Contrary Tomatoes

[Zeedman]

we picked what was left of the tomatoes off the plants which were done. some were green and will be left on the table to ripen. we had a lone tomato on the table in the garage for about 6 weeks before it finally ripened. we ate it yesterday and it was delicious. if you were not in the know you'd think it was ripened on the plant.

You CAN bring in your unripe tomatoes and let them ripen in bowls on your table/counter. Yes, some will go bad, but most will ripen and be great for canning!

Several years ago, I had a lot of very large green tomatoes just before frost. I picked all of the largest, and placed trays of them in the mini-greenhouse that I use as a germination chamber. The greenhouse is in my unheated garage, so I turned on the enclosed heater, and set it for 40-45 F. degrees. At that temperature, the tomatoes ripened very gradually. A few spoiled & were quickly removed, but some lasted until December. They were not as flavorful as vine ripened; but they were still better than supermarket tomatoes.

All of the tomatoes in my rural garden are weeks behind due to the weed pressure this year, loaded with green tomatoes, and unlikely to ripen before frost... so I will probably repeat that process this year.

 

[flowerbug]

Several years ago, I had a lot of very large green tomatoes just before frost. I picked all of the largest, and placed trays of them in the mini-greenhouse that I use as a germination chamber. The greenhouse is in my unheated garage, so I turned on the enclosed heater, and set it for 40-45 F. degrees. At that temperature, the tomatoes ripened very gradually. A few spoiled & were quickly removed, but some lasted until December. They were not as flavorful as vine ripened; but they were still better than supermarket tomatoes.

All of the tomatoes in my rural garden are weeks behind due to the weed pressure this year, loaded with green tomatoes, and unlikely to ripen before frost... so I will probably repeat that process this year.

they are still better than most store bought tomatoes and we've done some late season canning when we've had large amounts ripening on the table. we don't heat the garage but it is attached to the house so if we close it up at night it usually won't get below freezing until the winter season is really upon us. by then we're done with the tomatoes and moving on to trying to get the squash brought inside and/or processed or eaten up.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Still not tomato #1, I think the odds are we will get none this year. Plants only put out 2 flowers, both of which immediately withered, and now they are losing leaves to the cold. Dunno what happened.

 

[Zeedman]

@Pulsegleaner , you are living in the botanical version of the Bermuda Triangle... where plants just disappear. I admire your tenacity in the face of adversity, and wish you had conditions (and circumstances) worthy of your goals.

 

[flowerbug]

@Pulsegleaner , you are living in the botanical version of the Bermuda Triangle... where plants just disappear. I admire your tenacity in the face of adversity, and wish you had conditions (and circumstances) worthy of your goals.

certainly sounds like it!

 

[ducks4you]

I am canning my Black Krim NOT fully ripe. They are SPLITTING, getting holes and generally Trying to get big, but none are beautiful. I know it was very wet for VERY long, then a drought, but some rotted that were touching the ground OR close to it.
Sooo...my jars look like there is something greenish-blackish floating around in them. I ASSURE you that they taste good.

 

[flowerbug]

I am canning my Black Krim NOT fully ripe. They are SPLITTING, getting holes and generally Trying to get big, but none are beautiful. I know it was very wet for VERY long, then a drought, but some rotted that were touching the ground OR close to it.
Sooo...my jars look like there is something greenish-blackish floating around in them. I ASSURE you that they taste good.

as long as they taste good... i'm pretty sure i've not had that variety to taste before. what are they like? our basic cooking tomatoes here are the beefsteak varieties which have enough acidic bite to them and we also use them for making tomato juice.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What variety of tomato tastes best? The not-bought-at-the-store variety.

What do Black Krim taste like? I'd say sweet and smoky. To me they are not sharp and acidic, more mellow. One of my favorite flavors.

Does that sound about right Ducks?

 

[ducks4you]

@Ridgerunner ... yep

 

[ducks4you]

The tomatoes that did the Best this year were the Amish Paste. Everybody likes eating them, and I just canned 2 1/4 quarts of them, very little juice.
I WILL go back to planting just as many tomato plants as I can get growing next year.
I think when I asked about how many to grow, back years ago, somebody who doesn't can suggested about 15 plants. It just isn't enough.
After next weekend, I am digging up the small volunteers and overwintering them. I am NOT expecting them to grow fruit this winter, just to develop really good roots, so that I can put them out as early as possible in 2021. I expect to prune them back, kind of like a bonsai.
I am game and don't want to see these late volunteers get frozen out.

How to Make a Normal Tomato Seed into a Bonsai Plant

homeguides.sfgate.com

.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/9gdlxc