There are so many lovely ways to preserve tomatoes. Many recipes include blanching, but I don't throw out my tomato skins when I can do this with them.
The first step is to dehydrate the tomato skins until they are very dry. They should crumble in your hands.
Once all of the tomato bits have dried collect them and then place the dry tomatoes in your food processor or blender. If you are unsure how to dehydrate tomatoes check out this video.
Blend, Chop, Grind your dried tomatoes in your blender or food processor for 1 to 2 minutes. It is always amazing to me how a full food processor will yield just a cup or so of powder. Chopping it up really reduces the space it fills.
Using a jar funnel, place the powder in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dry place. I like to use a mason jar for this.
To use the powder, add it to any recipe that you would normally use tomatoes in. It can be a great addition when cooking pasta or rice. It is also good for thickening up tomato sauce.
