I put pizza sauce in the dehydrator this morning before I left for work.

Should it end up one big leathery sheet (like the canned fire roasted diced tomatoes I did a few weeks ago)

Or should it be completely dried and then run through the blender to create powder?

Are both options or will I be able to tell when I get home and it's finished?

It all depends on how long you dehydrate it. It will take longer to get it dry enough to run thru a blender or coffee grinder to get it to powder. Plus it depends on what you desire in the finished product. We've done spaghetti sauce to a fruit leather and used it that way.

quote OldFingers57: "It all depends on how long you dehydrate it. It will take longer to get it dry enough to run thru a blender or coffee grinder to get it to powder. Plus it depends on what you desire in the finished product. We've done spaghetti sauce to a fruit leather and used it that way. "

Thanks. I tend to be impatient :-) so I suspect I'll go with the fruit leather texture as long as I know it will work that way.

If I thin the sauce with water, it seems like it dries faster and less leathery. I think because the end result is a thinner sheet due to less solids per square inch in the finished product.

When dried, I've dusted mine with a thin layer of white flour to keep from sticking together. I can't say for sure it helps. I've packed it as both leather and also powdered in food processor.

I made the mistake of dehydrating canned tomato sauce (has spices) vs tomato puree (same thing, no spices) this spring. Maybe a personal thing, i'd just rather add my own spices.

I rinse and drain my diced tomatoes before drying, spread out a bit, and don't touch until fully dry in dehydrator. This have a good result with nice individual pieces, more or less, not a leather. If you stop the dehydrator before the diced tomatoes are fully dry, they make an interesting trail snack.

I tried it as leather - took a roll and then cut up one piece with scissors - like maybe 1/4 or 1/2" pieces. Might use a pizza cutter next time. I liked the cut up. Don't think I'd like the powdered but who knows. I store in vac pack in freezer till I head north. I always start re-hydrating at lunch time in a GSI fair share mug. Usually mix in dehydrated onions and peppers at that time as well.

I've heard that it helps to freeze the pizza sauce leather before putting it in the blender. It didn't work for me, but others may have some success.

tomato powder is kick ass good!

I make some every years when the garden over runs with tomato's. I start by seeding a bunch of tomatos(I use roma tomato's cause i think they have a richer fuller favor)and dry them for a day or two. When they're "crisp" and break under finger pressure I move them to the blender and turn them into powder. So what so good about that? Add 4 table spoons of tomato powder, 2 table spoons of powdered milk, a 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch and your favorite herbs or blends with a pinch of salt. Now add boiling water and you have a great tomato soup or base for a soup or start of something different for dinner in the wilds with out carrying a load of weight.

I did end up with a leather-like substance. We rehydrated some of it recently to have campfire pizzas at home on the patio and it worked out great. Did one batch that I started with cold water and heated it up. Did another batch starting with hot water. Both worked fine but the one I started with cold water in the afternoon was a little chunkier in the end.

Our campfire pizzas now will be made entirely from dehydrated ingredients except for the string cheese and Naan bread.