2023 garden season

[djg james]

My tomatoes have kicked into high gear finally.

From eight plants, I got a 5 gallon bucket in just one day. More still to pick. Brother's, who has eight plants in my garden also, has been producing for a month. Different varieties. We've got more tomatoes than we can eat or give away, so I've been processing and freezing the juice. When I get 4-5 gallons, I'll cook it down and can it for a tomato base.

I was wondering about freezing tomatoes quartered. Can you freeze Romas with there skins on or should they be blanched and skinned first? If not, will the skins be tough in the dishes? I'm going yo be busy in the morning.

 

[muddstopper]

I have never frozen any tomatoes, so I cant say about the skins. Like you my maters are starting to kick into high gear. My Pink Hearts are turning, but my Morgage lifters aint doing much,, plenty of green maters though. My
Big Zacs have got me buffaloed. Big green mayers, but they havent shown a sign of getting ripe. Maybe they havent stopped growing yet.. anyways, last week canned 11 qts of juice and yesterday wife canned 8 pints of whole maters. Thses where the little pink hearts that are good for salads, but to small for sandwichs.

Getting back to the skins, Like I said, I havent frozen maters before, so no experience. I did dehydrate some apples last year and then froze. Since apple season is almost here, I told the wife to cook up some of the dried apples before I started drying anymore. I used one of those spinner corer peeler tools to process my apple and it leaves a few little streaks of peeling on the apples. What I found was that the peelings streaks dont cook up like the apples did. Even when cooked down into apple butter, you stilll get little hard strings of peelings. I have never noticed this before when using fresh apples so I dont know if it is because of the freezing, or the dehydrateing. apple butter turned out very good otherwise and I will be dehydrating more this year, I will just be more careful about making sure to remove all the peel.

 

[farmer steve]

My tomatoes have kicked into high gear finally.

From eight plants, I got a 5 gallon bucket in just one day. More still to pick. Brother's, who has eight plants in my garden also, has been producing for a month. Different varieties. We've got more tomatoes than we can eat or give away, so I've been processing and freezing the juice. When I get 4-5 gallons, I'll cook it down and can it for a tomato base.
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I was wondering about freezing tomatoes quartered. Can you freeze Romas with there skins on or should they be blanched and skinned first? If not, will the skins be tough in the dishes? I'm going yo be busy in the morning.

I guess a matter of preference on the skins whether you like them or not. We froze some romas a few years ago with the skins but only used them for vegetable soup,chili and spaghetti sauce. Idon't recall if the boss blanched them or not.

 

[djg james]

I guess a matter of preference on the skins whether you like them or not. We froze some romas a few years ago with the skins but only used them for vegetable soup,chili and spaghetti sauce. Idon't recall if the boss blanched them or not.

Yes, that's what I plan to use them for. I'll give them a try with the skins on. It'll be quicker to process. Right now my days are pretty full with work around the house.

 

[Brushpile]

Ghost pepper sauce.

 

[djg james]

Ghost pepper sauce.

View attachment 1109449

Tooooo HOT for me.

 

[sonny580]

I peel EVERYTHING here! lol! We used to freeze tomatoes but quit when we got the freeze drier and do them in it now.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Lastly, I picked another two gallons of Blue Lake pole beans.

Been a bumper crop in my opinion. Either they love the trellis or their location or I got good seed this year. Ordered instead of buying packets at the local farm store. I'm curious, could I expect the same results next year if I plant them in the same place next year. Or would the soil be depleted (of what?)? I could switch the trellis with the pea trellis, but I don't know if that would help. Amend the soil this Fall/next Spring?

As I've said, I new to seed saving. I picked the dry pods and shelled them. I'm currently drying them out it the open on a covered (towel)plate. How long? The in a jar and store in the refrigerator over the Winter?

blue lake bush for us down here in spring/early fall

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I dont put in fridge.,,---just keep seeds in jar or bag on a shelf in living room. IF they gonna grow they will stored that way. In fridge they get wet and mold!!
I have the red beans, lima beans , Libby canner pumpkins, yellow squash, Minn. tomatoes, all saved this way.

i keep all my inventory seeds in shop refer. 2 bins/pks. summer/fall.

oldest seeds i kept and then planted... were some limas that were 23 years old. very high germination! ~

now as for me, if i get much more older...i may get planted, too!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Tooooo HOT for me.

other day did some poppers. left more of the insides in the peppers. wanted a bit more spice!

mite not leave in so much next time...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

My tomatoes have kicked into high gear finally.

From eight plants, I got a 5 gallon bucket in just one day. More still to pick. Brother's, who has eight plants in my garden also, has been producing for a month. Different varieties. We've got more tomatoes than we can eat or give away, so I've been processing and freezing the juice. When I get 4-5 gallons, I'll cook it down and can it for a tomato base.
View attachment 1109014
I was wondering about freezing tomatoes quartered. Can you freeze Romas with there skins on or should they be blanched and skinned first? If not, will the skins be tough in the dishes? I'm going yo be busy in the morning.

i made some DIY tomato juice few weeks back. ran cooked pulp thru strainer. thawed some DIY spaghetti sauce and put all the pulp and skins in it, too...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Ghost pepper sauce.

View attachment 1109449

how do you use it?

 

[djg james]

blue lake bush for us down here in spring/early fall

I like anything in a pole variety. Space saving and way easier on the back to pick. Tried a pole pea this year. Poor germination. I'll try again next year. My squash, which have sprawled over the garden, will be grown on some type of trellis system next year. Someone on CL was giving away a metal swing set, which I missed. I'm thinking of making something 16' long like that out of some pipe I have. Put cattle panels on each side and let the squash grow up and over.

 

[Lionsfan]

blue lake bush for us down here in spring/early fall

I like anything in a pole variety. Space saving and way easier on the back to pick. Tried a pole pea this year. Poor germination. I'll try again next year. My squash, which have sprawled over the garden, will be grown on some type of trellis system next year. Someone on CL was giving away a metal swing set, which I missed. I'm thinking of making something 16' long like that out of some pipe I have. Put cattle panels on each side and let the squash grow up and over.

Agreed, bush beans kinda' suck. Ours are either Blue Lake or Kentucky Blue, or possibly a mixture of both.

 

[sonny580]

I found Contender to be the best bean. Granted they are bush but I dont do that many so get by picking them!

 

[djg james]

Thawed out some 2023 tomato juice and combined with fresh juice. I've got about 4 gallons that I'll reduce down to about half and then can.

Brother, who shares my garden just picked some more today and he gives me his excess he can't eat or give away to his neighbors. I'll get another 2 gallons or so of Romas tomorrow. What am I going to do with all these tomatoes? I may not have to plant any next year - lol - Naw.

 

[Brushpile]

how do you use it?

Slosh it on everything! I've gave several bottles away and everyone seems to want to brag on it.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Agreed, bush beans kinda' suck. Ours are either Blue Lake or Kentucky Blue, or possibly a mixture of both.

i like Kentucky pole better. but the BL bush is quite easy to grow, and is usually a prolific producer ~

garden fresh, some butta' and S/P... a winner! well, imo ~

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Slosh it on everything! I've gave several bottles away and everyone seems to want to brag on it.

dare i ask? one a scale of 1-10 how hot would u say they are??

-

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

took my lima pot apart day before. rumblings got sort a loud.
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then some went here and some went there...
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