自家製油漬黑蕃茄乾 Homemade sundried black tomatoes in olive oil

自家做蕃茄乾一點難道也沒有，只要不在潮濕日子做便可。北風吹過，太陽曬過更有助發酵。味道更見濃厚芳香。配意粉，法包，炒飯等。非常方便多元化呀！


特別是黑蕃茄，高抗氧化食材。今次選用台灣“嚴選”的有機黑美人小蕃茄，味道豐富，帶陣陣香氣。小蕃茄保存期不長，以風乾油漬能延長保存期。更重要是蕃茄經烹煮，其茄紅素更易被吸收。因茄紅素不溶於水，只溶於油。所以加工或烹調過的蕃茄，其茄紅素比新鲜的高出幾倍，如油漬蕃茄，茄膏，茄醬，茄汁。


三個製作程序：
1. 日光/風乾 (Sundried process )
2. 晚上焗爐低温風乾 (air dry in an oven)
3. 水壓法抽真空 (preserving)

黑蕃茄洗淨，過凍滾水，切開，放上通氣架上。
有日光時，置於露台，天台，不直接有陽光的位置。或家中窗邊通風位, 當一面收水，可反轉

Wash the tomatoes, rinse with tepid water, halved, place them on a big rack.
Leave under indirect sunlight at day time, like balcony or window side. Flip the tomatoes when the top is dry

約下午5-6點，放入焗爐，以30-40度暖風吹，直至睡前取出，置放通風位置。
沒有焗爐或低温風吹模式，則置放於通風位置。第二朝重複, 時間稍微延長

Towards the evening, bring those tomatoes into the oven. Turn to air dry/hot air mode at 30-40 degree Celsius until sleeping time. Remove from the oven, leave them at the area with good ventilation. Repeat next day

若要半乾，約三天時間, 包括放入焗爐；想再乾一點，時間增長至5天。但天氣一旦轉變，如下雨，潮濕則放入焗爐繼續或儘快入樽

For semi dried tomatoes,  it takes around 3 days including air dry in the oven or increase days of processing for more drying result. Once weather changed, like raining or foggy, continue drying in the oven or go to the "preserving" process

半乾的製成品能保留一點口感。玻璃瓶洗淨，煲10分鐘消毒。放入風乾蕃茄，加入4隻用熱水冲洗再印乾的乾辣椒(或香草，如Thyme, basil, 蒜粒)。注入初榨橄欖油。此時初步驟完結，放入雪櫃，保存少於一個月。但經以下程序能延長保存至數個月

The above are semi dried tomatoes. Wash a glass bottle,  sterile it by boiling or steaming for 10mins. Put all sundried tomatoes in with 4 pc of dried chili which cleansed with hot water and dried with kitchen paper (or other herbs, like Thyme, basil and garlic cloves). Fill up with extra virgin olive oil then. Refrigerate and finish by 1 month or preserve as follow

最後程序"保存"， 使用能高温，抽真空之濶口瓶, 圖中使用的是Ball mason jar.
酸性食物，如蕃茄，果醬可使用這樣浸入熱水消毒，抽真空的方法。詳情可網上搜尋有關Home preserving. 根據Ball, complete book of home preserving, 蕃茄屬於低酸性食品，使用壓力煲抽真空較佳。然而加入酸性物質，如醋，檸檬汁也可。

當然，置於橄欖油中能起防腐作用，它能阻隔食物與跟空氣接觸產生氧化。能保存食物很長時間

做法:
1. 注入橄欖油，必須高於蕃茄，油要低於樽頂1cm
2. 準備大煲，注入熱水，在煲底放入布或 silicone 墊。
3. 樽蓋蓋上，扭緊但不能太緊，以助樽內空氣排出, 放入煲中，水必須高於樽。
4. 細至中火，煲30分鐘。

Direction:
1. Fill up the mason jar with olive oil for which tomatoes should be covered with oil. Oil should be 1cm lower than the jar top.
2. Prepare a big stock pot or canner, bring the water to a boil. Place a pc of cloth or silicone pad at the bottom of the pot.
3. Screw the jar band down until resistances is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Place jar in the canner, ensuring it is covered with water.
4. In low to medium heat, process for 30 mins

放涼後，按下瓶蓋中心，若沒的嗒聲表示在真空狀態，可保存室温1個月或雪櫃3個月(愈乾，保存時間愈耐)。開蓋後，1，2個月內進食了。置於室温，有可能有漏氣出現。放雪櫃保存較理想，特別潮濕天氣。放過雪櫃的橄欖油會凝固，每次使用，只需取一部分放置室溫一陣便可。整體是花心機之作, 不太難，味道卻很獨特富香氣。試試！

When cool down, just press the lid to check whether it is sealed. If no tic tak sound. It will be fine to keep in the room temperature for a month but keeping in the fridge can prolong the shelf life up to a few months especially after opened. Enjoy!

Tips:
1. 天氣潮濕不宜做。做的期間，若發現有發霉或臭，請棄掉。
2. 蕃茄較大難乾，初做者可試車厘茄或小蕃茄。

1. Do not make sundried tomatoes on raining or humid days. Once there are mold or bad smell, discard immediately.
2. For beginners, try making with baby or cherry tomatoes as big one would be dried longer time.