How Sun Dried Tomatoes are Made (in California)

[@OneLoveBug]

God bless all these hard working people!

[@gavinsalazar920]

You probably won’t believe me but my family’s business is pallets and we repair and make new trays that the tomatoes go on and get dried for this company. The name of this company is valley sun products

[@aliipekli7367]

good day, can you contact this company? We also do the dried tomato business. We produce about 100 tons of dried tomatoes per year. I would be very pleased if you could provide communication with this company in return for a certain commission. I am writing from Turkey. 

[@arialindsey1811]

What is the name of your pallets?

[@raja_hustle4347]

what chemicals do they use to dry them

[@frankuzmic4305]

Can you describe the process of doing these pallets? Because I want to diy at home to dry tomatoes for personal use. Thank you

[@gavinsalazar920]

@@frankuzmic4305 plywood with 2x4s underneath put the tomatoes on the plywood

[@esinohio]

Who doesn't love a great how its made video? I just can't get enough of them.

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you!

[@jessicag630]

Usually, people cover their trays when sun drying. How do they not get any insect problems with the tomato trays out in the open 9-14 days at the drying yard? Do they not have flies in California? Or do they do pest control such as regular fogging or insecticide spraying?

[@tacotony4090]

It's the bird droppings that worry me.

[@danthelambboy]

You can get sun dried tomatoes for £10 per kg delivered from the internet which is cheaper than fresh because 90% of fresh tomatoes is the water content. Dried tomatoes can be 8x the cost per weight and still be the same price per tomato. Sun dried tomatoes can be picked when they are riper because they do not need to travel before being preserved when drying. So it is possible to get better quality tomatoes for cheaper in a more concentrated flavour when choosing them dried.

[@ajaybuzzer8456]

In India you get a pound of tomatoes for 0.30$.. Now think which is cheaper

[@basilrose]

Those conveyors are moving really fast and the workers have to keep up, standing and leaning in an awkward position for hours at a time. All of them wearing waist support belts. This is the reality of factory processed food. Once you see you can't unsee, once you know you can't unknow. I'm off to look for videos on how to dry my own tomatoes in the sun this summer. Thank you for showing this video.

[@rightgirlwrongplanet]

Those workers might be happy to be employed. Standing is what doctors do for most hours of the day too. If they have repetitive strain injury then there may be a work policy to address that. They are wearing personal protective equipment. Their conditions are much better and appear safer than many third world countries.

[@rightgirlwrongplanet]

I'd be more concerned that sulphur dioxide is being gassed onto the tomatoes. Artificial chemicals added to natural food. I have no idea what effect sulphur dioxide has when humans consume it.

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

Always the same with any mass production, exploitation through and through. No pride and no joy but do your own and it will all come back. 😊

[@rightgirlwrongplanet]

Yours is a different argument regarding fair market price which is commensurate with skills, experience and qualifications. A doctor goes to med school for years and invests thousands into their career. It is not comparable to low skilled, low educated workers. My point was regarding working conditions which is what the original poster raised.

[@MJ-tx8jz]

rightgirlwrongplanet BS!

[@ipwee]

Sulfur dioxide is widely used in the food and drinks industries for its properties as a preservative and antioxidant. Whilst harmless to healthy persons when used in recommended concentrations, it can induce asthma when inhaled or ingested by sensitive subjects, even in high dilution.

[@curtlenawilson657]

All the wash steps and still have a unique sanitary drying method once outside. No protective screens.

[@ZeeonAdventure]

Exactly! That is what I was about to ask.

[@sarahmansfield9101]

Sunlight is a potent disinfectant.

[@joujimiichi1]

I have SO many questions after watching this. How does the drying co. mitigate the bacterial growth on the wooden treys? How does the drying co. control the inevitable contamination levels coming from insects landing and feeding on these open-air drying tomatoes? How much “sanitation-rinse chemicals” remain on the completed product as I noticed they were sprayed again after being cut in half? Often you find SD tomatoes in stores as a canned product suspended in an oil. That being said, what is the process there? Basic canning procedure requires heat so would that indicate that these would be cooked after being sun-dried? You may not have these answers but I would be interested in learning more.

[@mddell58]

Well made video. ✅ Informative, & the female narrator speaks clearly & is concise. ✅

[@UttamKumar-cf5jy]

Finally got the video where there is no background fancy music, so that we can hear the host crystal clearly.

[@LockRocker]

I think I'll try and dry my own supply, maybe a small scale passive solar setup with some air filter screens for intake and exhaust to keep sanitation worries at bay and under my own supervision. I do love them!

[@dreambig1916]

Have you started your business

[@alyahyai]

I have seen a few videos tonight on your channel & I had to say thanks for such wonderful & informative videos, keep up the great work 👍🏻

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you for saying that! I really appreciate it!

