First Big Fruit Pull

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by raindrops27

I will be canning sauce for the first time, and only have 30 plants growing now. I was estimating, I would at least get 15-20 quarts, of sauce, and raw packed tomatoes. With numerous lush blt's to boot, but maybe my estimation is off.

I think it is not so much the amount of plants but the production of the plants. I had about 45-48 plants last year, 83 this year. From last year.....
Picture One
plus
Picture Two
plus
Picture Three
equalled about half of
Picture Four

[RobinB]

Way to go! I hope you figure out your plant's problems so that you can correct things. It certainly looks like you're doing well, especially considering the issues you've had to deal with.

I'm several weeks behind you, probably more. I've picked just a few small maters so far, but a Black from Tula is starting to turn and it's huge! So far, my plants are all just taunting me. Only 18 were planted early and those are starting to produce, the remaining 60 plants were started in mid-June and won't be producing until mid to late August.

[z_willus_d]

Brian, thanks for posting your pictures -- that sauce looks excellent. Yes, it does take copious amounts of tomatoes to render, but it's worth the effort. I've been enjoying home-made pizza and meat-sauce left-overs for the past week.

Robin, I hope you're able to rake in a fine harvest. Thanks for the kind words.
-naysen

[raindrops27]

Thanks for the reply Naysen!

[rwsacto]

Naysen,

Your harvest looks great!

Mine are coming in faster than we can eat. We also have too many ripe cherries this year.

It's time to donate to the neighborhood.

Rick

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Brian, thanks for posting your pictures -- that sauce looks excellent. Yes, it does take copious amounts of tomatoes to render, but it's worth the effort. I've been enjoying home-made pizza and meat-sauce left-overs for the past week.

Robin, I hope you're able to rake in a fine harvest. Thanks for the kind words.
-naysen

Hi naysen!

Thanks much for the compliment!

Indeed, there is nothing like homemade sauce. Took me years to realize it but now I would never change.
I make a lot of chili and I cannot believe the night and day difference between our sauce and canned tomatoes/w chiles.....it's unreal!

Plus, the sauce has created its own fan club. Friends and family all rave about how good it is. We must have done something right.

Best of luck to you!
Brian

[z_willus_d]

Rick, that week or so of sub 100-degree weather we had recently I think was good for finishing off the ripening on our first wave of tomatoes. I still have a 2nd wave to ripen yet, although its like picking gems from the chest of some ossified, brittle pterodactyl's skeletal remains. I sometimes expect the whole plant to just shatter into a pile of dust and dried, sunburned leaf ash, after which I might pull out the little phoenixes of future life from the pile.

Brian, chili isn't something I think of much in summer, but the great thing about jarring enough sauce is it's pretty much just as good six months later. I'm amazed at how we've all become accustomed to the quality of processed, bland, lifeless products that we buy in the stores. Last night, I had a single slice of blanched zucchini that my brother in law picked from his garden, and it was amazingly good. Over the off season months, I slowly move to a belief that I'm not a fan of zucchini, but I think it just because we're buying that organic stuff that they ship in from Mexico that can't compare with local/home-grown fresh produce.

I think I'll run another small batch of sauce this weekend, this time using Lurley's decompression method. It adds a step to the process but saves hours of reduction time.
-naysen

[macbettz]

Originally Posted by BigBrownDogHouse

I think it is not so much the amount of plants but the production of the plants. I had about 45-48 plants last year, 83 this year. From last year.....
Picture One
plus
Picture Two
plus
Picture Three
equalled about half of
Picture Four

really nice, what variety are the pink tomatoes? They look really impressive.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by macbettz

really nice, what variety are the pink tomatoes? They look really impressive.

You know what.... I couldn't even tell you right off the top of my head.
That batch had 33 different types of tomatoes in it. I counted the plants that morning that I picked from. I called it Formula 33 and labelled the bottles as such.

I'll check my notes from last year and see if I can be a little more specific in a bit. Getting ready to head out for the rest of the day. I do remember that Henderson Winsall was coming on strong late in the season and producing a lot of pink monsters.

Be back later.....