Tomatoes

People don't like tomatoes because what's offered in the super market or fast food joints are bland and tasteless. Those places serve card board versions of the real deal. A home grown juicy ripe tomato is one of the best flavors on Earth. The Empire would have never struck back if it had good tomatoes growing on the vine. Even if you don't like the homegrown tomatoes, I'll bet you like fresh salsa and marinara? That's a good enough excuse for me to grow some. If you don't have a back yard grow some in containers.

Go grow yourself a tomato and be happy. Or, seek out your local farmers market.

Yep, I've hated them for years. The grocery store stuff is bred for looks. I've been hitting up the farmers market lately, generally getting beefsteaks. I picked a couple of, what I believe, are Cherokee purples the other day. Very nice.
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That's a nice one Owen. I picked up an organic heirloom at my local supermarket last week. It was pretty good not great. Much better then anything on the adjacent isle. They are hit and miss.

My favourite cherry tomato variety is the Sweet Million.



In regular size, it's the Lemon Boy, the only tomato I would bother growing in my back yard.


The tricky part is determining when they are ripe, because they just change from a pastel yellow to a brighter yellow. You have to look at them closely.
They have lots of flavour with not so much acidity.

Toast, mayo, tomato sliced to 1/2", salt, and freshly ground pepper. That's it.

Don't forget to plant some basil when planting your tomatoes at home. Perfect companions in the veggie patch and the kitchen!

The insipid imposter should be boycotted. Sure growing your own takes a small bit of effort and it take time but it's well worth it.

I should have home grown tomatoes ready before Christmas.



and so it begins....

dougydee said:

Don't forget to plant some basil when planting your tomatoes at home. Perfect companions in the veggie patch and the kitchen!

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Now you're talking. Grow lots because pesto on pasta is a great change of pace.

Lookin' good there Chris. I count about 16 plants you have growing.

Local tomatoes or no tomatoes for me. No grocery store dreck.

It's a start. My fall tomatoes are setting. The weather is finally cooperating with a high of 80F/27C and low humidity today. For tomatoes to set they like a range of 65 low and no more than 90 during the day. All week it has been 92, 93. With night time temps at around 77,78....not good really. So, we'll see. It's all fun.

I love a good tomato! I like mine on the acidic side.

The problem is that real good tomatoes don't travel well. Once the locally grown stuff is out, usually around October 1st here, there's nothing decent until next year. Growing up we'd get "hothouse" tomatoes from the next town over, that were pretty decent if I recall, but nothing I've tried in the cold months recently is worth slicing. There's still some green ones on my couple plants but they won't ripen now.

oc_in_fw said:

Yep, I've hated them for years. The grocery store stuff is bred for looks. I've been hitting up the farmers market lately, generally getting beefsteaks. I picked a couple of, what I believe, are Cherokee purples the other day. Very nice.
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Your sandwich needs more tomato. I also shouldn't need to mention it needs more bacon- that's a given.

just got my Benton Bacon order in and all available tomatoes gone. woe is me

daveinsweethome said:

just got my Benton Bacon order in and all available tomatoes gone. woe is me

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I've got a few extra seeds.

ouch said:

Your sandwich needs more tomato. I also shouldn't need to mention it needs more bacon- that's a given.

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I am going to remedy that now

daveinsweethome said:

just got my Benton Bacon order in and all available tomatoes gone. woe is me

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Thanks- I was trying to remember that name.

Yes, give me a proper tomato (to-mah-to) or none at all. I can't abide the tasteless pap sold in most supermarkets. Mine did surprisingly well this year, and although I had to pick a lot when they were green because I failed to plan my holiday around the tomato ripening season, they still made great chutney.

DoctorShavegood said:

I've got a few extra seeds.

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Do you have any bacon seeds? I'll take all you have.

ouch said:

Do you have any bacon seeds? I'll take all you have.

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Bacon seeds are a pig to grow.

Pick all your green ones before frost and bring them inside. They will red-up and be quite edible. They won't have near the flavour of an August vine ripen warm from the summer sun juice dripping from your chin fruit but they slay the supermarket offerings.

Still slowly coming along here, the ripe, yellow, orange and various reds, we beat the squirrels, still a lot of greens on the vines, no threats of frost yet.



dave