Question for canners: Do you grow determinates?

jenn_sc · May 7, 2008

I think this is the year that I'm going to start learning to can. I was talking it over with a gardening buddy the other day, a veteran canner. When he found out I'm not growing any determinates he said I should get some....lots of fruit ripening at once = enough to can.

I was only growing indeterminates, around 30 or so. I had 5 or 6 plants die shortly after setting them out. So today I saw some "Homestead" tomatoes at the hardware store, $1 for a 6-pack, and it said "heirloom determinate". So I plan to replace the dead plants with these.

Does anyone have any commments on growing determinates for canning, and does anyone have experience with "homestead"? For $1 I figured they can't be too bad....and my other heirlooms (15 varieties) WILL be tasty, no matter what. But I do want to can tomatoes for the winter.

Jennifer

May 7, 2008	#1
jenn_sc SPLATT™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florence, SC Posts: 502	Question for canners: Do you grow determinates? I think this is the year that I'm going to start learning to can. I was talking it over with a gardening buddy the other day, a veteran canner. When he found out I'm not growing any determinates he said I should get some....lots of fruit ripening at once = enough to can. I was only growing indeterminates, around 30 or so. I had 5 or 6 plants die shortly after setting them out. So today I saw some "Homestead" tomatoes at the hardware store, $1 for a 6-pack, and it said "heirloom determinate". So I plan to replace the dead plants with these. Does anyone have any commments on growing determinates for canning, and does anyone have experience with "homestead"? For $1 I figured they can't be too bad....and my other heirlooms (15 varieties) WILL be tasty, no matter what. But I do want to can tomatoes for the winter. Jennifer