For years, Principe Borgese has been touted as the "Ultimate Drying Tomato" (and I have absolutely no idea why anyone would think so.) And I will agree, area and weather makes a difference but we were discussing this on a tomato forum and most said what I said, seedy, average taste and too much trouble. I will give you a list of what I grow. I want Red, BIG, meaty, dry, nearly seedless and early-mid-season. Chefs are starting to ask for the "blacks" because they read something again ($#&@&^$*$) about how the blacks were supposed to have this "salty, smokey, earthy" flavor (I say bah humbug...they taste just the same as any others but I am happy to accomodate them and double the price which they happily pay!) I grow these: Opalka Chinese Federle Amish Paste Carol Chyko Denofrios German (these are HUGE-ripen early and have almost no seeds) Leatha's Italian Russo Sicilian Togeta Big Black Heart (I received in trade, un-named-HUGE, Dry few seeds) Sicilian Saucer Memorial Polish Paste I have about five hundred plants or more (always more.. ) I try at least 3 to 10 new varieties each year. They have to have large fruit, few seeds, dry flesh, ripen fairly early and be tough...we get a lot of wind and late spring cool nights in Wyoming. It takes so many ripe tomatoes to dry 1 pound of product, big and meaty are just absolutely the only way to go. I also soak my sliced tomatoes in Red Wine for 24 hours prior to drying and watery, seedy, less meaty tomatoes fall apart too easily in the soaking process. Every variety listed above has passed muster and has become an official member of my "herd", As I am moving to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico this spring for good (we spent part of last year remodeling our house down there) I will probably have to grow entirely different varieties (a chilling thought....) But, I will certainly have a longer growing season... For sauce...ONLY Costoluto Genovese...it comes through the tomato mill practically finished sauce and the flavor is great. This is a tomato that does not taste so hot fresh but the cooking process changes the chemistry. "Someone who knows" on the tomato forum says: I fully agree with your comments on Costoluto Genovese. The sauce is phenomenal. Tomatoes are supposedly high in the flavor component called "Umami" Saucing and dehydrating concentrates umami flavor. Glutamate has been identified as the organic component responsible for umami flavor in tomatoes, and it has been found that glutamate concentration varies with variables such as variety and ripeness. My suspicion is that c.g. would be high in glutamate, and that heating somehow activates or enhances it. As an interesting note, supposedly glutamate is concentrated most in the seeds and pulp. When making fresh sauce for myself I leave the seeds and pulp on. If i'm cooking for others I remove the skins. I'm growing several hearts this year plus Costoluto Fiorentino and another called Canestrino#1 which supposedly also tastes much better sauced than fresh. So there you go.

Ken is right. I DO refrigerate always those that are in oil. I also use "acidification" (go here to see how. Karen found the link) http://cefresno.ucdavis.edu/files/11202.pdf If you give them as gifts as I do you MUST remind receivers to refrigerate (I have labels for tops of jars.) My family specially likes the oil that tomatoes were in drizzled over Italian toasted bread. Karen, "Kashie" (?) Foods (The Cereal People) are making a GREAT tomato-herb cracker also. I make sun-dried tomato pate and/or olive tampanade to serve with them. The pate & Tamponade are a HUGE hit with guests who have usually never heard of or eaten either of them. If anyone wants recipes for either or both just let me know. I also have a FABULOUS!@!! Roasted Pepper & Tomato soup recipe that freezes great and even improves with age. I use up a lot of end-of-season tomatoes and peppers and make a triple batch just to freeze. My hubby loves it in the winter and my friends and family drive me crazy for it. In case anyone is wondering, I worked my way through college cooking for an upscale Italian Restaurant that did a lot of catering so I really love to cook (A lot more fun when it's not a job...HAH!) Mary

Flo - as I mentioned on your other post, White Wonder isn't a cherry tomato variety. It is a ind. beefsteak. So can I ask where you are getting the seeds? Where they are calling any cherry tomato White Wonder? There is a Snow White cherry, a Dr. Carolyn cherry that is white, and one named Coyote. They are all indeterminate plants. As for the drying, I think I mentioned that most of us use dehydrators (or ovens) instead. Are you planning to dehydrate or try to actually dry in the sun? It can make a big difference on which size of fruit will work. Sun drying in your location might be far easier and faster than it is for many of us but even with the smallest fruit it can take several days. Plenty of time for bacteria to contaminate the fruits. Pest issues arise too that you don't have with the dehydrator. Then there is the uniformity of drying issue. While dehydrators provide a uniform finish, sun drying isn't uniform. Moist pockets remain and can quickly spoil. You can get around that to a degree with freezing after drying. That also kills any insect eggs that may have been laid. With a dehydrator yes, you can easily dry 1/4-1/2" thick slices of big tomatoes. Slice, drain on paper towels for a few minutes, dip or roll in any seasonings or wine/lemon juice you plan to use, and spread on the drying tray. Dave

The link below is to several other discussions on how-to and using dried tomatoes. You'll notice that most of the active discussions are over on the Harvest Forum here. We talking alot about drying various foods as well as methods used over on that forum so join us. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Drying tomatoes discussions