Tomotoes finished

[pelmetman]

Have been picking toms in the greenhouse up until today. Went to get some for tea and last nights cold weather has finished them off.

Luckily we have a lot in the freezer which will see is over the next few months or so. The chillie peppers seem OK though.

Sue

[Millymollymandy]

That's not bad for November though is it? I still have green ones and ripening ones all over the place. Sick to death of them. I also think I have enough to last until next year with no need for tinned tomatoes, and a load of spicy soup to boot. Yay!

The downside however is I don't have any more room to freeze stewed apples, so I have apples all over the floor of my laundry/mud room and nowhere to put them....

[Odsox]

You probably won't be surprised to learn that I have tomatoes ripening up just about everywhere, but not in the greenhouse as they got blight.
The self sown ones in the polytunnel are still healthy and ripening up nicely (I'll start a new thread on them later), the ones in pots are still going strong and the hydroponic ones are just starting to ripen.
The hydro ones are the second crop this year, the old plants were mucked out and new ones planted back in the middle of August and the first trusses are just going a greeny orangey colour now.

I also have potted ones in various stages of growth, so I am hopefully on course to achieve my 12 months of fresh tomatoes this year.

[happyigloo]

That's not bad for November though is it? I still have green ones and ripening ones all over the place. Sick to death of them. I also think I have enough to last until next year with no need for tinned tomatoes, and a load of spicy soup to boot. Yay!

The downside however is I don't have any more room to freeze stewed apples, so I have apples all over the floor of my laundry/mud room and nowhere to put them....

Hey you should make a Green tomato and Apple relish. I've just made a batch with the last of my tomatoes. I planted mine a bit late this year so had loads of green ones.

I have to say that it's one of the best relishes I' ve ever had!

http://www.happyselfsufficient.com/food ... elish.html

[Millymollymandy]

I made green tomato chutney ages ago with big green ones but these are the last of the cherry toms and too little to do anything with other than leave them to ripen! They are mostly ripening fine but a bit soft and tend to splurt when you cut/bite into them.

I am not surprised that you have tomatoes all over the place in all stages of development Tony! Do you not feel that if you achieve your aim that tomatoes won't be so special any more though? Bit like having strawberries all year round, there won't be anything to look forward to.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I am not surprised that you have tomatoes all over the place in all stages of development Tony! Do you not feel that if you achieve your aim that tomatoes won't be so special any more though? Bit like having strawberries all year round, there won't be anything to look forward to.

Tomatoes are the one thing I would consider buying a poly tunnel / greenhouse for. I eat toms in one form or another everyday but I point blank refuse to have anything to do with the industrial variety, which means once I run out of my frozen, bottled and dried stocks I have to rely on the tinned ones. These at least have the merit of being picked and potted while actually ripe, but it's not the same.

[Odsox]

Do you not feel that if you achieve your aim that tomatoes won't be so special any more though? Bit like having strawberries all year round, there won't be anything to look forward to.

Not really, because tomatoes have become one of those vegetables/fruit that is available 12 months of the year in ordinary grocers shops and has been that way for at least 40 years. At least I can have a tomato sandwich in March that actually tastes of tomato.
It's a bit like restricting yourself to only eating apples and potatoes when they are in "season".

[Millymollymandy]

The way I see it is like waiting for those new potatoes, you eat ordinary boring potatoes for 9 months of the year but for 3 months you get wonderful new potatoes which it's been worth waiting for! Same with supermarket tomatoes, we buy them for say 8 months of the year but those 4 months when we have fresh ones makes it all worth while.

Cos I am sick to death of cherry tomatoes right now I really want a break from having to eat so many tomatoes and then I can enjoy them next year when the time comes again. I wouldn't want good nice toms all year round as I wouldn't appreciate them when they are in season!

And I do only eat apples when they are in season from my own orchard, cos they are the only edible ones. Even supermarket tomatoes are better than supermarket apples here!

[Odsox]

Same with supermarket tomatoes, we buy them for say 8 months of the year

This is the whole point of me being selfsufficient(ish) and the point of this forum .... I DON'T BUY ANY VEGETABLES. If I don't grow it, I don't eat it as far as veggies are concerned, so no tomato sandwiches for lunch for 8 months ??
It's bad enough not having any cucumber to go in those sandwiches, now I wonder if .....

[Millymollymandy]

Oooh dear I do apologise I didn't realise this forum was strictly for people who were entirely self sufficient in vegetables and mustn't go and buy anything from a supermarket. I'll find my coat.....

[Odsox]

Sorry, I may have been a bit harsh with the reference to the forum, as it's supposed to be "ish" and not "absolute".
But different strokes for different folks, and I'm one of the "different" ones.

The thought of no tomato sandwiches for two thirds of a year pushed me over the edge.

[cocobelle]

Gosh, tomato plants still around in November, you did do well, having said that until the recent cold snap it has been quite mild.

[Odsox]

At the risk of upsetting people, I'm still picking loads of tomatoes .. well about a pound a week of Tigerella, Gardeners delight and Totem.
Plus I picked my last cucumber last Sunday, although the plant had been dead for a week or two, the cucumber was still fine.