Now I know this whole soaking thing is not brain surgery, but I post this as a reminder to myself. Softening sun-dried tomatoes as well as any dried fruit, is very easy.
I like to heat water in a small pot--not to boiling. Then I soak the sun-dried tomatoes for about 20 minutes. After that I dry them off with a paper towel and pick over them to remove any damaged parts or big stem areas. Then they are ready for chopping, slicing, packing them in olive oil with garlic and herbs, or whatever your little heart desires.
And here are they are all soft and warm out of the soaking water.
Yum.
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5 comments:
it makes me happy to see you posting again, even if it's recipes instead of funny stories, it's all good when it comes from you.
okay... dumb question, I alreay know. But you can't just use them out of the bag?
Kelly--
Not a dumb question at all. Um....I don't know really, other than it's a texture thing and every time I've seen them used in a recipe or on a cooking show they do it.
I have used them out of the bag, and they have been a little too chewy, tough, and maybe even a bit dry. But, that being said, sometimes in recipes that would be okay if there were liquid in the recipe to help soften them up--say in a risotto, or in polenta, a pasta sauce. For the pesto, I think they need to be softened or they wouldn't, for lack of a better word, incorporate into a smooth sauce.
But, I preface all cooking advice or answers with this: I am a total amateur and still learning. Do what works best for you.
YUMM!
Re to question about using sun-dried tomatoes straight out the bag... You have to soak them otherwise they are very chewy and hard to eat. I also recommend soaking them in cream overnight in the fridge - - absolutely delicious when added to pasta or anything! so bad for you, yet soooo good!
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