Equipment:

• Dehydrator
• Food Processor
• Coffee/Spice Grinder
• Airtight storage container such as canning jars and lids
• Optional: Mason jar vacuum sealer or attachment for sealer unit

Ingredients:

• Fresh Tomatoes – Any kind that you favor
• Arrow Root Powder
• Optional: Desiccant Packages for optimal dryness

Instructions:

• Gather your tomatoes. You can use any kind you like. Mixing them up gives a nice, complex flavor to the dust.
• With a sharp knife, slice your tomatoes. I go for about a quarter inch or so. Too thin and they don’t want to peel off the dehydrator tray without crumbling and falling apart. If you go thicker they will just take longer to dry. I just cut the small cherry and grape tomatoes in half.
• Place slices directly on the dehydrator racks, making sure they don’t overlap at all. If your tomatoes are especially juicy, you can rest them on a paper towel for a few minutes before racking them.
• Once your racks are full, load them in the dehydrator. Run the machine at 130 – 140 degrees. Time will depend on how thick your tomato slices are and how much moisture they initially contain. I’ve had some batches take up to 24 hours. Just keep checking on them. What you’re looking for is them to pop off the trays without too much of a fight and break when folded. If they feel leathery or bend and not break, they are not done. They must be completely dry before you grind and store them, otherwise you will wind up with a sticky mess and a lot of wasted time and effort. Patience is key here.
• After your tomatoes are completely dry, place them in a food processor and grind them up.
• Next, put them in a coffee grinder/spice grinder to get a nice, fine grind. You can then sift them through a mesh sieve if you really want fine powder.
• I put my freshly ground powder in a large bowl next so I can mix in the arrow root and so the mix can completely cool before storing.
• Add about a half teaspoon arrow root for every cup of powder and mix in thoroughly. The arrow root will keep the powder from clumping up during storage. Depending on your own storage conditions, you may find you need to use a little more or a little less. If you don’t have arrow root, you can use corn starch.
• I store my powder in mason jars and seal with a vacuum seal attachment. I also put a couple desiccant packs in as well, just to be extra sure this stuff stays completely dry.
• You can use the powder to make anything you would put processed tomatoes in. There are recipes everywhere out there!