Tomato Powder

[Puddlefish]

I dehydrated some paste, got these pretty tomato leather strips that seemed fairly crunchy. I decided it would be more convenient on the trail as powder, put in in the food processor, and POOF! Tomato dust streaming out of the food processor from every single little gap. My kitchen looked like a sandstorm hit it.

Next time, I'm buying the stuff pre-made.

[hubcap]

pics.... :-)

the fun of "inventing"

[Pedaling Fool]

I still have tons of tomatoes left over from last year's harvest out of my garden (I dehydrated all of them). I got sick of putting them in soups and such, so last night I put them in a blender and chopped them up so I could use them in garlic bread sauce -- adds a great taste.

I didn't have issues with powder leak and actually there was not much in the way of powder, so I tend to think that maybe you over-dehydrated your tomato paste.

[Puddlefish]

I still have tons of tomatoes left over from last year's harvest out of my garden (I dehydrated all of them). I got sick of putting them in soups and such, so last night I put them in a blender and chopped them up so I could use them in garlic bread sauce -- adds a great taste.

I didn't have issues with powder leak and actually there was not much in the way of powder, so I tend to think that maybe you over-dehydrated your tomato paste.

Some was over dehydrated and powdery, some was under and bendy. Poor quality control on the thickness on my part. A blender would have been much better as well, as they seal up nice and tight. Oh well, I needed to clean all the odd corners of my kitchen anyway.

[Tipi Walter]

This one is simple: Get your favorite tomato soup or pasta sauce and dry it on a silicone sheet in your dryer. Once dry peel it off and place in ziploc. On your trip tear the sheet apart and place it in your cook pot with "enough" water to make soup. Bring to boil and place in pot cozy for 30 minutes. Voila, you have tomato soup.

Better yet, cook up a big pot of spaghetti with sauce and mushrooms etc and once finished and edible dry it on your silicone sheets. One box of pasta with sauce will fill up a gallon ziploc with dried spaghetti---

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/TRIP-137/i-QcNcLzh/0/L/TRIP%20137%20014-L.jpg
This bag of dried spaghetti with sauce lasted me 9 days for dinners.

[One Half]

you could have powdered it by hand with a mortar and pestle

[Vegan Packer]

Some food processors have a seal to prevent this. Mine does not, and I feel your pain! LOL

Fortunately, I also have a Vitamix. They make a dry container for it, not the standard one that comes with it. It looks the same, but the blades are made to grind dry materials. That works really well.

[Farr Away]

If you don't have a blender or other option, you might try throwing a towel or piece of an old sheet over the food processor before you turn it on. That should help contain the mess.

-FA

[Puddlefish]

If you don't have a blender or other option, you might try throwing a towel or piece of an old sheet over the food processor before you turn it on. That should help contain the mess.

-FA

Sure, now you tell me about the before part! I did eventually toss a damp towel over it. I've used the processor for years, things had always just ground right up with minimal mess. I suspect the large chunky flakes were acting as fan blades and getting spun around instead of breaking up. Whoosh!

[HDLV]

There is really no reason to blend it in the first place. In my experience tomato sauce/paste leathers easily rehydrate back into there original form after being soaked and boiled. I add strips of the leathers to dehydrated dishes that I think would benifit from tomatoe flavor.
Good luck!

[bikebum1975]

I really need to get a dehydrator.
Great ideas using the sauce to make soups

[lonehiker]

I powder my dehydrated refried beans and tomato sauces in a coffee grinder. Primary reason for making them into a powder is that they seem to rehydrate faster.