Tomato Talk

It seems people either love or hate them. Even in our extended family, we have some of both

Some hate them raw but love them cooked, some can't stand the sight of them. I love them in every way.  Today's subject tomatoes

We have a load of them that have been coming off the plants for over a month.  A fresh salad this time of year is the very best indeed.  Especially with homegrown lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, & etc.

When you harvest daily to ripen safe from predators it can be a job to find something to do with them. I can munch on the cherry tomatoes all day long, but even that isn't enough to save the ripening deliciousness! 

This year I decided to do one thing differently: to can some of the smaller cherry tomatoes with fresh garlic, basil, and oregano.  I did a few with rosemary as well.  

I tried two small jars of canned cherry tomatoes today to make a quick pasta sauce.  They were canned with garlic, basil, and thyme. Added a few more ingredients and they were very good.  A fresh-picked tomato taste!  I like them!  

I found several articles on how to can these I found Masterclass here.  It has lots of useful information. 

How to can Italian Cherry Tomatoes from Hoss Tools

RoseRed Homestead Tomato Sauce using a variety of including cherry tomatoes etc.

Sliced or quartered tomatoes depending on the size in the pot bring to a boil.  Place cherry tomatoes into the pot with the skins on. Once those in the pot are hot add more tomatoes. Simmer for about 25 minutes.

Use a food mill to remove seeds peelings from the pulp. Use a slotted spoon to drain off as much juice as possible when making sauce, you want it to be thick. The juice can be strained and drank or used in soups and recipes.  The seeds and peeling that will be discarded can be fed to the chickens!  Nothing is wasted!

I will use my sauce maker which allows me to use it without cooking or peeling the tomatoes. I may have to cook the tomatoes down to thicken afterward.  I have in the past shown here

I've grown a lot of Heirloom Pink Brandywine tomatoes this year. They are one of my favorites.  Although they are prone to certain diseases they are so delicious! Sorry, I didn't get a picture of those when ripe, we are eating them as quickly as they ripen.

The cute Italian Grandma makes it such fun to watch in action:

Blossom End Rot Tomatoes etc

Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Center
Gardening Mythis:  Fix Blossom End Rot with Calcium Sprays

• Reminder for me **Varieties I planted this year: Hoss Pink Brandywine Heirloom and Hoss Tye Die, Mary's Pink Brandywine, German Johnson Tomato,  Hoss Celebrity, Baker Creek Amish Paste, Ferry Morse Red Cherry. 

I can tell you this, no matter what you do with a tomato a good ripe tomato on some white bread with Duke's Mayonnaise can't be beat!  That first-of-the-season tomato taste is just out of this world!

Enjoy, garden, and enjoy the rewards