Orange Minsk and KBX

Tania,

I noticed that you used the qualifier " in my garden" in your last comment and you are totally right. I always try to do the same because so many variables exist from garden to garden that impact the traits of specific varieties.

Ted

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by tedln

Tania,

I noticed that you used the qualifier " in my garden" in your last comment and you are totally right. I always try to do the same because so many variables exist from garden to garden that impact the traits of specific varieties.

Ted

And that includes often ignoring what a tomato description says about early or midseason or late season.

I've had midseason ones mature before earlies, and late season ones before midseason ones, and that in mygarden but I know others have had the same as well.

it all depends on the season when the varieties are grown and all the other variables that one has to plug in such as amendments used, if so whatt and how much, how are the plants grown, sprawl, cage, stake, trellis, etc.

I'd venture to say that NO two tomato growers grow tomato plants in the same way, given all the variables.

Carolyn

Carolyn,

I would be willing to bet my closest neighbor and I growing the same varieties would have different results depending on soil preparation, plant out date, weeding, moisture availability. and many other variables based on personal preferences. I have found DTM predictions for most varieties to be pretty accurate. Thats why I select many varieties based on predicted DTM from 50 days to 90 days. It helps balance out the harvest through the season.

Ted

[peebee]

I'm planning on growing OM too for the first time this year, so I was pleased to see this thread.
When you mention dehydrated tomatoes, are you talking about the sun-dried ones packed in oil? Or are these really DRY, stored dry? If so, how do you use them?
Not that I would ever have enough left over to dry, can or freeze; I can only dream...

Peebee,

This past gardening year was remarkable production wise. I couldn't eat or give away all the tomatoes I grew. I purchased a dehydrator at Walmart. I probably dehydrated 100 lbs of fresh tomatoes resulting in about twenty lbs. of dehydrated tomatoes. I stuffed quart sized zip lock bags with them and then stored those in a large plastic container with a lid which seals air out. You need to make sure no little pockets of moisture exist in the slices as your stuffing them into the zip locks. Any pockets of moisture will cause them to spoil or rot. I dehydrated the tomatoes to the point they were like little circles of leather. They are so dry, I can't cut them with a pair of scissors. Some people then refrigerate or freeze the dehydrated tomatoes. I simply store the container in our pantry.

I use them any time I need tomatoes in a dish or recipe. They are great on pizza and in any homemade artisan bread. If we prepare a pasta dish requiring tomato, I throw a handful of dehydrated tomatoes into the pot. If we are baking a dish requiring tomatoes, I add some dehydrated tomatoes.

Dehydrated tomatoes re-hydrate easily when cooked in any dish. If I want to use them in any kind of a dry recipe, I put some in a bowl with a little water and stick them in the microwave for about forty five seconds. It doesn't take much water to re-hydrate them. After re-hydrating the tomatoes, they are again soft and easy to chop into smaller pieces for pizza or bread recipes. If you like sun dried tomatoes which are very expensive, I think you will also like dehydrated tomatoes.

Ted

[FarmerShawn]

I also have become a huge fan of deyhdrated tomatoes. The one trick I've discovered that I would add to Ted's great suggestions is that if you freeze them, they become brittle, and that makes it easy to chop them fine for addition to dishes. I take some cream cheese, add some finely diced shallot, mix in some of the finely chopped dried tomatoes, and end up with a fantastic dip or spread that goes wonderfully on crackers, in celery, or stuffed into jalepenos for smoking.
I've also added some of the finely chopped tomatoes to a salad dressing - vinegraitte or lemon-based, and the result was fantastic,

[Farmette]

I've dehydrated and saved mine in jars and also used Brokenbar's recipe for dehydrating them in wine and after that I follow her directions for storing them in olive oil in the refrigerator. Just the other day, I used some in omelettes...the wine soak and herbs make for a very tasty sundried tomato.

[Tracydr]

I like to just eat the dried tomatoes as munches. Cherokee Purple makes a good dried tomato, too.

In my opinion, Orange Minsk rocks! I have not had a good year with KBX to give my opinion about it yet.