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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Yes, I can sun dry them, but I have to pick my time carefully and I may
have to finish them off in the house.  I have multiple window screens
that I can use.  Birds, squirrels, and ants can be a real problem
though.  I will have to constantly be moving them around.  Since this
week has a 30% chance of rain or better every day, I may wait a week or
just do it in the truck.  I like dried tomatoes so much that I like them
both ways, but you are right, the sun maybe caramelizes the sugars or
something and they are definitely sweeter if they are sun dried.  I
usually, half them, save as much seed as possible, make a slit so that
it will lie down flat and toss the tom in a bowl of lemon juice.  When I
get enough, I load up the screen or dehydrator, sprinkle the toms with a
dash of salt, and wait for what seems like an eternity.<g>  I'm not
sure, but I think my Amish Paste and Romas have crossed.  I grow them
together, and they are looking more and more similar as the years go on.
 Shape wise they are very close now, but the Amish paste retains the
little point on the blossom end, a very handy little point to grab and
pull when you are skinning tomatoes.  I don't think I've ever dried the
sausage toms, but they are so meaty that I am going to try it this year.
 I think I will cut them into strips, specifically quarters.  I get
hungry just thinking about it.

I started the fermenting process for saving tomato seed.  I have
multiple jars on the table, each with a different variety of tomato.
I've been able to save a good bit of seed so far this year.  The
combination of varieties (Abe Lincoln, Mr. Stripey, Brandywine, Roma,
Amish Paste, Red German Strawberry, Caspian Pink and Sausage) make a
nice sauce, not too acid, and I'm real pleased with the taste of just
the plain sauce.
I'm not putting some of the toms in the sauce.  Cherokee Purple, some of
the larger, prettier Brandywines, and the cherry toms are just for eating.

Lynda wrote:
> Well, on the garlic cause it comes out of the ground.
>
> Salt *alone* will inhibit botulism because it removes the growth
> medium. However, we are talking about salt curing, not just a pinch.
> A pinch of salt does nothing in that respect.
>
> When you put it in oil, you are putting it back in a growth medium.
> The salt won't have any effect once the oil is introduced.
>
> BTW, dehydrated tomatoes, for whatever reason, aren't as tasty as
> those you actually dry in the sun.  Don't know if you guys out there
> can do that because of the humidity??  Yes? No?
>
> Lynda

--
Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the ocean's depths, MY son is
protecting your freedom on the USS Key West, currently deployed
somewhere in the Pacific and/or Indian Ocean.  Go Navy!
EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA