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Although local traditions report small differences in preparation, the common procedure is that which involves drying in the sun after harvesting, carried out in the summer. The tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with more flesh and pulp and with a thicker skin, or cherry tomatoes, are cut in half lengthwise, sprinkled with a little salt, arranged on a wire rack and left to dry for a few days outdoors in the sun. The duration of exposure varies according to the climate: on sunny days in Southern Italy it ranges from 4-5 days to 8 days. During the night, they are placed in a dry place, indoors, and covered with cloths, to prevent the nocturnal humidity from slowing down the process or damaging them.

Once it has been verified that they have lost a large part of the naturally contained water (about 80%, 90%) – that is, when they have become thinner and curled at the edges – we proceed to the actual conservation, which can be done in various ways. The simplest one involves placing the tomatoes in preferably hermetically sealed, glass jars.

A more tempting possibility is to preserve them in oil. In this case they must be rinsed and blanched in a solution of water and vinegar to sterilize them and left to dry for another two days in the sun and in the air. They are then arranged in layers in glass jars covered with extra virgin olive oil and with the addition of aromatic herbs (mint, oregano, thyme, basil), garlic, capers or spices (chili pepper). After being kept in a cool place for at least two weeks, they are ready for consumption. In addition to the preparation of dried tomatoes – with domestic preparation where the climate permits and industrial processing, where drying is carried out in a controlled way, in an oven or dryer - there is also that of the semi-dried variety.

The difference regards not only the traditional or more modern production and drying technology, but also the level of drying. In fact, if in traditional dried tomatoes you see the almost total loss of water, in the case of semi-dried tomatoes they retain part of the water and are softer. The variable in this case is time, as they are left to dry for a shorter period.

Not only the longer duration is guaranteed: the same can be said about the maintenance of properties: drying does not cause the loss of vitamins and mineral salts. The custom of drying tomatoes crosses all the regions of the South: however, there are local differences that are worth discovering. So, here is a short gastronomic journey through the traditions of the South.