It’s pretty amazing how everything has come in at a different time this year. It doesn’t always happen that way. The potatoes are always one of the first things in the spring garden and I was pretty much done with them by the time the squash was ready to pick. This has been the best crop of squash I’ve ever gotten. I always figure that if I get about 50 packs or jars of something, that will give me enough to have it about once a week. That isn’t really true though because I probably start picking squash the first part of June and it produces well til the end of July so I really only need 10 months worth . . say 40 packs in order to have enough to have it once a week. I’ve put up well over 60 packs/jars . . some dehydrated and some in the freezer.
Now that the squash is starting to near its end, the tomatoes are producing like crazy. I had to can a batch of tomatoes while Chad and Nicole were here. Sunday after they left, I picked a 5 gallon bucket full of tomatoes and yesterday in between the rains, I picked another half bucket. They were wet so I spread them out on to dry til I can get them canned.
Tomatoes
Yep, there’s a little squash on that towel too. It was going to be for dinner last night but I ended up picking more so I cooked what I had picked last night.
Heirloom Tomatoes
The ones above are mostly the heirloom tomatoes and I keep those separate so we can eat those. I’ll have to can some of them but they’re the best for slicing and eating.
In the early stages of this garden, I thought the tomatoes weren’t going to do much . . those late frosts really set them back, but if they keep it up, they’re going to give me the best crop of tomatoes I’ve had in a very long time. That may be a bad thing when I’m in the kitchen canning tomatoes for days on end.
I should can these today but some of them need to get a bit more ripe. I’m having to pick them greener than I usually do to keep the grasshoppers from ruining them.
So far, I’ve put up 26 quarts of tomatoes. The little cherry tomatoes don’t get canned . . those are for snacking! We love fresh tomatoes!
Judy H says
I’m SO jealous of your tomatoes!! I have a terrible time growing tomatoes down here. I think it’s just me, though, because other people manage it just fine.
I LOVE tomatoes! I make this jam recipe from time to time, and eat it on freshly made ricotta and fresh French bread: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/dining/201mrex.html?ref=dining&_r=0
My husband doesn’t care for it, but my son scarfs it down. Sometimes I reduce the amount of ginger in it – especially if I’m not using Roma tomatoes, so you may want to consider that. It takes awhile to cook down, especially if you’re not using Romas – but it’s worth it! I’ll be glad to share my ricotta recipe if you want that, too!
Linda Steller says
They look great!
AngieG9 says
I’m so jealous of those tomatoes. They are rotting on the vines here because of the excessive rains. Squash, however, is abundant, so I’m making loads of relish.
Judy H. I printed out your tomato jam recipe. I’ll probably have to get the tomtoes at the grocery, but it really looks good. To me, it’s just not summer without several hours a day spent in the kitchen canning something. And I would love your ricotta recipe. agwink@bellsouth.net I love making my own stuff.
Judy L, I always had to can so many jars of things to feed my family and the farm hands you wouldn’t believe it. One summer I canned 250 quarts of green beans for myself and another 100 quarts for my mom. I always seemed to make more tomato juice than canned tomatoes, and put that in gallon jars. If I got 4 gallons a day I was doing good. That was always the first thing we ran out of. I also made our ketchup, so that took a lot of tomatoes also. I wish I still had my garden. Not that many grasshoppers in KY.
Regina says
all I have to say is… YUM!
Dorothy says
Your hard work is paying off!!
Susan says
Last year, I had so many cherry tomatoes, I did can them. They look very pretty in the jar!