Tomato juice

[eyolf]

Like many, My bride and I make a couple kinds of pasta sauce, salsa, stewed tomatoes, and make homemade "V8". I have 11 plants of 3 different paste/sauce types this year.

I admit I have never really considered if there are any superior sorts for juice...just use whatever is ready at the time.

Does anyone have a favorite?

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[Tormato]

In over 2 decades of growing (and researching) tomatoes, I likely can count on one hand the number of growers that specialize in juicing tomatoes. I long forgot any variety names. And the juicers double the amount of tomato roasters that I've heard of.

All one juicer cared about was volume, how much juice they could get from a plant in an average year of production. Another juicer was looking for flavor. But, being from California, those forgotten varieties may not do well, there.

I love almost everything tomatoey. But, tomato juice and tomato soup are two things that are repulsive, to me. Using SunGold in a tuna melt is another one, but that is not standard fare anywhere.

On my during a blizzard/snowstorm "to do" list, I will put researching juicing tomatoes on it. That likely will mean somewhere around Dec/Jan/Feb for a report back.

[eyolf]

No tomato juice for you? Oh, well more for me.

As regards soup, if one thinks of that nasty stuff Campbell's made famous...my mom didn't ever really learn to cook, and used it in many recipes, but in her defense many home and hearth magazines promoted opening cans. After we lost Dad, she seemed to struggle and took a job in the kitchen at a resort. Watching high end cooking being done seemed to ignite something.
Too bad it happened after I was gone...

The worst "can" recipe ever was over fresh-caught fish and baked...the tomato soup supposedly transformed perch and sunfish into salmon.

Nope.
Almost made me swear off fishing.


But mama and I enjoy homemade cream of tomato soup. We freeze pesto in ice cube trays, and add a cube to each bowl. Crusty French bread with garlic butter, or grilled ham and cheese...

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[PaulF]

We are in the whatever is available category. We eat fresh most of the harvest, freeze either chunks or juice if there is enough on hand and give away the rest. We feel that combining all the differing varieties makes for excellently flavored juice. We freeze whole tomatoes or large pieces and fill bags with whatever happens to be there.

[VirginiaClay]

My mom made delicious tomato juice out of whatever extra round red slicers she had on hand, typically a mix of Better Boy, Big Boy, Whopper, and Burpee VF Hybrid (no longer sold). That type of tomato seems to have a good ratio of solids to gel and a nice flavor for juice (tangy; not excessively sweet). For OPs, maybe consider Rutgers, Marglobe, Gill's All-Purpose, and similar.

[MrsJustice]

I have 3 Ripe Tomato: 1 Old Virginia Tomato, 1 Red Robin Dwaf Tomato, and 1 Chesapeake Tomato. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I will eat them closely along with the Juice. But, I plan on using my "Old Virginia Tomatoes" for Juicing this year.

Have a Great Memorial Day Everybody, Amen!!

[MrsJustice]

I have 3 Ripe Tomato: 1 Old Virginia Tomato, 1 Red Robin Dwaf Tomato, and 1 Chesapeake Tomato. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I will eat them closely along with the Juice. But, I plan on using my "Old Virginia Tomatoes" for Juicing this year. Hopefully, I will have more Old Virginia Tomatoes Red to go on Monday to make my Tomato Juice.

Have a Great Memorial Day Everybody, Amen!!

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by eyolf

No tomato juice for you? Oh, well more for me.

As regards soup, if one thinks of that nasty stuff Campbell's made famous...my mom didn't ever really learn to cook, and used it in many recipes, but in her defense many home and hearth magazines promoted opening cans. After we lost Dad, she seemed to struggle and took a job in the kitchen at a resort. Watching high end cooking being done seemed to ignite something.
Too bad it happened after I was gone...

The worst "can" recipe ever was over fresh-caught fish and baked...the tomato soup supposedly transformed perch and sunfish into salmon.

Nope.
Almost made me swear off fishing.


But mama and I enjoy homemade cream of tomato soup. We freeze pesto in ice cube trays, and add a cube to each bowl. Crusty French bread with garlic butter, or grilled ham and cheese...

