What do you folks do with all the tomatoes?

My Foot Smells · April 14, 2016

I grow 30 full size plants and am swoll up with maters come june and july. I love a fresh one right off the vine with a little sea salt (coarsely ground), or drizzled with olive oil with a touch of basil and cheese.

I give away a TON and still have more then enuff to make salsa, sauce, and other stuff.

I look at some of these list, and say WOW. Some ppl growing 100+ plants, but thing with maters is they all come in about same time - give or take.

Saw AK Mark throws a tomato bash - that's cool. Maybe I can get a good idea before harvest and try something new. I have been dabbling with a bbq recipe, but far from perfect.

rags57078 · April 14, 2016

I don't grow hundreds but grow several plants . I mainly give them away

BigVanVader · April 14, 2016

Sell some, eat some, make salsa/sauce etc, dehydrate some, and throw a few bad ones at the stray dogs that come in my yard.

My Foot Smells · April 14, 2016

My 80 y.o. mother looks forward to getting fresh maters every year. It gives me immense pleasure. She likes to supply her bridge club as well.

My Foot Smells · April 14, 2016

BigVan - thought you went to market? Just plant sells and not maters?

BigVanVader · April 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

BigVan - thought you went to market? Just plant sells and not maters?

Yeah we sell maters too but we always have left overs plus the ugly ones I keep as to not traumatize my customers.

pmcgrady · April 14, 2016

A friend of mine raised cows and made a huge raised bed filled with cow manure and planted around 50 tomatoes. I went over there one day and hundreds of tomatoes were going bad on the vines. I asked What are you going to do with all these tomatoes? He pulled a big juicy one off the vine and threw it, hitting me square in the head. The war was on, I never laughed so hard in my life. I don't know how many bushel of tomatoes we went threw that day, but it was a lot!

wildcat62 · April 14, 2016

That hilarious. Next time my MIL ask want I'm going to do with all of ours I'll be tempted to bean her in the head. Just kidding I love her to death but the thought of it makes me laugh out loud.

Uncle Doss · April 14, 2016

What we don't eat fresh, or can (diced, salsa, sauce, etc), we sell. anything that doesn't get used or sold will either be given away or fed to our animals (pigs, chickens)
this year I will be putting out about 40 roma, 12 each: golden jubilee, yellow boy, ace 55, beefsteak, large red cherry, plum roma, and sun gold. Will also have about 40 Big Beef, 40 Brandywine, 40 Rutgers, and at least 6 or 8 each of about 15 different dwarf, cherry, and grape type tomatoes

Captain Neon · April 14, 2016

I am only growing 19 plants this year. Unfortunately, last year, a lot went to waste. Now that our boys are a little older, my wife may be able to help more this year. Our youngest was a newborn last summer. I'm content with a few to make BLT and am ever searching for the perfect variety. My wife likes to make sauce, and may try canning this year. My aunt appreciates whatever I can give her. I take a lot to work, and anticipate donating a lot to the local food shelf. My sister in SD has a tiny yard with no room to grow tomatoes. I am hoping to overwhelm her with tomatoes in August when I visit her.

oakley · April 14, 2016

Roast, smoke, dehydrate, salsas, sauces, freeze whole and slices. juice.

A favorite method of mine is to smoke tomatillos, hot & sweet peppers, onions and garlic then blend with fresh toms and lime in cuisinart like a pico de gallo...then freeze in pints and 1/2 pints. Every big batch during July August Sept is a bit different so i label accordingly...Hot, med-hot/extra smoky, no-smoke, etc. I can grab a 1/2 pint in December and add fresh cilantro, red onion and make a killer salsa for tacos. Or grab a pint for a bbq sauce by just adding a few things. Or it can easily become a pasta sauce or chili. Over rice with fish....
Add a pint to a pint of homemade stock, wiz up in blender for a tom soup. Lots of soups and chowders and bisques quickly with a nice flavor base at the ready. I've got just about a dozen left from last season so 'grow babies grow'.

AlittleSalt · April 14, 2016

First, the why grow that many part: This year, I sold plants twice to neighbors a few miles away.

Out of 134 plants - I have 9 porter plants growing in their own raised bed to eat and learn how to can them.

Around 20 plants to save seeds from for the next MMMM swap.

Around 20 varieties just because they sounded odd to us

Some varieties that are supposed to do well in high heat and humidity.

3 volunteers just because.

We want to know what all the Ambrosias and Bumblees look and taste like.

and a row of 18 just to try a new-to-us support system.

What to do with them? Eat them, give them away to our growing list of extended family and friends, salsas, juice, sauces, give them to a local charity that has helped my mother and one of my aunts in the past, BigVanVaders' idea of tossing them at the neighbor's stray dogs works for me, and composting them too. I'm sure I forgot other things.

OH and the main reason - to find out which ones we like best so that we don't have to grow but about half that many next year... yeah right.

Lindalana · April 14, 2016

Canning, canning, canning. Just brought my last zucchini salsa to work and people are lining up for next year canning treats.
I do not buy tomatoes for rest of the year- freeze, canning various recipes, dehydrate, juice... gotta last me till next season.

BigVanVader · April 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindalana

Canning, canning, canning. Just brought my last zucchini salsa to work and people are lining up for next year canning treats.
I do not buy tomatoes for rest of the year- freeze, canning various recipes, dehydrate, juice... gotta last me till next season.

