Rinse tomatoes and pat dry. Slice tomatoes approximately 1/2” thick. You do not need to peel, de-seed or core.5 Med Tomatoes
- Lay the slices on the dehydrator trays, in a single layer. You won’t need to turn the tomatoes
- Set the dehydrator to 130 – 135F. The time it takes to dehydrate will vary depending on the tomatoes you use, but they’ll take at least 8 hours and probably more. Check them at the 8 hour mark first. Tomatoes should be crisp and not at all pliable.
- Once the tomatoes are 100% COMPLETELY dry, peel them off of the trays and place them in your blender or food processor. Blend the tomatoes for about 30 seconds, and then let the machine cool for about 30 seconds. Repeat until all the tomatoes are a fine powder.If you are using salt, add it to the blender when grinding.1/4 Tsp Salt
- Tomato powder is wonderful stuff! Check out the above post to get ideas of how to use it.
This was very helpful! I plan on trying out many ways to use tomato powder.
Have made many rubs and powders over the years. A little hint I have discovered is to add about 10 grains of uncooked rice to the spice mill when grinding the herbs and spices..it doesn’t effect the flavor but prevents caking in humid conditions..
Perfect. Thank you for the tip. I do get some caking with a few of my spice blends but I’ve been reluctant to add the anticaking product (not really sure what is in it). I’ll try your rice tip on my next batch!
Can I add salt to my tomato powder? Thought it might help deserve it and keep it from clumping? Thank you in advance.
Yes, please do add salt. It not only helps to preserve it, but it “deserves” it also lol. Actually salt brings out the flavor more also. I just avoid it because I sell the product and a lot of people can’t take much salt. A lot of processed food is oversalted but anything you make at home should have salt in my opinion. It’s much harder to oversalt if you cook at home.
Preserve it not deserve it. Sorry for the typo.