I have said this before. OrganicGardeningHomestead group on Yahoo is wonderful!!

Dried Tomatoes in Oil

Making Dried Tomatoes in Oil-"WORTH REPEATING"

Making your own dried tomatoes is a great idea, but there are some
precautions. Follow the recipe exactly and do NOT add fresh garlic,
chili peppers, rosemary, basil or other fresh ingredients to the
tomatoes and oil. If you do, the tomatoes must be refrigerated and
used within three weeks.

While oil itself is not a good growth medium for bacteria, adding
fresh low-acid foods creates a breeding ground for deadly botulism.
Botulin toxin is produced by a species of bacteria that thrive where
there is moist, low-acid food, a temperature between 40 and 140
degrees, and little or no oxygen. The toxin affects the central
nervous and digestive systems, and victims can suffer double vision,
weakness, headaches, digestive problems and respiratory failure.

Dried herbs may be added and the jars can be stored at room
temperature indefinitely (until the oil turns rancid).
Jan Roberts-Dominguez

Dried Tomatoes
Makes about 1 pint

7 or 8 pounds firm, ripe Roma (Italian) tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, or a mixture of dried
basil, oregano and
thyme (optional)
2 teaspoons salt (optional)
White or red wine vinegar (optional)
About 1 1/4 cups olive oil (optional)

Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Cut out the stem and the hard
portion of core lying under it. Halve the tomatoes if they are less
than 2 inches long; quarter them if they are larger. With the tip of
a knife or your index finger, scrape out most of the seeds without
removing the pulp.

Depending on your method of drying (food dehydrator, oven or sun),
arrange the tomatoes, cut surface up, on the dehydrator's drying
trays or on nonstick cookie sheets. Combine the Italian seasoning
with the salt, and sprinkle a small amount over the surface of each
tomato. (The Italian seasoning and salt are not used for food safety
reasons; they are strictly there for flavor, so if you want to
eliminate them or cut back the proportions, do so.)

To dry in dehydrator: Dry the tomatoes according the manufacturer's
instructions, or as directed below for the oven method. For the most
perfect, beautifully shaped tomatoes, turn them every hour or two.
They're done when they're dry but still pliable -- similar to the
texture of a dried apricot.

The tomatoes will not all dry at the same rate. As they reach the
right degree of dryness, remove them from the oven or dehydrator.

Place dried tomatoes in airtight containers and store in the cool,
dark, portion of the pantry, or freeze. To store in olive oil: Dip
tomatoes in a saucer of white or red wine vinegar, shake off the
excess, and pack in the olive oil. Make sure they are completely
immersed. The vinegar dip may sound silly, but I've tried several
methods, and the vinegar treatment makes the difference between a
good dried tomato and a great one. When the jar is full, cap it
tightly and store at cool room temperature for at least a month
before using.

To guard against your oil turning rancid, consider storing your jars
in the refrigerator. The oil will turn cloudy and become thick, but
it will thin out and clear up at room temperature. However, if you
follow the vinegar-dip guidelines, you may not have a problem with
rancidity.
I've stored unopened oil-packed tomatoes in my pantry for up to two
years without a problem. It's your call.

As tomatoes are removed from a jar, add more oil as necessary to keep
the remaining tomatoes covered.

Oven-drying method: Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on jellyroll
pans and bake at 170 degrees for about 3 hours. Leave the oven door
propped open about 3 inches to allow moisture to escape. After 3
hours, turn the tomatoes over, cut side down, and press flat with a
spatula. Continue to dry, turning every few hours and gently pressing
flatter and flatter, until the tomatoes are dried. This procedure may
take about 12 hours, but often takes a significantly shorter time,
depending on the moisture content of the tomatoes.

Avoid over-drying, which causes toughness. If not dried enough,
tomatoes will mold. (If you have any doubts, store them in the
freezer to prevent molding.)