[@prasadareddy1723]

This kind of drying tomatoes and making pickles is the part of tradition in India for centuries

[@prasadareddy1723]

ToeJ ThanQ for the information. In this process pickle is very tasty and durable

[@briansemione6533]

I bet that place smells fucking amazing

[@LMWelsh-oh5iu]

I live in AZ and I want to do this in my backyard

[@stephenmorris9382]

Sun dried tomatoes are a great addition to a tuna sandwich - try it, you'll love it

[@ilive4anime.]

I dont know know how to can tomatoes but I sun dry!!! Had forgotten about that method of preservation.

[@KeepItFresh02]

i freakin love these things.

[@artbykcappadona5166]

Ok no rain or birds pooping on them. Amazing!

[@Bluegirl12345]

Or the birds eating the tomatoes

[@bakemaster8065]

very amazing process

[@AllieandCocosScienceShow]

Wow that was pretty amazing! My BF and I were just wondering if they were actually dried by the sun!

[@Theproducenerd]

Yes, I love this!

[@lawreformsdineshbhamare568]

All steps are without human intervention but final step loos all efforts.

[@fanvantruongvlog]

hank you! very helpful and well formatted

[@lenny108]

seems in CA they are confident that it will never rain

[@shawnkay5462]

Yeah it doesnt rain here lol

[@sewingwithjanis4636]

@@shawnkay5462 b

[@saddammaraval8202]

It was a very useful and interesting video. I am one of your followers ❤❤❤

[@emmanuelkamera8790]

Thank you so much... what about birds and pests... how do these companies that I see keep birds off?... I mean all those trays laid out in the sun? There surely will be interested birds or bird droppings

[@TheDayshifter]

4:50 the ground water looks like a duck...lol

[@sabersahoge2695]

or a rabbit

[@jtsiens2]

Funny dude

[@freedreaming1]

thank you for the information

[@danthelambboy]

Great video. Fellow food nerd here appreciates your work

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you!

[@tommybodnar8476]

This is a most excellent video. Thank you.

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you, Tommy!

[@tbullock79]

Imagine working twelve hours a day in this factory. The noise level. I bet these people are going deaf.

[@heldercapela]

beautiful processing , superb quality , that`s in California for sure.

[@tillycomedy2194]

so yummy, I love eating these from the deli. the ones from the jar taste really bad.

[@kevinsmith7164]

I enjoy sun dried tomatoes and I really don't have a problem with the open air drying.

[@bele9210]

Hi there. Thank you for such an informative video. I’m just wondering, when you say ‘sanitised water’ what does that actually contain?

[@Theproducenerd]

It depends on the company and the product, but the most common is a sanitizer that contains chlorine.

[@tomswift3261]

Very interesting and informative. Thank you!

[@cocinoconmihijaalcantara5471]

So very good 👍

[@bardgettbrandy]

I wonder if they have issues with birds? Interesting to see the process.

[@bewimotos]

so what about flies and mosquitos and other bugs wondering on the dried tomatos?

[@romeoelegadocastillo6806]

How clean and sanitized this draying process outdoor???

[@rehaankatvaar394]

Excellent narration with a beautiful voice. That is a very lengthy and laborious process, no wonder they are so expensive. Thanks for sharing this very informative video.

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you! It really is incredible the amount of work that goes into these different agricultural processes!

[@robertcoulson483]

Excellent!

[@theaverageknight]

This was a fantastic video!

[@kotimoto]

Thank you for sharing, it was interesting to see

[@AngeloAlires]

I'm all for some good ol mass production and also the easiest way to do something but a few things bother me here... Now I am aware of the allotted foreign material per volume allowed by the FDA, but how do they keep animals from contaminating such large areas of open ready to read food? Like birds flying over, mice and lizards crawling around em, and of coarse all of the waste they indiscriminately leave behind? This only comes to m mind because it doesn't seem that the majority of the trays are elevated.

[@AkhtarAli-lv1xu]

Angelo Alires hi

[@zulkarrahman2743]

good

[@springteen3743]

Like sun dry tomatoes make them yourself safer

[@zainulabdinqureshi7938]

your voice is too sweet... new subscriber

[@natalymech6619]

Omg! I LOVE dried tomato s😍

[@alexandreandrejow7711]

They are delicious

[@williamebuga8241]

Great video

[@Theproducenerd]

Thank you!

[@moofymoo]

drown, sliced, left in sun for 14 days, then skin get's scraped off. sounds like barbaric medieval torture ritual.

[@ishakamboj8259]

Good information. Love from India. How many need to completely sundry tamato.

[@gasgiant7122]

So how do they ensure that no insects have laid eggs on them. After all they have been sitting outside for some time?

[@richardshiflett5181]

Sulfur Dioxide and Salt takes care of that. They're also washed in water and vinegar

[@ACTUALLYRICH]

Where do you think fruit flys come from lol. They don’t just fly into your house. Eggs are already in there

[@gasgiant7122]

@@ACTUALLYRICH wrong! They actually lay eggs on rotting fruit!

