tomtatos (tomato potato hybrids) and TOMATOES!

[Zosherooney]

I had a (hidden) black russian for lunch, sliced with salt, nectar of the gods ! Skin was a bit chewy..... It went well with the cucumber and quiche.

[Herbidacious]

I had a (hidden) black russian for lunch, sliced with salt, nectar of the gods ! Skin was a bit chewy..... It went well with the cucumber and quiche.

Do ever cook with them, Zosh? I think mine may be ripe now. They feel it - I had thought they were going to go really dark, and that perhaps they'd gone a bit wrong being soft but still reddish, but a bit of googling suggest they don't.

btw everytime I mention them to husband he sniggers. And it's all because of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5A55eWbiBI

[Zosherooney]

Sorry Herb, Looked away.....

Nope, never cooked with them. Nearest I got to that was today, I rescued a BR from the snails and cut the rest into slices on a plate and grated some aged gouda over it and zapped it in the M'wave. I had it for lunch with the last bagel, very nice it was too.

[Herbidacious]

I am being plagued by snails. They seem very attracted to the BRs. I think next year I shall grow BRs again but give them special attention. They seemed to suffer a bit more from the couple of issues I had when I went on holiday than the other varieties did.

In general...

My tomato plants are mostly all looking a bit skanky now. (Apart from the ones that arrived and went in later. They are still flowering.) Possibly late blight. Not sure whether to keep watering them (gave up feeding them ages ago) and just let the remaining tomatoes ripen on the vine. Will that be ok? Or should I keep watering? Ach I probably will.

I've made about 8 or 9 loads of passata now. Some tomatoes are better than others... Gardener's Delight probably still comes out tops for flavour, but I was quite impressed by the very pretty Tigerella. Super sweet were not as sweet as GD. The Crimson cherry etc. were ok but not as tasty as the others. not yet tried the yellow ones, as they were among the late comers. Only just ripening, and have been rather slugged. I shan't bother with beefsteak type toms next year. Would like to grow some plum ones. I did grow other varieties, but the labels mostly went missing when the cat sitters moved the plants, so not sure which are which in some cases.

[suffolk]

I just don't understand what your slugs and snails are up to .......... I've never ever had a spot of mollusc damage on any of my tomatoes ... not even this year when they're planted out in the veg patch

[Herbidacious]

No I don't think I have before either... either they are very hungry, or my tomatoes are very delicious

[suffolk]

Undoubtedly the latter Herbi

[earthmaiden]

I grow tomatoes every year. One year they were attacked by slugs but haven't been before or since. I wonder if it applies only to certain kinds of tomato or slug. I don't know what the tomatoes were that year.

[liketocook]

I always seem to lose a few to snails every year, they don't seem to have a favourite type but it does tend to be the lower down ones that get munched.

[Herbidacious]

It's the beefsteak and Black Russians that are fallign victim most, but this may be a concidence.

I was wondering whether to make tomato paste. Not sure if I have enough left to want to use a lot making it. On the other hand, there's not much room left in the freezer for more passata.

Might smoke some in the hot smoker this weekend

[Herbidacious]

Was just about to make yet another batch of roast tomato sauce, and was giving the tomato press arm a twizzle to make sure I had enough room to turn it, and a load of green powder came out. I have not learnt how to take it apart and it's in the dishwasher! Good thing I hadn't put a load of tomotees in it.

[karadekoolaid]

Herbie - passata can be kept in bottles, perfectly well.
Our (Italian) neighbours buy whole cases of tomatoes, turn them into passata, bottle them, float an inch of olive oil on the top, cook for 20 minutes in bain-marie and then store them in the cupboard.
We did that once, and only one of the 12 bottles actually got damaged; probably because of a faulty cap.

[Herbidacious]

I might have a go. I think another 2 lots after this one (which will now have to do tomorrow.) I still want to smoke some, but the weather is so unpredictable and I have to do it outside.

[suffolk]

Anyone got enough space for me to spread my green tomatoes out to ripen? That's my two big turkey platters full ...

[Herbidacious]

I still have a few kilos of ripe ones on the plants, but a lot are splitting and attracting compost flies. I have quite a few yellow ones which I should pick and cook with (although they make a rather sickly coloured sauce!) I really should get rid of the plants this year. So it's worth keeping the green ones to ripen, Suffs? I don't usually bother. They sometimes seem to go a bit blotchy as they turn red (possibly late blight.) tbh I am a bit sick of dealing with tomatoes now

[suffolk]

If they've gone pale green (as most of mine have) then they'll ripen indoors as it's warmer than outside. Any that don't will go into chutney.

Mine have begun to split too ... it's because the high temperatures made the skins set early and now the rain is making them swell so they're splitting the skins ... it's another reason why I've taken mine off the vine to ripen indoors ... they won't continue to swell once they're off the plant.

