Question about sundried tomatoes

[KristaMB]

I'm a sundried tomato novice, so I just did a search and read the thread from last summer on sundried tomatoes. Next time I'll buy the ones in oil, however for now I still have a few questions.

I re-hydrated mine according to the package directions, but now I realize that I should have let them sit longer since I wasn't happy with the results. Can I try re-re-hydrate them again tomorrow with more boiling water and let them sit longer?

Since I re-hydrated the whole package, but only used a few tonight, how do I store the rest of them? Right now they are drained and covered in the fridge. I'm planning on using more in a recipe for tomorrow's dinner.

TIA for all the help!

~Krista

[keeganm]

The same thing has happened to me with hydrating...I have found that you absolutely need to use boiling water and let them sit for about 10 minutes, or feel them to make sure they are nice and soft. I would go ahead and use them tomorrow, and if they are still hard, just rehydrate again. I store mine in a ziploc bag in the fridge (unhydrated) and they last forever! Good luck.;)

[Jewel]

I'm a novice too, and I was told to only hydrate them as I need them. I keep a zippie bag in the fridge of the dried tomatoes, (I buy mine from Trader Joe's) and only pull out what I need. You need to DEFINITELY use boiling water, and let them sit for 8-10 minutes. Any longer than 10 minutes and they get really mushy.

I've used them dry as well for some pasta dishes! A pair of kitchen shears and a strong arm and I can chop those babies up to sprinkle in a creamy pasta sauce about 10 minutes before serving. Because I like the taste of tomatoes but not the texture, this works really well for me. I get that flavor but not the squishy gooey thing. They rehydrate enough in the sauce to get soft, but not mushy! :D

[LGBurns]

I haven't seen the previous post so I'm interested why you say next time you will buy the ones in oil? I have always used the plain dried and rehydrated and never had a problem. I personally see no reason to add oil to my diet where it isn't necessary. Then again, I haven't read the other post so maybe I'm missing something (?).

[KristaMB]

From this thread I gathered that the ones packed in oil were easier to use and tasted better. But, if I can find a way to make the dehydrated ones "work" I'd be happy to use them.

Here is the thread from last summer:

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1313&highlight=sundried+tomatoes[/URL]

LGBurns, how long do you soak them? Do you think that I can re-soak the ones I tried last night, or should I start over?