The tangy taste of tomatoes is a perfect additive for all sorts of dishes. It gives the dish a unique touch of flavor that feels good to the taste buds. Not to mention the nutritious content of this vegetable. It's a rich source of Vitamin folates, magnesium, chromium, chlorine, zinc, and phosphate.

However, the vegetable does not have much shelf life. It has high moisture content and deteriorates rapidly. They won't last even a few days in the standard conditions, even if you refrigerate them. The best trick here will be to semi-dry them. It's an underrated method but is extremely beneficial. Here's how it can be beneficial for you.

Shelf Life

A balanced temperature and pressure condition can help you to eliminate the excess water content from the tomato. It will not harm its natural nutrients or harmful radicals but will eliminate the shelf-life issue.  

The dried tomatoes can stay on the shelf for weeks after packing. Their producers will also sometimes add a few natural preservatives to the semi-dried tomatoes to further enhance their life. The processed edible is also safe for refrigeration and doesn't have any harmful effects on your health. In short, you get all the benefits of tomato without its deterioration problem.

Preserved Taste

The sun-dried tomatoes are underrated in the market because most people believe that their taste is inferior. However, it's just a belief and has nothing to do with reality. Merely drying them with natural heat sources like the sun won't affect the vegetable's overall composition or chemical structure. The sun-dried tomatoes in oil will still have the same mouth-watering taste as you get from fresh tomatoes.

In fact, the consistency of these sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil will be much better than you expect. You can add some water and easily use them for pizzas, pasta, salads, or any other dish without worrying about the tanginess.

Economical

The low shelf life of the tomatoes makes it problematic to store them for prolonged uses. You will have to visit a nearby market to buy them every few days. This quick degeneration will also affect the total wastage of the vegetable. A slight error in selecting your batch, and you will end up throwing away most of them.

Both these factors make tomatoes cost affecting for your household or restaurant. It may not seem like a problem in the short term but it's never good for the long term. Therefore, wherever possible, try using the sun-dried tomatoes. They don't degenerate, and you can easily stack them for months. Hence, you save money on gas and reduce wastage.

Enhanced Nutrients

Tomatoes have a lot of essential nutrients and antioxidants that can prevent various diseases, including cancers. Its consumption can also help you with Alzheimer's obesity and neurological disorders.

The best-sundried tomatoes don’t just retain these nutrients but also enhance their concentration. A cup of these berries can offer you nearly one by fourth of your daily required vitamin C and a considerable amount of vitamin A. It also has much better calcium and magnesium content for your body. Eating them can relax your heart muscles and regulate blood pressure for much better cardiovascular health.

Similarly, the rich concentration of iron in the Sun-dried tomatoes can help you with hemoglobin. It will increase red blood cell count, which in turn increases oxygen supply in the body. The vitamin C will further ensure that your body absorbs the iron.

Other than these common issues, these tomatoes can also provide you with lycopene, lutein, and Zeaxanthin. They come in handy for combating macular degeneration, cataracts, and prostate cancer.

Final Words

The semi-dried tomatoes are quite underrated in the market. People think that being dried, these tomatoes don't have the benefits of fresh tomatoes. The reality is just the opposite. These dried tomatoes don’t just possess all the benefits but offer much more than the fresh tomatoes. You must include them in your grocery shopping list.