An abundance of tomatoes

Just weeks ago, the great tomato scare had singled out some versions of our summer icon as suspects in the salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds. But tomatoes of all types from all sources eventually were found not guilty in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's salmonella probe.By all accounts, only one delicious problem remains: using up those red baubles piling up like bocce balls in offices, on doorsteps and in markets. Not to worry: We're about to share ideas to devour and preserve them.Once you get them home or out of the garden, store them at room temperature, never in the refrigerator. The refrigerator causes the juice to separate from the pulp. Also, chilling causes tomatoes to stop ripening. You can speed up the ripening by storing them in a brown paper bag.If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of tomatoes, there are several ways to preserve the bounty. Depending on how you want to use them, they can be canned, dehydrated or frozen.CanningThere are two basic canning methods: water-bath canning, used for high-sugar or high-acid foods such as fruit, pickles, tomatoes and jams; and pressure canning, for low-acid items such as beans or meat.Tomatoes, because they are considered high-acid, can be water-bath canned. The food is packed into sterilized Mason-type jars, liquid is added, and a sterilized lid is placed on top of the jar. The filled jar is submerged in a pan of simmering water for a specified processing time.Because many food-safety factors are involved, it is important to follow instructions and use recipes from a reliable source. Recipes from the Kerr and Ball companies (the companies that make canning jars and tools) are among the best.It's also important not to use old family recipes. Tomatoes grown today, for example, are not as acidic as those grown years ago, so it's necessary to add lemon juice or vinegar to them before water-bath canning.DehydratingDrying is one of the oldest methods of preserving foods, said Judy Mansfield, a master food preserver. She and her husband, Darryl, often demonstrate dehydration techniques at a University of California Cooperative Extension office in Sacramento."Dehydrating is very simple, and you don't have to have a dehydrator to do it," Judy Mansfield said. "Having a good dehydrator is helpful but not necessary.""The problem with dehydrating is that the food tastes so good and it has been reduced in size so much that it's easy to eat too much," Darryl Mansfield said. "The calories are still there -- just the water has been taken out."Preparing tomatoes for dehydrating is easy. Just wash and dry them, then cut the tomatoes into small pieces. The Mansfields often cut them into quarters or small julienne slices.If you are using a dehydrator, place the pieces on drying trays, then put those into the machine and follow the instructions that came with your dehydrator. Drying takes six to eight hours, depending on the size of the pieces and the moisture content.To dry tomatoes in the oven, wash and slice them, and place them on clean screens or racks. Set the oven to the lowest setting, 150 degrees or lower. Place the racks inside and leave the door ajar while the tomatoes dry. Drying will take about six hours, and you will probably need to rotate the racks halfway through the drying time.For sun-drying, the weather needs to be about 85 degrees. Place the sliced tomatoes on clean screens and cover them with cheesecloth. Prop the cloth up so that it does not rest directly on the tomatoes. The cheesecloth is simply to protect the tomatoes from bugs. Drying will take two to three days, and you will need to bring the screens in at night to prevent moisture buildup.No matter which method you use, when properly dried, the tomatoes will be pliable but not sticky or hard. After drying, place the tomatoes in a tightly sealed plastic bag. If they develop condensation, they are not dry enough. Then freeze the tomatoes for 24 hours to kill any bugs. Finally, pack the dried tomatoes in jars.Two weeks before you want to use dehydrated tomatoes, place them in a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice and toss to cover. Then drain them on paper towels. Add seasonings to a clean jar, then add the tomatoes and fill the jar with oil. Store them in the refrigerator, and in two weeks they will be ready to eat.Fourteen pounds of fresh tomatoes produces about 8 ounces when dried. Calories and fiber amounts do not change during dehydration, but dried tomatoes will lose a small amount of vitamin A and some other vitamins and minerals. Dehydration destroys nearly all of the vitamin C.FreezingTomatoes are not great when frozen, said Dennis Prendergast, a master food preserver who lives in Orangevale, Calif."They tend to get mushy, but you can make sauce to freeze, and that works just great," he said.For freezing, start with firm, ripe tomatoes. For best results, remove the peels.To remove the peels, bring a pot of water to a boil, dip the washed tomatoes in it for 30 seconds, then drain them. The skins will slip off easily.Pack whole or cut tomatoes into freezer containers, leaving 1 inch of head space to allow for expansion. Seal and freeze them. They will keep in good quality for about a year.You can also make sauce using your favorite recipe, then freeze it in freezer containers leaving an inch of headspace.PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND PINE NUTSServes 412 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)2 cups boiling waterNonstick vegetable oil spray1 pound mushrooms, thickly sliced1 large onion, chopped1 cup dry white wine2 large garlic cloves, chopped12 ounces penne pasta, uncooked1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted1/4 cup sliced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons driedSalt and pepper to tastePlace sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let stand until tomatoes soften, about 15 minutes. Drain tomatoes, reserving the soaking liquid. Thinly slice the tomatoes.Spray a large, nonstick skillet generously with vegetable oil spray. Add mushrooms, onion, wine, garlic, reserved tomato soaking liquid and sliced tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquids are reduced by half and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the same large pot.Pour sauce from the skillet over the pasta. Add the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Toss, adding reserved cooking liquid by quarter-cupfuls if the mixture is dry. Mix in basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.-- Bon Appetit magazineMUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOESMakes 18This is a tasty way to use sun-dried tomatoes for appetizers.1/2 ounce dried tomatoes (about five large pieces) not packed in oil2 tablespoons olive oil18 white mushrooms1/4 cup finely chopped shallots1/3 cup finely ground dry breadcrumbs1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled2 tablespoons freshly grated ParmesanPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a small bowl, soak tomatoes in hot water to cover, 5 minutes. Reserving 1 tablespoon soaking liquid, drain the tomatoes well and chop fine. Remove stems from mushroom caps and chop the stems finely, reserving the caps.In a small skillet, heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, and cook the chopped mushroom stems and shallots, stirring until shallots are softened.In a bowl stir together the mushroom mixture, breadcrumbs, tomatoes, reserved soaking liquid, yolk, parsley, basil and salt to taste. Mound stuffing in reserved mushroom caps and arrange caps in a lightly greased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle mushrooms with Parmesan and bake in middle of the oven for 15 minutes.-- Gourmet magazineMore informationYou will find more information and recipes for preserving tomatoes and other vegetables on the Web site for the National Center for Home Food Preservation at www.uga.edu/nchfp.(Contact Gwen Schoen at gschoen(at)sacbee.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)