I still have a few kilos of ripe ones on the plants, but a lot are splitting...

But once they're ripe they need picking!

tbh I am a bit sick of dealing with tomatoes now

that's gardening for you I've still got the grape harvest to deal with in the next ten days or so ... I'll be making jelly ...

[liketocook]

My greenhouse tomatoes are still quite happy and ripening nicely so they can be left for a bit. I had lots of splitting on the first ones but it has settled down a bit thankfully. Sungold I find are the worst culprits I find for this.
The hanging basket ones on the covered deck are looking a bit sad so I'll be taking them down next week and like suffs will ripen them indoors. Most years I find they do ripen nicely inside and it's lovely to still have fresh garden tomatoes when the weather has changed. Any that ripen unevenly I tend to use up in sauce or passatta.

[suffolk]

I think you're right LTC ... it's the smaller toms that are more prone to splitting ... my Sungold and Rosellas are both splitting but the big toms show no signs and they've all been growing in the same part of the veg patch.

[Herbidacious]

I think they are just very ripe...! I have had a lot of tomatoes now. Although it goes against the avoiding waist grain I am finding it hard to mind lost ones. (Although I have picked some to cook and cut of the exposed flesh bits.)

I might grow a few less plants next year... or try and persuade husband to agree to me getting a small extra freezer. (Or both! Not that I need his permission, but it's polite to ask... It might be amusing to get one and see how many months it is before he notices )

[liketocook]

Small extra freezer sounds like a plan

[Herbidacious]

I am pretty sure my splitting is caused by being very very ripe.

I really have had enough of bothering with them now bear in mind my husband takes no interest whatsoever in in either growing or eating them, let alone cooking with them. Next year I should grow fewer.

I might be able to squeeze a freezer in in the lean to, but I might also then have to build a little platform for the cat litter... which would have to go next to it. 1900 house = no garage, alas. (Not posh enough for stables )

[Herbidacious]

This could be my last batch...

need to make into sauce tonight

[liketocook]

Oh they look lovely herbi

[Herbidacious]

My plants were all knocked over by the wind while I was at my mother's. I think I am done with them now. I picked a few more today. I want to get rid of the plants as they are very messy, but not sure when I will have time.

[liketocook]

I think this is my biggest one ever (I have small but not tiny hands btw). It's a pink Brandywine

[suffolk]

[earthmaiden]

I am in awe of the quantity and variety of tomatoes that Wildies have grown! Puts my annual two plants to shame!

[suffolk]

Anyone got enough space for me to spread my green tomatoes out to ripen? That's my two big turkey platters full ...

Green toms indoors.jpg

Mine have been ripening beautifully ... lots have been eaten/turned into soup and passata ... half a kilo went into some courgette and green tomato chutney the other day and when the last lot have ripened I'll be making a tomato and chilli relish to have in bacon sarnies and the like

[suffolk]

The last kilo of Rosellas ripened on the windowsill (Rosellas have a lovely smokey flavour) ... they'll make a great tomato and chilli relish

[Herbidacious]

Ha I see you use a colander for yours as well, Suffs.

[suffolk]

I was just about to wash them before halving and putting in the preserving pan

[Herbidacious]

Ah I collect them in mine. It's big and won't break if I drop it (not that I am likely to) outside.

[Zosherooney]

Thought you tomato lovers might find this article interesting....https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/s ... ce-passata

[suffolk]

Some tv chefs have been advocating this for a while ... IIRC Jamie and Rick Stein are two who’ve done this. I’ve certainly included a few bits of vine in sauces and soups before now if they’re going to be passed through a sieve at some stage.

However it’s possible that folk with a slight sensitivity to tomatoes may find they get a stronger reaction to the higher level of solanine that including the vine will cause.

[karadekoolaid]

The passata method is a wonderful way to conserve tomatoes. Since we have a year round supply. Italians over here are in heaven. Even then, however, the crops are subject to huge rises and falls in price; just two weeks ago, I bought tomatoes at Bs.65 a kilo; today they were anywhere between Bs.190 and Bs.250
A tip I was taught be an Italian friend: when you´ve made your passata and bottled it, float a film of olive oil on the top before giving it the water-bath treatment. The last time we made some, it lasted for over 6 months in the cupboard.
Today I planted 6 varieties of tomato, including yellow, orange and peach-blush varieties. Let´s see!

[Herbidacious]

I am looking at 'temporary greenhouses' for next year, now I have the space (a permanent one is tricky due to tendency to flood in the space) and came across this:

https://www.haxnicks.co.uk/garden-products/tomato-tubes

Looks a bit like a large plastic bag to me

[suffolk]

Possibly useful in a very wet spell ........ but I think I could cobble something as good together for less outlay

[scullion]

i think they need a bit more ventilation than those little holes - it's asking for blight, to my mind.

but I think I could cobble something as good together for less outlay

dry cleaning bags come to mind!