We are in 'Tomato Crisis'

[Mrs Ava]

Went to the freezer tonight to grab a tub of frozen tomato pulp for a chilli I was planning....only to be confronted by a tub of frozen rapsberries, a tub of frozen apple juice and a tub of frozen chicken stock!  Not a tomato in sight.  Not bad in the great scheme of things.  I haven't had to buy tinned toms since harvesting began last summer and now it will only be a few months and I will be harvesting again.  A lesson learnt though - I need a few more pints of tomato pulp in the freezer!

[Mrs Ava]

[Curryandchips]

Yes you have managed about 2/3 of the year, not bad by anyone's reckoning, as I see it. After all, most of my stuff is depleting now, potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, carrots, broad beans ...

Good luck with your intentions for this coming season ...

[busy_lizzie]

You have done fabulously well EJ, and as you say not too long to go before you will have some more tomatoes in store again.  About a month ago we used our last home grown onions up and it seemed almost an outrage to have to go and buy some. busy_lizzie

[supersprout]

Following your threads for a while e-j, I do admire the way you keep your family fed on what you grow for the whole year. I quite enjoy the 'last of' from crop or store - makes the new season seem all the sweeter when it comes ;). But tomatoes are different, they're a sort of staple in our household too.

Towards summer, may I pick your brains about clever ways of keeping tomatoes for the winter without using the freezer?

[Curryandchips]

Don't forget you have an essential piece of equipment there supersprout - a dryer! Having made a few dried tomatoes last year (oven method) - I can't called them sundried - I must admit that this must be one of the most delightful ways possible to store tomatoes  - and possibly on the health front too. Alas, my meagre two trays worth disappeared in as many days. However, I have reached that time of year when  am plagued by fantasies of taking my daily crops of tomatoes home in the wheelbarrow, so perhaps this will be the year ...

[bennettsleg]

E-J, glad to know it can be done as that's what I'm aiming for this year.  Only problem is a lack of freezer space!  I'm going to look into buying a load of jars in bulk (there's a factory a few miles from me, so finger crossed) and preserving them that way. Then we need somewhere to put the jars!

[tim]

Bottle them, Sprout!

[Hyacinth]

EJ, I've got ONE large, luscious Super Marmande left in my freezer - and I'm saving it for a Special Occasion ;D ;D ;D

Down to my last pack of french beans and last 2 packs of runners.

Don't think I'll run out of chillies this side of Christmas, tho ::)

[supersprout]

Bottle them, Sprout!

Do you have instructions please tim? (I am thinking longingly of your scanner ;D)

[aquilegia]

Wow EJ - it's amazing your toms lasted that long!

Mine did a couple of weeks (BAD tomato year last year!)

I'm down to my last portion of spuds, though. (One bag of charlottes in the freezer - they freeze well, lose some of their waxiness, but Mr Aqui prefers that anyway!) So no more spuds for us until the summer harvest (only like homegrown ones!)

I'm trying to clear out the freezer in anticipation of the summer gluts! fingerscrossed.

[tim]

Sprout - I use the HMSO book.

Do you have a pressure cooker?

[supersprout]

Do you have a pressure cooker?

I certainly do tim! ::)
Two ;D

[Debs]

I still have plenty of rhubarb - rhubarb crumble, jam, rhubarb & custart tart,
rhubarb crumble ice-cream (delish!!)...

Debs :P

[Curryandchips]

I certainly do tim! ::)
Two ;D

Aha, curry in one, rice in the other ... ?  ;)

[tim]

Try this, Sprout?

[supersprout]

Thank you so much tim - the solid pack it is!
;D ;D ;D

[moonbells]

I was also going to recommend bottling. I cheated, and made passata from my crop, then boiled it down to a thicker puree.  Tipped it into hot sterilised jars, lidded them and then boiled the lot for a further 20 minutes.  Did the same with ratatouille.  Keep them in the garage or shed, as bugs and furries can't get into the jars.

This year am growing twice as many plants, and all plums instead of the more watery spherical ones, so they make better passata or chopped toms.

moonbells

[supersprout]

How do you make your passata moonbells? Do you put it all through a seive or do you have a gadget? ;) ::)

[littlegem]

moonbells, i did exactly the same last year! I struggled to find jars on internet that were big enough, so i used ones i had from pasta sauces. bertolli jars are the best, large and with tomatoes and stuff imprinted in the jars. my brother has given me loads of smaller jars that he had for honey but has now gone for plastic lids, so i am going to do the following.

Loads of cheery toms, halved
Loads of garlic, just smashed
sprigs of oregano
shredded basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
s & p

mix together in a roasting dish, cook on 240c for about 15/20 mins, shaking a few times. pour into sterilised jars. put in big pan of boiling water for 20mins (even though there is vinegar, if anyone thinks you don't have to, please tell me) and let cool down in that water.
When wanted, open up and serve on toasted french bread. absolutely delicious. I would've jarred it last year but it got eaten too quickly. this year i'm growing more cherry toms!

[supersprout]

That looks like a superb thing for the store cupboard littlegem, thank you :)
Franchi have just introduced gorgeous passata jars into their range
http://www.seedsofitaly.sagenet.co.uk/equipment.htm