Unless you are a science nerd just like me, monosodium glutamate, sodium sulfite, butylated hydroxyanisole, sulfur dioxide, and potassium bromate may sound alien to you.

Unfortunately, these names are all food additives that can harm your health and happiness.

As you know I am a huge advocate of the plant-based or vegan lifestyle. If done correctly, it can be one of the best diets out there. Plus, it's cruelty-free and better for our environment.

With so many people becoming vegan or vegan-curious these days the food industry has jumped on a new opportunity to increases its dollars. Just look at all the fake vegan foods they are selling these days.

So even more import than becoming a vegan to protect your health is making sure you opt for organic whole products while avoiding processed foods as the pest.

As a part of the amazing initiative initiated by Hive account@woman-onthe-wing to make this world a healthier place (check out her profile for more info about the #makeithealthy project) I want to share with you how I make sun-dried tomatoes.

I know buying a jar of pesticides- and preservative-laden sun-dried tomatoes is easier, nothing beats the flavor and benefits you'll get from making your own.

Sun-dried tomatoes are super easy to make. Your oven will do most of the work for you.

How To Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes At Home ☀ 🍅

Ingredients

1-2 kg tomatoes, depending on how big your oven is
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Optional: fresh or dried Mediterranean herbs (I used dried oregano this time)

Directions

Preheat oven to 200F (95C).
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into parts, gently squeezing out the seeds. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
Bake until tomatoes take on a leathery texture. This will take 6 to 8 hours. Toss the tomatoes every 1 to 2 hours (FYI: Smaller pieces will go faster).
When ready allow tomatoes to cool and store them in olive oil in a jar or container with a lid.
Optional: add your favorites to infuse to oil and flavor the tomatoes. Lovely addition.