Canning is the best way to enjoy fresh, flavorful garden-grown tomatoes long after harvest time. Canned tomatoes are ideal for use in soups, stews, and casseroles. You will need 22 pounds of fresh tomatoes for a canner load of 7 quarts and 14 pounds of fresh tomatoes for a canner load of 9 pints. That’s […] More
Fresh corn, herb, and tomato relish is a mix that comes together naturally as the summer harvest peaks. When sweet corn kernels can be cut from the ears and popped in your mouth as a garden snack—well, that is the same time you are going to find meaty tomatoes ripe on the vine. For this […] More
To make the most nutritious tomato juice the easy way, do this: wash your tomatoes, cut out the cores and bruised or bad spots, and place the whole tomatoes in a blender—no peeling required. Blend until smooth and drink. Freeze what you don’t drink now for later use. Most recipes for tomato juice ask you […] More
Sun-dry tomatoes or oven-dry tomatoes to use for seasoning in salads, soups, stews, casseroles, mixed vegetables, and snacks. You can also rehydrate dried tomatoes for use in cooking. Choose firm, ripe, full-flavored tomatoes that are heavy for their size. Tomatoes with a high acid content dry best. Excellent tomato varieties for drying are San Marzano […] More
Freeze the bounty of tomatoes you don’t eat fresh this summer for use in cooking next winter. Freeze tomatoes whole or cut into wedges. Wash and dry tomatoes for freezing and cut out any bad spots or bruises. Place whole or sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet and put the sheet into the freezer. Once […] More
Standard-sized tomatoes take 20 to 30 days from blossom set to reach full size–commonly called “mature green”; they take another 20 to 30 days to ripen, that is begin to change color. A tomato can be picked when it begins to change color–from green to red, pink, yellow, or orange depending upon the cultivar. The […] More
Late-summer tomato varieties reach ripeness or maturity 80 days or more after the seedling has been transplanted into the garden. Late-summer tomatoes are also known as late-season tomatoes. Late-season tomatoes generally bear the largest fruits and are commonly the tastiest tomatoes because they have been on the vine the longest and have ripened in the […] More
Early-summer tomato varieties reach ripeness or maturity 70 days or less after the tomato seedling is transplanted into the garden. Early-summer tomatoes are also known as early-season tomatoes. Early-summer or early-season tomatoes are often smaller and firmer than mid and late-season varieties which stay on the vine longer and are exposed to more hot weather. […] More
Tomato plants are susceptible to several diseases and pests. Preventing problems is the best growing strategy. Keep the garden free of weeds that can harbor pests and diseases. Use floating row covers at planting time to exclude early season pests. Prune and train tomatoes early to provide good air circulation. Pick off any leaves that […] More
You can freeze extra tomatoes for use in winter. Frozen tomatoes are best used in cooked dishes as freezing will cause them to lose their firmness. Here are two ways to freeze tomatoes: ● Place whole or peeled tomatoes in a plastic freezer bag and freeze. (To peel a tomato, place it in a strainer […] More
Mid-summer tomato varieties come to harvest in the middle of summer. Tomatoes that come to harvest in mid-summer are also known as mid-season or main-crop tomatoes. Mid-season tomatoes are ready for harvest about 70 to 80 days after being transplanted into the garden. This list includes variety names, fruit size, days to harvest, and disease resistance. Sizes […] More
Costoluto Genovese is a large, juicy Italian heirloom tomato with an acidic-tart full-tomato flavor well suited for slicing and serving fresh or cooking. Costoluto Genovese has been a Mediterranean favorite since at least the early eighteenth century. The key to this mid-season beefsteak’s rich tomato flavor is heat. Grown away from the dry, sun-drenched gardens […] More
Stephen Albert