Homemade Tomato Powder

I just made a huge batch of homemade salsa (16 pint jars).  Needless to say I had a lot of leftover tomato skins. Not wanting to waste them I decided to make homemade tomato powder.  Here’s what I did.

Needed Materials

  • Dehydrator

  • Tomato skins

  • Blender

Instructions

  • Wash, blanch and cold water bath your tomatoes (if you don’t already have tomato skins)

  • Once your skins have been water bathed the skins should slip off easily

  • My skins were in the fridge for a day and they were still perfectly fine for dehydrating

  • Place your skins in your dehydrator trays

  • Single layer (no overlapping)

  • Turn your dehydrator on and leave for 6-12 hours

  • You will want a lower heat to retain as much of the nutrients as possible

  • I placed my dehydrator on 125 degrees and they took about 9.5 hours

  • I also rotated my trays once when I noticed the skins on the top where still squishy

  • When your skins are done they will be thin with a crispy, paper-like consistency

  • Next I placed my skins in my mortar and pestle and pounded them to smaller sizes

  • This made it easier to blend

  • Transfer your skins to your blender or food processor

  • Blend for 1-2 minutes

  • Consistency of your final product is personal taste – if you want a pure powder you might need to blend a little longer

  • Store in an air-tight container in a cool/dry place

Uses for Tomato Powder

  • Sprinkle on anything you would like to add tomato flavour too

  • Grilled cheese

  • Scrambled eggs

  • Macaroni and cheeese

  • Ground beef/veggie ground for tacos or sloppy joes

  • Can be rehydrated and made into a paste for

  • Curries, soups and stews