Tomato Skin Powder or Flakes - Flavor Booster

Since the sauce class on Saturday 8th, I've had two sheets of tomato skins drying. These are tasty to add to your spice blends. The concentrated, almost roasted red pepper flavor is a great flavor booster. I was inspired by a post in You Grow Girl (a blog that has loads of great ideas) which was inspired by Liana Krissoff's 'Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry'.

Only use organic tomatoes, to ensure a wholesome product. Slide two tomatoes at a time for 30 seconds in boiling water and then dunk them in icy cold water. Slip the skins off and drain in a colander. The tomatoes can then be processed for sauce.

The skins can be laid out on waxed or parchment paper and dried in a sunny and dry location or on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet set at 200 degrees until crisp.

Break up several tbls of peels into small pieces and grind them in a spice grinder, though a very clean coffee grinder will work too.

Using a coffee grinder can be a challenge as the peels grind unevenly. Powder puffs up to make you sneeze and you end up with a mix of grinds and flakes.

To be honest, I didn't really mind this. Sprinkled on homemade Fettucini Alfredo, this would present a stunning dish.

Store the powder/flakes in a clean and dry glass apothecary jar or vacuum sealed jar. Keep it in a dark, cool, and dry cabinet.