Homemade Tomato Butter and Sundried Tomatoes

Quick Summary: Sun-dried tomato butter is a compound butter made by blending rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes with softened butter, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Use it as a spread, a pasta sauce enhancer, a topping for fish or vegetables, or freeze it in logs for year-round use. Prep: 20 min | Makes: 8 servings

Jump to: RECIPE | What is Tomato Butter | How to Use It | More on Sun Dried Tomatoes | FAQ

At HeathGlen Organic Farm, one of the heirloom tomato varieties I grow is called Principe Borghese and it is grown specifically for drying.

There are a ton of uses of these tomatoes once dried, and one of my favorite ways is by making tomato butter. It’s the perfect way to get concentrated tomato flavor in the middle of winter.

Blend rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes with softened butter, garlic, and herbs, then freeze in logs to slice off as needed. It makes pasta, vegetables, fish, and simple breads into something special.

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What is Tomato Butter?

Butters that have herbs or grated citrus whipped into them are referred to as compound butters. Most of these are herbal compound butters, but combining finely minced “sun-dried” tomatoes with softened butter is another delicious form of a compound butter.

The beauty of this tomato butter is that it is easily frozen and can be used all Winter to enhance just about any recipe or dish.

How to Use Sun-Dried Tomato Butter

The basic way to make this is to whip softened butter until smooth and fluffy and then to add minced or pureed sun-dried tomatoes (see recipe below). Often cooks will add minced garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice, pepper and salt. See recipe below for my version.

If you want to make your own “sun-dried tomatoes”, this guide takes you through the “how-to” on drying tomatoes, whether you want to dry them in the oven or in a dehydrator. After drying you can use them in so many ways!

Here are some further ideas for using this flavorful compound butter:

• Stirred into any Italian pasta sauce
• Melted over Romano beans or any other vegetable for that matter
• As a spread on crackers or rustic breads
• Stirred into scrambled eggs
• As a spread on a sandwich
• As a condiment on a cheese tray

Ideas for using sun-dried tomatoes

Once sun-dried tomatoes are rehydrated they can be blended with a number of different bases to form delicious spreads. If you are drying your own tomatoes the key to flavor is to use a variety that is meaty with a good sugar-to-acid balance.

• Rehydrate and mince the tomatoes and add capers, garlic and herbs with a little vinegar and olive oil (perfect with goat cheese and crackers)
• Blend rehydrated, minced tomatoes into a white bean puree with a bit of rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice and serve with pita bread
• Blend with hummus and serve with fresh vegetables.

FAQ

More Methods for Preserving Summer’s Produce:

Check out this preserving category for more guides on drying, pickling and preserving fresh fruits and vegetables.