Recipe? Never heard of zucchini salsa.

FourOaks · April 14, 2016

Growing 125 this year.

We sell ours at the farmers market. What isnt sold is either eaten, canned, or given to family.

April 14, 2016	#1
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	What do you folks do with all the tomatoes? I grow 30 full size plants and am swoll up with maters come june and july. I love a fresh one right off the vine with a little sea salt (coarsely ground), or drizzled with olive oil with a touch of basil and cheese. I give away a TON and still have more then enuff to make salsa, sauce, and other stuff. I look at some of these list, and say WOW. Some ppl growing 100+ plants, but thing with maters is they all come in about same time - give or take. Saw AK Mark throws a tomato bash - that's cool. Maybe I can get a good idea before harvest and try something new. I have been dabbling with a bbq recipe, but far from perfect.

April 14, 2016	#9
Uncle Doss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: zone 5b/6a Posts: 134	What we don't eat fresh, or can (diced, salsa, sauce, etc), we sell. anything that doesn't get used or sold will either be given away or fed to our animals (pigs, chickens) this year I will be putting out about 40 roma, 12 each: golden jubilee, yellow boy, ace 55, beefsteak, large red cherry, plum roma, and sun gold. Will also have about 40 Big Beef, 40 Brandywine, 40 Rutgers, and at least 6 or 8 each of about 15 different dwarf, cherry, and grape type tomatoes __________________ Anything in life worth doing is worth over-doing. Moderation is for cowards.

April 14, 2016	#12
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	First, the why grow that many part: This year, I sold plants twice to neighbors a few miles away. Out of 134 plants - I have 9 porter plants growing in their own raised bed to eat and learn how to can them. Around 20 plants to save seeds from for the next MMMM swap. Around 20 varieties just because they sounded odd to us Some varieties that are supposed to do well in high heat and humidity. 3 volunteers just because. We want to know what all the Ambrosias and Bumblees look and taste like. and a row of 18 just to try a new-to-us support system. What to do with them? Eat them, give them away to our growing list of extended family and friends, salsas, juice, sauces, give them to a local charity that has helped my mother and one of my aunts in the past, BigVanVaders' idea of tossing them at the neighbor's stray dogs works for me, and composting them too. I'm sure I forgot other things. OH and the main reason - to find out which ones we like best so that we don't have to grow but about half that many next year... yeah right. Last edited by AlittleSalt; April 14, 2016 at 11:45 AM. Reason: Main Reason

April 14, 2016	#2
rags57078 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: South Dakota Posts: 278	I don't grow hundreds but grow several plants . I mainly give them away

April 14, 2016	#3
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Sell some, eat some, make salsa/sauce etc, dehydrate some, and throw a few bad ones at the stray dogs that come in my yard.

April 14, 2016	#7
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	A friend of mine raised cows and made a huge raised bed filled with cow manure and planted around 50 tomatoes. I went over there one day and hundreds of tomatoes were going bad on the vines. I asked What are you going to do with all these tomatoes? He pulled a big juicy one off the vine and threw it, hitting me square in the head. The war was on, I never laughed so hard in my life. I don't know how many bushel of tomatoes we went threw that day, but it was a lot!

April 14, 2016	#8
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	That hilarious. Next time my MIL ask want I'm going to do with all of ours I'll be tempted to bean her in the head. Just kidding I love her to death but the thought of it makes me laugh out loud.

April 14, 2016	#10
Captain Neon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Florence KY Posts: 234	I am only growing 19 plants this year. Unfortunately, last year, a lot went to waste. Now that our boys are a little older, my wife may be able to help more this year. Our youngest was a newborn last summer. I'm content with a few to make BLT and am ever searching for the perfect variety. My wife likes to make sauce, and may try canning this year. My aunt appreciates whatever I can give her. I take a lot to work, and anticipate donating a lot to the local food shelf. My sister in SD has a tiny yard with no room to grow tomatoes. I am hoping to overwhelm her with tomatoes in August when I visit her.

April 14, 2016	#11
oakley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: NewYork 5a Posts: 2,303	Roast, smoke, dehydrate, salsas, sauces, freeze whole and slices. juice. A favorite method of mine is to smoke tomatillos, hot & sweet peppers, onions and garlic then blend with fresh toms and lime in cuisinart like a pico de gallo...then freeze in pints and 1/2 pints. Every big batch during July August Sept is a bit different so i label accordingly...Hot, med-hot/extra smoky, no-smoke, etc. I can grab a 1/2 pint in December and add fresh cilantro, red onion and make a killer salsa for tacos. Or grab a pint for a bbq sauce by just adding a few things. Or it can easily become a pasta sauce or chili. Over rice with fish.... Add a pint to a pint of homemade stock, wiz up in blender for a tom soup. Lots of soups and chowders and bisques quickly with a nice flavor base at the ready. I've got just about a dozen left from last season so 'grow babies grow'.

April 14, 2016	#13
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Canning, canning, canning. Just brought my last zucchini salsa to work and people are lining up for next year canning treats. I do not buy tomatoes for rest of the year- freeze, canning various recipes, dehydrate, juice... gotta last me till next season.

April 14, 2016	#15
FourOaks Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: NC Posts: 511	Growing 125 this year. We sell ours at the farmers market. What isnt sold is either eaten, canned, or given to family.