Most gardens contain at least one tomato plant, and for good reason. The difference between a supermarket and a home-grown tomato is huge. Perfect ripe tomatoes are microscopic and do not transmit well. Commercially grown tomatoes are still green and heavy, and thousands of miles of shipwreck and ripening are treated with ethylene. Tomatoes grown at home are fun to eat, and supermarket tomatoes can be used as a tool. (I have boys, so I know)
They do not know what to do with all of them, as your summer tomato crop may have too many. Fortunately, there are many options to preserve that wonderful taste.
Large, beef tomatoes are perfect for hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, BLTs and salads. I want to slice them, pour some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over them, and toss with chopped feta cheese, fresh basil leaves, and a little salt and pepper. Large sliced tomatoes can be packaged or made into soups or salsa, but they are best served fresh.
Roma and other “meat” or “paste” tomatoes are suitable for cancer. They have a low water content, so your soup and salsa will be thick and satisfying. Most recipes call for brushing, brushing and brushing, so it can be a bit of a chore. I remove the hard stem, cut the skin on one side, and put them (5 or 6 at a time) in a pot of boiling water. After about a minute, I take them out and put them in a bowl of ice water. The skin slips easily – all I have to do is squeeze gently.
Don’t throw those shells away! I spread them out on a drying tray and dried them until they were completely broken. Then I grind them in a food processor until they are completely dissolved. This delicious tomato powder can be used in soups, stews, or soups.
Cherry tomatoes, while delicious in salads, are extremely productive and can only be eaten with many salads. I look for recipes that require tomatoes to melt, then put them in a mill and cook them down. Of course, you can think of them, bother them, and pour them out, but it’s much easier to cut them in half and throw them into the pot. Homemade ketchup, hot soup or barbecue soup are all good recipes for cherry tomatoes.
Cherries, romaine, and small pear tomatoes are also good candidates for drying. Dryness reduces the amount by 90%, which means you can convert 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes into 2 pounds of manganese. I always store dried fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator to kill any “robbers”.
If you want to make tomatoes, salsa or soups, always use a proven (reliable) recipe from a reliable current source and follow that recipe exactly. If you want to make your own recipes or experiment with current recipes, cool down your masterpiece instead. Refrigeration is the safest and most fool-proof way to store food.
Do you have any questions? Email gardening@scng.com.
Need more gardening tips? Here is how to contact the main garden in your area.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-683-6491 Extension. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu/