$3.99 a pound.

[hoodat]

ok how do you sundry a tomatoe?

In the hottest sun you can find, be it a concete slab or the hood of an old truck. Put them on waxed paper and turn several times a day. It can take four or five dys to get them good and dry. Be sure to use a good fly screen over them or the flies will ruin them.
If you don't use a fly screen you could end up like this.

Dried Apple Pies
I loathe, abhor, detest, despise,
Abominate dried-apple pies.
I like good bread, I like good meat,
Or anything that's fit to eat;
But of all poor grub beneath the skies,
The poorest is dried apple pies.
Give me the toothache, or sore eyes,
But don't give me dried apple pies.
The farmer takes his gnarliest fruit,
'Tis wormy, bitter, and hard, to boot;
He leaves the hulls to make us cough,
And don't take half the peeling off.
Then on a dirty cord 'tis strung,
And in a garret window hung,
And there it serves as roost for flies,
Until it's made up into pies.
Tread on my corns, or tell me lies,
But don't pass me dried-apple pies.


>>Anonymous

 

[jackb]

It is really not the growing conditions that determine the taste, but the variety, which was developed to be uniform in size, withstand machine harvesting and being picked green. They have very thick skins and are dry and tasteless. The late Andy Rooney said they are perfect in every way, except you can't eat them. I grew two patio hybrid plants indoors this winter, and there was no difference in taste from what I grow in the greenhouse, or outdoors. I started some Mountain Princess seeds on Christmas day and I am thinking tomatoes in April this season.

 

[so lucky]

jackb, is Mountain Princess a variety specifically for greenhouse gardening? Do you have to do anything different to pollinate them? You got me thinking and plotting about next year already.

 

[omar818]

I've also noticed that they are increasing the cost at the supermarket. Another reason to grow your own!

 

[jackb]

I selected the Mountain Princess to grow, indoors, in containers, under lights. They are early and compact, bearing medium sized fruit. Here is the description:

Organic Mountain Princess Tomato - HEIRLOOM Mountain sweet goodness! Grown for generations in the Monongahela National Forest region of West Virginia. Fruits are 8-10 oz, orange-red and perfectly round with a mild tomato flavor. Very productive plants bear quick and early. Works well in containers. A customer favorite for six pack sales. Determinate(Lycopersicon esculentum)

Days to maturity:68 days

They are such good looking plants I am going to grow a few in the greenhouse as well. I simply tap the trusses when the flowers are fully open, like a trumpet, to pollinate them. Outdoors, the wind will take care of it.

Seeds are available at High Mowing Seeds or Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Jack

 

[vfem]

If it helps I use cherry tomatoes for sundried tomatoes. They dry faster, and I do them in my car so no bug issues. Finish them in the oven and pack them in jars to store in the fridge.

My FAVORITE most fantastic tasting cherry for these is the 'chocolate cherry' the flavor is intense and they are heavily productive. 1 plant is usually enough to give me fresh to snack on all season and I get about 4 8oz mason jars of the dried tomatoes by the end of the season.

 

[sparks]

I also do tomatoes in the dehydrator. When I do not have fresh tomatoes I rehydrate then in oil and vinegar and use them on salads and things. I refuse to buy winter, store bought tomatoes.:watering

 

[HunkieDorie23]

If it helps I use cherry tomatoes for sundried tomatoes. They dry faster, and I do them in my car so no bug issues. Finish them in the oven and pack them in jars to store in the fridge.

My FAVORITE most fantastic tasting cherry for these is the 'chocolate cherry' the flavor is intense and they are heavily productive. 1 plant is usually enough to give me fresh to snack on all season and I get about 4 8oz mason jars of the dried tomatoes by the end of the season.

So you can dry any type of tomato, it doesn't have to be a drying variety? I am going grow Koralik Cherry tomatoes, it is a first time I grown them. After you dry them to you just store them in a ziplock freezer bag? I had a recipe for hummus that I made the other day but it called for sundried tomatoes which I didn't have and couldn't buy in McConnelsville. The hummus was good but could of been better with the tomatoes.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A weird thing I've done is save tomato skins when I can them. Just the skins, not the seeds since the seeds contain oil and can go rancid. I dry the tomato skins in the dehydrator, then powder then in a blender or food processor. I store them in a jar in the pantry.

I use this powder when I make oil and vinegar salad dressing. I would not call it a strong tomato flavor, nothing like dried tomatoes, but it adds some flavor and color.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I would try that but my chicken would be soooooo upset because they always get seeds and skins.