How to avoid tough skins (toms, aubs, chillies)

[Charlotte Sometimes]

I grew these quite successfully last year, but the skins were a little tougher than the supermarket ones.  It didn't bother me much, though my mother noticed with the larger pepper-type chillies when I cooked something with them in!

Is there any way of avoiding this happening?  Have I fed too much/ not enough?  I used standard B&Q tomato food on them as per the directions... the chillies and aubs were kept under glass in the leanto.

Any advice?  Or is this just normal with home-grown produce?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

[derbex]

If anything my tomato skins are thinner than supermarket ones. Maybe the variety? I grew G. Delight, Sungold & Alicante. My peppers were the 'Goats Horn' type and the skins much thinner than supermarket bell peppers. Not sure about my aubs., but again a different type to the supermarket ones. Otherwise -lack of water?

Jeremy

[Mrs Ava]

I agree with Jeremy and reakon lack of water is to blame.

[tim]

Not sure about that - I don't think that I spare the water, yet my peppers (especially the horn types) usually have thinner flesh & tougher skins than commercial ones. When you roast & skin them, there's precious little left!!

Toms? Some of the cherry ones are tougher than I would like. And they do say 'withold water' to get sweet fruit. Aubs don't seem to have the same problem. No complaints there.

We have to be careful to differentiate between skin & flesh. Have you noticed how the flesh on s/m toms is getting thicker? To stand shippig? Or for our benefit??

[ajb]

My suggestion - my toms outside in full sun were tougher, inside less so.  I think regular steady watering and moderate shade may have kept the indoor ones more tender.  The skin gets tougher the more extremes it is exposed to.

[growmore]

I think shug is right I read somewhere it is to do with too much sun on skins
maybe we should be more liberal with the cool glass..But my alicantes seemed to have a less tough skin than the money makers grown in same house

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/fsheets/26_01_03/fsheetsq3.shtml    Thats Pippa Greenwoods take on this  jim

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Hmmm....

So.... unlikely to be lack of water.  I'm so mumsy with my plants its untrue. 

I think Pippa G / Growmore could be right.  It does get pretty hot /sunny in our leanto, and its probably about time I put up some nets - only that means sewing.  I prefer sowing to sewing, lol.  :P  Always was a tomboy.  Worst case scenario I can pin something up with drawing pins.

Also, being as it was my first year for growing these things, the larger chillies really could have done with larger pots.  I didn't realise they were going to be such brutes!  This year I am better prepared and have some large plastic boxes bought from a pound shop that we have drilled holes in.   

This time round should be better, I will be a bit miffed if my mother complains again! Thanks for all the input.

[tim]

Just a thought - sunshine or heat??

The Spanish etc seem to grow all these things in endless sunshine??

[Charlotte Sometimes]

I think it is more scorch from the glass if that makes any sense!  The top growth on one of my chillies actually got fried one day. I had forgotten about that.   ::)

Still, with nets, bigger pots etc should have all bases covered.  Who knows, all the muslin might disguise the ugly old beast (leanto).   :)

[ina]

I also think it has to do with direct sun and extreme temp changes.
When I take leaves off the tomato plants I always make sure I leave the one directly above each bunch of tomatoes. The windows of the greenhouse that get the most direct sun (south and roof) I give a light wash of thinned, water based white paint.