Saw this on food tv....They had a small time farmer on this show who grew veggies to sell. One year his tomatoes got toppled over by strong winds, and he had loads and loads of them and had to find a way to use and sell them. He smoked em. Naw, not smoked em, but smoked them as in, like ham. (you old folks get your minds out of the 60's). He's selling them as fast as he can make them. Unlike sun dried, they have a very distinct bacon like flavor. In fact alot of people substitute them for ham and bacon in recipes. One lady that uses them said you can't tell if it's the tomatoes or bacon when she's cooking with them, when you first walk into the kitchen. I believe he said he smoked the tomatoes for 4 days. Said they will probably last for 2 to 3 years and he sold them in fancy plastic baggies. The smoked tomatoes had the same look and texture as sundried. I'm going to do a small batch when the tomatoes come in and see if I like em. Might be a nice substitute for vegetarians.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), March 09, 2002

Answers

Wonder if you could extend the life by pre dehydrating them before smoking? I thought in the 60s they smoked bananas :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), March 09, 2002.

Jay, the way they looked when he took them out of the smoker was that they were like dehydrated ones. Possibly the slow heat from the smoker? I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between sundried and the smoked. He also sold them packed in oil. I forgot to add, when they were cooking the tomatoes with eggs, they sliced them up into pieces.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), March 09, 2002.

Jay, it was the peels, not the whole banana. And you dried the peels before you smoked them. Not...that I...would know.... ;^'~

-- gilly (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), March 09, 2002.

Thanks for the idea Annie. I'll have to try it this summer.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), March 10, 2002.

Smoked tomatoes are still leathery when finished, You can store them in olive oil or dry them more to use them crushed or powdered. I make these just like chipotles (smoked jalapenos) they are delicious! Smoking seem to add so much flavor to foods, try smoking your own block of cheese or a pan of honey. They are really good too! Best wishes.

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), March 10, 2002.

Hi cowgirlone, this fella on the show that smoked the tomatoes, was from Texas, I believe around Houston. The lady that was using them for an omelet, sliced them up. The consistency looked to be like a dried apricot. Reckon they would keep like this? He sold them like this and also packed in jars with oil. Would the smoking have an added keeping effect?

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), March 10, 2002.

Annie, I have never tried to keep them very long like this. They are about like a dried apricot, kind of leathery. I pack them in oil or bag them for the freezer. I have dried them (after smoking), they last this way. They are really tasty!!! Hope this helps!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), March 10, 2002.

Annie, do you have a smoker already? I would like to try this, too, but I don't have a smoker. Anyone have any plans for a makeshift small smoker?

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), March 10, 2002.

Bren, I was going to try one of those small ones that you can pick up at K-mart. But, the guy on the tv show had made one out of what looked to be tin roofing material and wood framing. It was a rough looking contraption, but evidently worked great!

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), March 10, 2002.