Sent from my motorola edge (2022) using Tapatalk

My mom grew up in the great depression. It was Campbell's tomato soup and a bologna sandwich for lunch almost every day for a few years. After the depression passed, she would no longer eat tomato soup. I think that I inherited her genes for that.

Tomato soup, mixed with something else, like beef broth, and poured over a casserole is fine with me.

Over fresh-caught? I think I know what you mean. As for fresh caught yellow perch, I'll take that, pan-fried in oil/butter, over nearly every fish that I've ever tried. Perhaps swordfish, mahimahi, and soul/flounder I like better. I hear that walleye, in your neck of the woods, is the best tasting to many people.

I've heard that pesto in the freezer, really doesn't completely freeze, and is very easy to work with. My favorite way to make it contains pistachio nuts, rather then pine nuts. I make it in small enough batches that it never makes it to the freezer.

[eyolf]

Many say that Walleye is superior. I would agree...but with the caveat that because Walleye is popular, even cherished, most avid fishermen treat it with respect. Moreover, the best walleye fishing is usually in cool, clear water.

In my opinion, any fish tastes good when caught in clear water and prepared soon after catch. Different species have somewhat different qualities, of course, but it's all good.

That tomato soup thing on perch (or any) colored the fish, but the sweetness didn't improve it. I like perch (a cousin to Walleye) the same way you do, Tormato...simply prepared. If you don't have butter...such as shore lunch or camping trip...bacon grease, or any oil will still be fine.

I'm glad to know that not many grow varieties just for juice. A few years ago, I made a few pints of juice specifically with the glut of Brad's Atomic Grape and Green Tiger we had too many of that summer.

That special "fruity" flavor, fresh, was lost...and the juice wasn't very pretty. Brad gets a spot every year, as well as at least one other, similar type. Chocolate Cherry tastes better to me than black Cherry, and we almost always grow a yellow.

And my wife complains that I just eat them as they ripen...hardly any make it to the house. "Nothing wrong with coming to the garden with me", I say.

I usually plant Zinnias and Cosmos here and there, and have a little spot with low-growers next to a bench. Great place to bring a coffee.

Or a glass of tomato juice.

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[ddsack]

Having eaten a lot of walleye, perch, sunfish and crappies over the years, I would say that eyolf is right on. Coming out of clean water and cleaned properly, there is very little difference once fried up. I think walleye gets it's reputation partly because there is less chance to screw up on cleaning the larger fillets and you have more meat left per fish. My son is an expert at filleting the smaller panfish, but without a delicate touch, the average fisherman will have not much to show per fish. The alternative is to cook them whole (as I grew up eating them) and each person picks out their own fishbones but few have patience for that these days. Momma just gutted and scraped off the scales, battered and pan fried them whole. I was always grossed out by the cooked eyes staring back at me. After eating up the top side, it was a fun challenge to see if you could lift the spine in one piece with the ribs attached to have a clean flip side to eat. If cleaned properly and the Y bones removed, small to med Northern pike are just as good as well, plus they have a firmer texture more like sea fish than walleye. They have a stinky outer odor when catch them, but the flesh is fine. My husband refuses to clean them, so I only get some from my son on the rare occasion that he keeps one.


Gardening related -- my tomatoes are past ready to go in the ground, but we had a couple of inches of rain a few days ago and the ground is cold and wet. Was down to 37F at night just a night ago. I will get my broccoli plants in the ground today, and work on figuring out how to move some of the tomato beds around to move my bean tower elsewhere. I like home made cream of fresh tomato soup. Got this easy recipe from a friend on another board,

***

Creamy Tomato Soup

Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a pot

Add 2 tsp. flour, stir and brown slightly

Add 2 c. fresh tomatoes, skinned & crushed

Cook a few minutes and then add:

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1-2 cups whole milk or to taste


Use an immersion blended to break up tomato chunks.
Heat thoroughly but do not boil.
***

I add garlic and onions to the butter browning before adding the flour, and also basil and oregano to the hot liquid.