[@ACTUALLYRICH]

One of my fave snacks to eat !!

[@winifredokonkwo2329]

Wow.amazing

[@Theproducenerd]

It really is!

[@glenshearer6219]

With this open-air system how do they prevent birds, flies and other pests from spoiling the product? 9-14 days is a long time to be sitting outside

[@hb888]

thank you! very helpful and well formatted

[@maniyaragro3123]

we are drying tomatoes in India. small scale start up. need more info on cutting and those hot air chambers.

[@adammackinnon4850]

Neat, beats my dehydrator

[@arkantos006]

Sulphur dioxide? Does it not react with the water in the tomatoes ?

[@pedromacias4075]

how were they protected from birds, insects and bacteria since they were not cleaned after drying>????

[@peaceofgodprayerministry4854]

Great job

[@lynnleigha580]

I just can't stop thinking about birds

[@timrowlett5451]

What about bugs laying eggs on these drying tomatoes?

[@atlsongbyrd6084]

So they don’t wash them again after the get stacked between the bins and the debris is knocked off?

[@andrewtowell6074]

Did you see all the flys when they brough them in from outside... I always assumed it would be under class with the vents netted over etc

[@ArabKatib]

Nice video!!

[@CSLFiero]

They're expensive, and now I know why

[@danthelambboy]

You can get sun dried tomatoes for £10 per kg delivered from the internet which is cheaper than fresh because 90% of fresh tomatoes is the water content. Dried tomatoes can be 8x the cost per weight and still be the same price per tomato. Sun dried tomatoes can be picked when they are riper because they do not need to travel before being preserved when drying. So it is possible to get better quality tomatoes for cheaper in a more concentrated flavour when choosing them dried.

[@defwishfx4400]

Sun in Cali is expensive, init ;)

[@persiagil1488]

It's very cheap to make it by yourself.

[@defwishfx4400]

@@persiagil1488 that sounds wrong in so many ways. Cute.

[@persiagil1488]

@@defwishfx4400 😘

[@robertshaw100]

Don't the bugs get to the tomatoes when drying in the sun?

[@shanokhala]

great info thanx

[@lukasrohrmoser3213]

What do they do if it's about to rain?

[@user-vv7ch1ij3d]

شيء رائع

[@tammyg2193]

What is the sanitizer?

[@kishoreammu9539]

Nice

[@swargalights2265]

We are ready to export

[@mubasharqadeerSAP]

The girl narrating this is dead inside. I feel for her 🌿.

[@patricklbn]

Came here to say this. Here, have a like sir

[@mubasharqadeerSAP]

@@patricklbn hahahahaha

[@RJSoftware2000]

probably hot in bed.

[@yavannasing5254]

She did fantastic. She was a good narrator.

[@manaswini312]

What about the juice coming out of tomatoes while cutting

[@pafcaf]

Um, off to buy a food dehydrator to do it myself. I do love sun dried tomatoes, but not made like this.

[@u235u235u235]

with immigrant labor or the part they add the preservative?

[@FloatingFont]

Lol, I assume you don't eat meat then! Off to slaughter an animal yourself!?

[@vlael2387]

What happens if it were to rain?

[@rinchhensherpa6972]

how long can the tomatoes be stored for?

[@Ratman_Bejo]

how sun dried tomatoes are made from freshly harvested tomatoes.

[@swargalights2265]

We are also doing this business in india

[@mahendratapariya5637]

Can we produce in desert area where temperatures 30 to 46 degrees Celsius 200 day in a year

[@MrLorezzi]

how you protect from flyes

[@Miniiiiioon]

i wanna do this but it’s too cold here even in summer :(

[@Theproducenerd]

Have you thought of trying a dehydrator?

[@aligavary1160]

What if it rains on tomatoes while drying?

[@MomtazGarden]

Nice video, thanks:)

[@lukkyluciano]

if you think this is unsanitary dont look at how strattu(tomato paste) is made

[@SanjayKumar-hp3rk]

What is the shelf life of sun dried tomatoes?

[@ramkrishna345]

My neighbour tried to do this but her tomato turned completely black in colour, can you explain me why this happened?

[@marks8095]

SO2 final residual level greater than 10ppm?

[@Theproducenerd]

Yes. For sun dried tomatoes in general (not specific to this operation), the SO2 residue tests measure between 2000-4000ppm.

[@abelawyer]

Very cool :D

[@sydewan]

What if it rains within the 14 day drying process ?

[@Theproducenerd]

They stack up the trays.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

an impressive operation! I just stagger at the thought of the cost of that facility... all that stainless and conveyors and trays... wow! we are SO FAR from sustainable or regenerative agriculture in this country. Thanks for sharing though, very interesting!

[@topbanana8438]

i gave up eating sun dried tomatoes after watching this

[@RakiyasRoots]

so many hands!!! yep make your stuff people

[@patrickpalmarella3119]

Flies and ants love it. Great see no screens

[@Avamanson000]

I have so many questions lol