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| harvest |
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Tomatoes
have the highest yield of any vegetable. Do remember that selecting
different varieties to grow, will extend your harvest season. In
cooler climates, an early fruiting variety can also be planted late
in the season for a late autumn harvest. Sometimes however you may
harvest a lot of fruit in a very short time. Make the most of your
prescious harvest - sauces, freezing or drying are easy !
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| Birds, possums and rats can be a problem at harvest time. If you find you are losing a lot of fruit, pick fruit a bit earlier, and ripen on the window sill. Possums and rats tend to come back and eat from the same piece of fruit, so I sometimes leave it there. If however a blackbird gets the taste for your tomatoes, he or she will persistantly come back until all the fruit is gone. Sounds and bright reflective colours blowing in the wind will scare birds away, but only for about 2 weeks. These things include wine cask inners, video tape, and there is a noisy little windmill made from 2 aluminium cans. I have even seen fake eagles and owls being used to scare birds away. Netting and even a cage made of chicken wire have also been used. |
| If you leave fruit on the bush and don't water enough, heavy rain can cause the fruit to split. |
| I accept no responsibilty for the outcomes of the following recipes, they are merely suggested methods. Check with a grandma if you require more information. You can scald and strain tomatoes through a coarse sieve to remove seed and skin. |
| Drying |
| Tomatoes can be dried using a food dehydrater (about $400), or even in an oven. You must have the oven door slightly open to stop the tomatoes from drying too fast and turning black. This could be done by wedging a wooden spoon in the door. It will take about 10 hours to get the fruiit dry - but still pliable. Turn them a couple of times, drying them on wire racks or trays. They can then be stored in jars with some rosemary or even garlic. If garlic is used, eat them within a few months, otherwise, they should keep until next tomato harvest. The best varieties to use are San Marzano and Reggae. These thick skinned roma's can be cut long ways and hold together well. The little dried halves are very rich and you only need to a few to make a great pasta. They are also great with dried bickies and cheese! |
| Stewing and Freezing |
| Tomatoes must be stewed before freezing. Stew for 30-40 minutes, cool and put in freezer bags. Put enough in each bag to use for 1 or 2 meals. Try adding some dried herbs. |
| Tomato Sauce |
| 6 celery sticks, cut into
1/4 pieces 2 medium onions, peeled and diced (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup water 1.4 kg (3 pounds) tomatoes, quartered 5 tablespoons vinegar 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon allspice berries 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves 1/2 tablespoon celery seeds 1 teaspoon ground mace 1/2 teaspoon salt Place the celery, onions and water in a medium-size saucepan over medium high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are nearly soft, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook tomatoes in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, partially covered, until they are very soft and almost a puree, about 25 minutes. Add the cooked celery and onions; continue cooking until the vegetables are completely softened, about 15 minutes. Strain tomato mixture in small batches through a sieve into another saucepan, pressing down firmly to extract all of the liquid. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar and spices. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often to be sure that the ketchup isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens somewhat, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow sauce to cool, then ladle into jars. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Or ladle the boiling-hot ketchup into hot sterilized canning jars. You should get 2 or 3 bottles. |
| Tomato Sauce 2 |
| Peel equivalent of about 18 cups of tomatoes and place in a saucepan with 1.75 litres of white vinegar, 6 chopped red peppers, 4 tablespoons salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoons dry mustard, and 3 tablespoons allspice. Boil for 4 hours until thickened. Bottle, seal, and enjoy. |
| Green Tomato Chutney |
|
6 lbs green tomatoes |
| Paste |
| Cook skinned and seeded tomatoes in a heavy saucepan for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Puree in a food processor and return to saucepan to gently simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Add seasoning then transfer to greased baking dish and bake at 120 deg celfor up to 4-5 hours. Freeze paste in small containers or spoon into clean jars, add a layer of olive oil on top & seal. |
| Vodka spiked cherry tomatoes with pepper salt |
|
Vodka-Spiked Cherry Tomatoes
with Pepper Salt |
| Tomatoes can
be peeled and vodka marinade prepared 1 day ahead and kept, separately,
covered and chilled. |