Oven-Dried Tomatoes

From the garden

• 5 lb plum or cherry tomatoes, washed and halved lengthwise · meaty paste types dry fastest and best

From the pantry

• salt · a light sprinkle

1. Heat the oven to 200°F. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise; scoop the seeds and juice out of larger plum halves with a fingertip so they dry evenly (cherry tomatoes just get halved). Line two sheet pans with parchment.
2. Arrange the halves cut-side up in a single layer without touching and sprinkle lightly with salt, which pulls moisture out and seasons them as they shrink.
3. Dry in the oven 5–8 hours (cherry tomatoes closer to 4–6), rotating the pans every couple of hours and propping the door open a crack with a wooden spoon if your oven runs humid. Pull any small ones that finish early.
4. They're done when shriveled and leathery with no wet, sticky pockets when you tear one open: pliable like a raisin, not moist in the middle. Meaty halves can take the full 8 hours; be patient rather than raising the heat.
5. Cool completely on the pans, then pack into an airtight container. For pantry storage the pieces must be brittle-dry; the chewy, pliable ones most cooks prefer belong in the fridge or freezer.